EARLSWOOD TOWN 2-4 COVENTRY UNITED: match report by THE MOWDOG...

Tommy Guns Down Fighting Earls

Earlswood Town 2 Coventry United 4

Tommy Maguire, who was instrumental in Alvis Sporting’s rise to prominence a couple of years ago, turned up at Springbrook Lane to score twice and secure two assists, as Coventry United saw off a busy, relentless and physical challenge from Earlswood Town. Leading 0-2 at the interval, United contrived to allow their hosts back into the game at 2-2, before Maguire scorched home a low volley and then set Brian Ndlovu free to settle the affair, one on one with home goalie Chris Mole. The game was enjoyable to watch, in a friendly atmosphere, with both sets of coaches willing to converse and in truth some of the play exceeded the level I saw on the previous Tuesday, an uncompromising FA Cup replay between Evo-Stik South team Coalville Town and Northern Premier outfit Belper Town, who parted company yesterday with manager Peter Duffield. Kieran Fitzgerald and Keith Draper drove Earlswood on but some clever play by Jean Dakuri and Maguire in the Coventry midfield, backed by the foraging Dan Lucas, and some speedy runs by striker Muziwandile Nduna gave the visitors a real edge, especially with central defender and skipper Kobe Ntim in ebullient mood, despite the occasional deep frown…

Nduna wants to be a dancer...

An early Maguire corner, struck high, came to nought for the guests, due to an infringement but the opening sorties of this match-up lacked pattern and creativity. Coventry’s Pierre Moudime, a leggy and positive runner in possession from right-back, was called for a foul-throw, which was embarrassing then home midfielder Fitzgerald took a left-side free-kick far too quickly and the ball soared left to right and had to be retrieved by United ‘keeper Joe Connor from the trees beyond the corner-flag. Also rather embarrassing… Neat play by Town’s right-back Matt Powell, not wearing his Hollister or Office wardrobe on the day of course, led to Maguire fastening onto the ball, as Powell was offered no outlet but the tricky Coventry man fired a long shot off target, possibly attempting to catch Mole unawares. As you do.

Home central defender Artur Serzysko was looking strong for the home team but Kobe Ntim, his opposite number, was too and he was clobbered by lively Town striker Zack Lyons, which left the United man needing treatment and somewhat unhappy. Lyons then committed another offence, then another, possibly ruing the fact that his holiday was over, but despite Ntim’s protestations, the bearded forward escaped a caution on all three occasions. Smart control and a decent pass by Powell led to possession for home striker Sir Ralph Richardson, the famous English actor, but the attack fizzled out. A sudden clipped shot from distance by Keith Draper for the hosts led to back-peddling by Joe Connor in the Coventry goal and he was able to tip the ball over his crossbar for a corner, which was fruitless, due to wrestling between Serzysko and an opponent. Amazingly, a weakness in the middle of the home defence allowed the hovering, hare-like and hungry Nduna to grab possession, he passed right to Maguire, in too much space and the clever midfielder drilled a low angled shot past Mole and into the far left corner of the net to ease the visitors’ frustrations.

United fans in red and green loiter in front of the clubhouse...

United skipper Ntim has heard there's a Birmingham City scout at the match...

Tommy Maguire, blue shirt, left, is the only Coventry player not smiling.
He scored, though...

Despite Scotland voting not to leave the Union,  Maguire and Stokes show there are no hard feelings by dancing a Highland Fling...
It's 0-2 anyway.

A short corner by Ash McBride for United, to Maguire, led to a curling effort by the goalscorer, which drifted off target, then a quick throw-in led to Nduna feeding midfielder Chris Cox but his hurried drive was spectacularly off target and threatened the vehicles in the car-park as it dropped, ice-covered, from a height. Home defender Chris Morrison was clearly struggling with an injury and he was soon replaced by the rather tall Tom Weaver, before a fine passing move by Coventry saw Maguire freed through the inside-left channel but his progress was halted by the trusty Serzysko at the expense of a throw. Coventry were more fluent by this point and more good passing led to home skipper Gareth Davies fouling Maguire, then another attack on the right saw well-involved midfielder Jean Dakouri battle along the byeline, pass across the 6 yard box towards Nduna but he shovelled the ball over the crossbar, like he was haymaking in Victorian England.

Are there really more people in and around the dugouts, than on the pitch?

This fellow certainly had the balls... 

Dakouri fed Nduna on the left and he cut inside but shot straight at Mole, before Earlswood should really have equalised but in a moment which really would be critical to the outcome of the game, Draper collected diminutive wide-man Brad Hall’s pass on the left, cut inside defender Stevy Djedje and with only Connor to beat dragged a poor shot past the near upright. As the sign said behind the goal-net: ‘Keep out of the goals…’ The shot did. Connor punched a corner clear but Draper’s 24 yard shot flew wide of the right upright then Dakouri, such an industrious influence for the visitors, passed left to Nduna, but his 18 yard shot was pushed round his right stick by Mole, diving low, the second such outcome for Nduna in a matter of minutes. The ensuing near post corner by Maguire was cleverly flicked into the Earlswood net by the lurking Dan Stokes, the tireless Coventry attacker. 0-2 and half-time arrived with United sitting very pretty but the game would change with Town’s introduction of Jowan Blake-Walker for Hall at the break.

0-2 and Maguire, centre, was the provider...

Stokes, jumping in blue, displays his 'sitting in a dental surgery's waiting-room' expression...

Blake-Walker’s early second period challenge led to the ball falling for Lyons at 19 yards and his right-footer rocketed past Connor and into the top left corner of the net, giving his team real hope of a result. 

1-2, following Lyons' strike...

