ROMULUS FC 2-3 NORTON UNITED: match report by THE MOWDOG...

Norton Faith Survives Romulus Grilling…

Romulus FC 2 Norton United 3

This game was played on St Faith’s Day, the 6th October and the young martyr, who was supposedly burnt on a grid (or grille) by Roman soldiers in her native France because she would not renounce her Christian faith, is usually depicted holding a grid and a sword. Romulus founded ancient Rome and so it was fitting that United escaped the wrath of Romulus on St Faith’s Day, were spared a grilling and actually left Coles Lane with three deserved points. St Faith ‘knew for certain’ that she would keep her faith and strangely, the Romulus motto ‘Pro Certo Habeo’ means just about that phrase… It was ironic too, that on a strangely misty and shivery October evening, a chap called Fogg should prevail, scoring a goal for Norton and then defending with all the passion of a Gaul against a Roman Legion. Tom Fogg was the visiting skipper and in one short period of two minutes late in the game, he rose to slam three powerful headers to clear danger, albeit from not too far inside his own half. Another Hero was Niall Green, whose two goal-strikes were crucial but the competitive nature of Norton, missing several regulars, was creditable, regularly passing the ball in slick fashion and involving the movement of strikers Lee Cropper and Michael Lennon in swift attacks. United even lost goalie Danny Roberts early in the game, after taking a kick on an ankle, or maybe a foot, which saw him hobble from the field after conceding the opening goal. Substitute Glynn Blackhurst who took over between the uprights, is an outfield player but somehow survived admittedly infrequent anxious moments and was only beaten late on, with the aid of a deflection. Romulus, for all the cleverness of Aaron Moses-Garvey and Ash Jackson, were simply unable to capitalise on their probing, for strikers James Reid and Courtney Baker-Richardson were destined to suffer disappointing evenings. 

Tom Fogg is er, in there somewhere...

Keen and impressive Norton right-back Sam Bradbury launched a long pass through the inside-right channel early on and with the Romulus defenders indecisive, Cropper fastened onto the ball but seemed to hurry a shot, which sliced badly off target. The mist swirled above the surface of the artificial pitch, like steam rising as St Faith was being grilled in antiquity, for it rained that day too, and soon from the depths, Scott Meer’s deep free-kick was nodded goalwards by home defender Cam Lee and he would have been frustrated that he failed to score, as the ball bounced across the goal-area for Fogg to hack behind for a corner on the right. Fine running by Cropper from the Norton right, following smart link-up play between Lennon and Bradbury, led to a splendid far-post centre, which was met by Green’s downward header but home ‘keeper Maxime Fondop dropped onto the ball on his goal-line. Visiting goalie Roberts had been caught by the flailing hobnails of a Legionary’s boot and had received lengthy treatment but he continued in some pain, before the referee took the step of irritating the flow and temperament of the Norton crew. He allowed play to go on, following a foul, with Roms pressing but then awarded the free-kick when a pass went astray; home left-back Meer stood tall like a meerkat sniffing the air about him and curled a 25 yard free-kick past the motionless Roberts, a shot which fell inside the right stick.

1-0, after Meer's free-kick...

...and goalie Roberts leaves the field...

Roberts was replaced by Blackhurst and the tall, bearded outfielder was soon in custodial action, getting into a mess as a result of a back-pass but fortunately, Reid was unable to capitalise at the left byeline. During these initial moments, Blackhurst appeared ‘about as local as a fish in a tree’, words penned by John Sebastian in the Lovin’ Spoonful song ‘Boredom’. Suddenly, though, Cropper raced through at inside-left, only to be denied by the huge frame of Fondop, who saved at the forward’s feet. A wild and ugly challenge by home skipper Lee Smith on lively Norton wide-player Chris Baker won the powerful Rom a caution and although the hosts cleared the ensuing free-kick, Lennon’s 16 yard snap-shot flew wide of the right post. Green then clipped a 23 yarder from left of centre over the right angle of bar and post, as Norton continued to ask all the questions. One of their fans was suddenly heard to call out “Come on Norton…” like he was searching for his dog in a foggy meadow and this was strangely reminiscent of a guy I once heard at Belper Town’s ground, who took regular bites of his pork-bap, chewed for a while, then suddenly called out plaintively, “Cum on Belper…”

Lee Smith in trouble...

Roms had only really threatened in deep areas with the pace and neat feet of Jackson and Moses-Garvey but the main strikers, Reid and Baker-Richardson, both of whom are tall, really ought to have pressured the excellent Norton central defenders Dawson and Ben Clarkson far more readily. Reid did lift an inaccurate 16 yard effort well over the crossbar from a good position, after receiving a pass from his strike-partner and then a decent run on the right by Edwin Ahenkorah led to a delivery to the vacant near post but the unchallenged Blackhurst was only able to fumble the ball wide for a corner, which the ‘keeper punched away in a rather unique style. His arm was perfectly straight, like he was encouraging a bird of prey to take flight from his wrist in a falconry display but his effort was effective indeed and cleared the danger. Another low Ahenkorah cross was defended well by the guests, as Baker-Richardson lurked at the near upright but then a long Bradbury drive, way too high, eased the slight Romulus pressure a little. Fine footwork by Moses-Garvey allowed Reid to pass to Baker-Richardson for Roms but Blackhurst was quickly out to smother the ball.