Coventry responded and the wily Maguire’s shot was blocked by Powell’s scrotum, leaving him breathing heavily and four centimetres shorter for a while but the ball had rebounded to the busy Cox, ironically, whose 22 yard effort smacked against the right post and the rebound was fluffed by Nduna, destined to have a shooting day to forget, possibly having been cursed by the gypsy who caused Birmingham City so many years of struggle. Not much has changed at St Andrews, in all honesty. As Earlswood, with Fitzgerald rampaging about like Robbie Savage on speed, pushed forward for an equaliser, Blake-Walker’s dined centre from the left byeline was only tipped towards the far post by Connor and Lyons was only denied a headed goal by the height of Djedje and Coventry were awarded a goal-kick. 

Matt Powell wishes he'd left his valuables in the club's safe...

Would Earls' Vice-Chairman Sir John Sharpe swim across shark-infested waters to rescue his lost ball?
Er, no, actually, due to the fact that he had his hand inside a dead badger...

Then Nduna broke away on the left flank, cut inside a defender and with the goalie advancing towards him, simply had to push the ball square for the supporting Stokes to strike into an empty goal but Nduna didn’t think simple, or even look up and side-footed his unfortunate shot straight at Mole. This really would prove a costly miss, for the hosts, on the back of a cross-field pass from Fitzgerald, saw Lyons flick a pass inside to Blake-Walker on the 18 yard line and the substitute drove a low shot past Connor. Simple move, effectively engineered and parity had been regained. Coventry were rocking, Earlswood were thrusting.

If you've netted the equaliser, your team-mates cause you actual bodily harm...
2-2... And Coventry's Steve Djedje shows admirable acting ability...

Then Brian Ndlovu replaced the profligate Nduna for the guests and the game changed again. His running on the right led to a Dakouri shot being blocked but the midfielder’s rebound effort took an agonising deflection and the ball rolled across the 6 yard box for a corner, which Mole scrambled in vain to prevent. After the flag-kick had been cleared, Dakouri drove in a 25 yarder, which was badly sliced, to the anguish of Maguire, totally free on the left. A bad foul on Stokes by Weaver seemed to set up a shooting chance for Maguire at 25 yards but Cox took the free-kick instead and his inaccurate effort cleared the crossbar. Lyons waded in when there was a bit of a crowd near a touchline, battling for the ball like lions at a kill but this time he won only a deserved yellow card for his wild challenge and soon, the visitors were ahead again. Moudime, causing problems on the offensive right, was responsible for the attack, initially, Dakouri’s cross was blocked, Moudime’s subsequent shot was stopped by Weaver but the looped rebound fell onto the watching Maguire’s right instep at the right corner of the penalty-box, from whence his waist-high volley flew downwards and bounced fast past Mole into the far corner of the net, the one we were all supposed to keep out of. 2-3 and really, the Earls were broken.

2-3, and scorer Tommy Maguire shows why he's not a good choice of partner in the school's wheelbarrow race...
And United's secretary (right) attempts to catch flies without the use of his hands...

Tommy's up and about now...

Connor fell to gather a low Lyons shot, Ndlovu beat the offside trap to break on the United right but Stokes miscued his shot at 18 yards, then Gift Mussa replaced the forward to play an important role in midfield for the closing stages, winning possession, turning swiftly and passing neatly. Richardson was replaced by Luke White for the hosts and the substitute showed a real willingness until the end but then Moudime, who had been charging forward at every opportunity for the visitors, suffered the acute embarrassment of performing a second foul-throw in the game… Then Maguire’s vision settled the outcome of the match; Earlswood’s attack had stalled, Powell had picked up possession just inside the Coventry half but the niggling Maguire tackled him and sent an immediate defence-carving pass through the inside-right channel, from where the onside Ndlovu raced clear to nudge a dinked shot past the outrushing Mole and into the left corner of the net.

Team-mates tell Brian that they Ndlovu his finish for the 4th Coventry goal...

Nobody rolls on the floor this time; just cool, guy-like pats on Brian's back...

Another break by Ndlovu saw him outmuscle Serzysko onto Mussa’s fine long pass but he side-footed a weak effort at Mole, who spilled the ball like he couldn’t keep control of his tossing pancake but at least he recovered to complete the save. Another fine run on the right by the unselfish Ndlovu led to a pass inside for the scurrying Maguire but this time the midfielder’s low shot skidded across the 6 yard box harmlessly. The game over, Coventry celebrated their victory, despite missing several players too, but Earlswood had certainly given them a grilling.

Powell and Dakouri just wanna go home now...

John Sharpe had been pictured with The Bodging before the game and he commented that he would tell his wife that he’d had his hand up someone’s badger… I replied that that might be unwise. He then said that to satisfy her queries, he’d tell her that it was a dead badger… I reckoned that that was even more unwise. After all, he is a VICE-Chairman… 

Teams:  

Earlswood:  Chris Mole, Matt Powell, Gareth Davies (Capt); Chris Morrison, Artur Serzysko, John Farley; Keith Draper, Kieran Fitzgerald, Ralph Richardson, Zack Lyons, Brad Hall.

Subs: Roy Dunkley, Jowan Blake-Walker, Sam Davis, Luke White, Tom Weaver. 

Coventry United:  Joe Connor, Pierre Moudime, Ash McBride; Dan Lucas, Kobe Ntim (Capt), Stevy Djedje; Tommy Maguire, Jean Dakouri, Dan Stokes, Muziwandile Nduna, Chris Cox.

Subs: Peter Williams, Gift Moussa, Sean Kavanagh, Brian Ndlovu, Said Mohammed (gk).