Kyle Diskin received a yellow card for the visitors, for a foul on Moses-Garvey but Norton’s enterprise was soon rewarded when Cropper, so alert, fed Lennon on the right; the experienced forward cut inside Meer near the byeline and made towards the middle but somehow, the striker fell down in front of the defender and the official awarded Norton a penalty. The drama didn’t end there however, for Fogg, left boot emerging from the ground mist, saw his low spot-kick blocked well by the towering Fondop, only for the calm Fogg to stroke the rebound into the bottom right corner of the net. The visitors could and should have been ahead at the break, for a free-kick, beautifully flighted by Diskin from the right was met, I believe by Baker but the winger’s downward header lacked any power and Fondop dropped onto the ball gratefully, as if he’d just prevented his pet hedgehog from being mauled by next-door’s dog. 

1-1...

Lee Smith, who had suffered an injury late in the first-half and had been treated at some length by my son’s mate, the now bearded Roms’ physio' Leigh Edwards, did not appear after the interval and had been replaced by Greg Downes, who soon played a pass to Baker-Richardson at the left side of the penalty-box but Blackhurst saved comfortably. Norton though, had a shock in store for their hosts and won a right-side corner, which was curled towards the near post and it was Green’s head which glanced the ball into the far corner of the net and United were ahead. 

Green's header has given Norton the lead...

The strangest moment of the game, which led to the referee becoming a fiend to the visitors arrived after Blackhurst had done really well to punch (more regularly this time) a right-wing flag-kick away; the ball was moved beautifully through midfield and Lennon released Green centrally, only for Rosser to trip him as he was about to enter the penalty-area. It really should have been a free-kick for Norton, surely; also probably the issue of a card to the Roms defender but the official simply played on. This was interesting, for Green should have been cautioned for diving, if the referee had deemed no foul had been committed… Norton were incensed, Rosser trotted away like he’d not been spotted nicking apples from an orchard and the game-stakes were raised.

A Romulus break led to a pass to Ahenkorah but his drive from 18 yards was well blocked by the battling Fogg, although the ball fell for Downes, who drove a wasteful effort way off target. Another Ahenkorah centre, low from the right saw Reid and Bradshaw compete but Blackhurst fall on the ball, then a poor deep Norton free-kick, which only two Roms jumped for, led to a break on the right side by the hosts but the emerging Ahenkorah totally miscued his near post shot off target. Decent play by the still eager Cropper and the racing Baker led to a Bradbury cross dropping over the goal-frame and Cropper then fed the dangerous Green on left, who cut inside Rosser but drove his cross-shot well wide of the far upright. Jon Beaumont was assisting his United team-mates with some real demolition work in midfield but with Bradshaw already bandaged around the head, Clarkson took the ball full in the face, as Roms became more desperate. Then Fogg was booked for a foul on Jackson and although Baker-Richardson won the ball in the air from Meer’s right-flank delivery from deep, the downward effort was clutched on the goal-line by the thrashing Blackhurst, who then blocked a low Ahenkorah drive with his legs, after Reid’s pass had found the winger at inside-left, 12 yards out.

Maxime Fondop doesn't realise that everybody went home two hours ago...

Norton’s defending had become resolute but again Cropper fed Green left for the progressive visitors and again he beat Rosser on the inside, but again drove a disappointing cross-shot way wide of the far stick, ignoring an overlapping colleague and displaying his own anguish. The indefatigable Cropper was replaced by the diminutive Leigh Skellern, who soon had the ball in the Romulus net, but he had been flagged offside, yet shortly, Skellern moved the ball cleverly left to Green again, who this time burst past Rosser into the penalty-area and slotted a smart finish beneath the frame of Fondop. 

1-3 and Green has scored again...

The game was seemingly won for the visitors but after Paul Taylor replaced the tired Beaumont, good work on the Roms’ left by Reid and Jackson led to a low drive by Moses-Garvey from 22 yards, which took a telling deflection off a defender and diverted past Blackhurst, who was falling down for the original track of the shot. 2-3 and Roms needed to attack with guile, but the visitors killed the game far too easily, running the ball into the left corner and the match ended bizarrely, with the unpopular official virtually telling Lennon not to bother dithering about near the corner flag at a free-kick but to bash the ball across the field, so that he could blow the final whistle in peace, no doubt.

Game over...

Roms should have done better. They had players who seemed capable of displaying so much more but were often outfought by their guests, who certainly showed craft and creativity. Fogg led his team well and the strikers were as effective as the Romulus forwards were not, although Lee Smith‘s influence was missed after the interval. Fair play to Blackhurst, for he looked like an outfielder playing awkwardly between the sticks at first, but then settled to look rather more comfortable as the match wore on. Green scored when the team needed him to and Lennon and Cropper frequently caused problems for the often jittery Tyrone Williams and Lee. 

In a display of a kind of ‘victory’, St Faith has been depicted releasing World War Two French prisoners from German war camps but on this, her Saint’s day, maybe she had helped Norton to escape from Romulus of Rome, which I doubt she had any liking for, after all…

Me? I went home for a bar of Old Jamaica chocolate. It’s what I sometimes do… 

Teams:  

Romulus:  Maxime Fondop, Keenah Rosser, Scott Meer; Cam Lee, Tyrone Williams, Lee Smith (Capt); Edwin Ahenkorah, Aaron Moses-Garvey, James Reid, Courtney Baker-Richardson, Ash Jackson.

Subs: Rob Evans, Greg Downes, Phil Davis.

Norton:  Danny Roberts, Sam Bradbury, Tom Fogg (Capt); Adam Dawson, Ben Clarkson, Jon Beaumont; Chris Baker, Kyle Diskin, Lee Cropper, Michael Lennon, Niall Green.

Subs: Leigh Skellern, Glynn Blackhurst, Jamie Skellern, Paul Taylor, Ben Rowley.