BROMSGROVE SPORTING 3-2 NUNEATON GRIFF: match report by THE MOWDOG...

Tibbetts Heads Sporting Past Game Griff

Bromsgrove Sporting 3 Nuneaton Griff 2

(FA Vase Round 1)

This tie was settled by two late first-half headers from Will Tibbetts, probably the smallest man on the field, who also took over the responsibility of taking a penalty from the inconsistent Sam Wills, but he was denied by Griff ‘keeper Alex Horton’s diving save. Bromsgrove had survived a couple of early scares from their lively visitors and were grateful that their goal-frame doubled as a last-gasp defender twice, before the hosts had even got going. When they did, Sean Brain and Aaron Daniels were quick and incisive, with the latter striking an upright. 3-1 at the break seemed an unassailable lead but Aden Moore’s good finish left the outcome in question, as Sporting squandered a number of second-half chances, thus making their progression into Round 2 that much more unsure. Simon Fitter and Craig Jones defended with aplomb however and were generally assured, with Ryan Mahon making two or three late covering challenges as Griff sensed an equaliser, although without really threatening home goalie Jake Bedford. 

Tossers. Of the coin, I mean...

Out of nothing, Moore clipped a smart 19 yard effort at the Bromsgrove goal in the opening moments and only a vital touch by the leaping Bedford turned the ball against his crossbar, then following a corner, visiting skipper Mark G Williams was fed by impressive defender Corey Faulconbridge and he struck a left-footer against the base of the right upright, with Bedford sprawling in vain. The proverbial ‘kick up the bum’ received, Sporting became enlivened and Brain was crudely upended by the fearsome Liam Baginskis, although the diminutive referee was probably too frightened to gulp and show a yellow card… Fitter wanted to take the free-kick quickly but the official stood totally still and wouldn’t allow it, probably making sure that Baginskis was well out of the way. A superb tackle by Corey Faulconbridge on Brain, as the striker burst into the penalty-box onto Jones’ neat pass, was crucial for the guests and after the subsequent corner had been cleared, Daniels’ left-foot drive was blocked by the mass of Griff defenders. 

Simon Fitter: hair coiffed for the Vase...

Fitter, not only defending stoutly, was also feeding forward players rather well and one pass to Tibbetts saw the winger’s effort blocked to Daniels at an angle on the right but Horton held the striker’s delivery at his near post. Mahon rose well but headed Tibbetts’ left-side free-kick over the Nuneaton crossbar, then after Moore had miscued from 22 yards for Griff, Wills did the same for Sporting, following good lead-up play by Brain, Tibbetts and adventurous right-back Chris Duggan. A blow for the hosts arrived on 16 minutes however, when Moore was released at inside-left and his left-boot finish was unerring and clinical, as he beat Bedford low and just inside the right stick. 

Moore (10) has opened the scoring...

A wild arm by Williams on Tibbetts brought a foul but strangely no caution for the Griff midfielder, but perhaps Baginskis had been heard growling… Fitter’s miscued free-kick swerved wide left and somehow, central defender Jones fastened onto the ball and despite being baulked by a defender, bustled past another onto Brain’s return-pass and his low centre only just evaded the lurking Tibbetts beyond the far post. Reece Hewitt’s running then became an issue on the Griff defensive right and when he reached the byeline, Tibbetts’ shot was again blocked by visiting defenders. A throw from the left by Daniels ended with a great chance for Wills but as he was challenged, his effort flew past the near left upright from just 10 yards. A goal was imminent though and sure enough, from a short left-flank corner, Daniels rushed towards the byeline and his low delivery was cleverly turned in at the near post by the ecstatic Brain, who had used a foot, not his head.

Tibbetts auditions for the part of a hedgehog in Bromsgrove's Christmas panto'...

1-1 and Brain has regained parity but notice that Fitter (4) has run several miles to show off his new haircut to the camera...

Soon after the deserved equaliser, a fine right-side centre by Tibbetts was met by Daniels’ glancing header but with Horton rooted to the ground like a tent in a gale, the ball dropped against the inside of the base of the far post. A couple more offensive sorties by the hosts led to survival tactics by the visitors and also another wayward Wills shot but when Hewitt’s swashbuckling run towards the left byeline ended with a good cross, there was Tibbetts at the far post, stretching his neck into a very awkward position, like an imbalanced inebriated juggler and the winger’s slow header wrong-footed Horton and his covering defenders, as it bounced gently back into the left side of the net. 

2-1 and Tibbetts (right) looks almost embarrassed...

Wills’ superb pass through inside-left for Brain to run onto, ended with Horton racing from goal, failing to get to the ball and succeeding only in upending the speedy forward but Tibbetts’ right-footed penalty-strike was chest-high and the ‘keeper leapt right to parry the ball aside really well. Horton had been cautioned for his misdemeanour but then the goalie conceded a bizarre goal and much of the credit must go to Duggan, for stretching into a tackle on Moore to poke the ball into a lobbed trajectory towards the right byeline. Horton raced left to knock the ball away and Brain over but the striker recovered enough to clip the ball across goal, over the retreating goalkeeper and there was Tibbetts again, to deflect another gentle header into the left side of the unguarded net. A remarkable conclusion to a decent half… 

Aaron 'Vassell' Daniels holds off a defender...

Can't score from 'the spot', but man, can Tibbetts head the ball... 3-1.

Steve Fekekang had been busy in the Nuneaton midfield before the break and his adversary Mahon continued with the match-up after the interval, although after keeping Bromsgrove waiting before appearing for the second period, Griff began the better. Williams drove a long shot to Bedford then Hewitt’s run into the penalty-box ended with barely a touch and Horton pounced upon the ball in his 6 yard box. Fitter defended a dangerous Griff centre with excellence but then a Bromsgrove move broke down and Jack Colley, a left-sider with good skills, set off on a diagonal run past Wills and two more sportingly weak Sporting challenges, then passed right to Moore, who cut inside onto that dangerous left foot, before firing a low 18 yard effort into the bottom right corner of the net. Maybe Bedford was partly unsighted, maybe the bounce just in front of him was awkward but he will probably be displeased about the concession anyway.

Moore from Aden: 3-2...

More neat play by an ascendant Griff led to fine defending by Fitter again, at the expense of a corner but when Wills headed the flag-kick away, Williams smashed his shot into the sunset. A lovely lift-on by Jones put Wills in for a shot at the right post for Bromsgrove, but somehow, the towering Baginskis’ presence conceded a corner, which Wills took but delivered too low, although Colley sliced the ball and caused some chaos. Wills received the ball back however and chose to pass it into his own half, causing some disgruntlement for an elderly chap behind me. Neat interplay between Moore and the tall, rather quiet striker Adam Russell, ended with the latter’s 23 yard shot rising way off target then from Daniels’ throw on the left, Hewitt again cut inside dangerously and although his shot from 18 yards lacked venom, Horton still had to dive low to his right to grab the ball. Baginskis tripped Daniels to earn the obvious yellow card, which he accepted without the semblance of a growl, before the speedsters Brain and Tibbetts were withdrawn by Sporting, for the introduction of Jozsef Jakab and Danny Lennon. This gave Sporting a taller ‘target-man’ option in Jakab, I guess.

A fine study of Daniels in possession...

Fitter fed Daniels on the right-flank and Jakab was suddenly there, 7 yards out for a powerful header, which unfortunately went straight at Horton. Jakab was then outnumbered in the penalty-box, before Lennon won a right-wing corner but Jakab’s low glanced header in a crowd was clutched comfortably on his goal-line by the admirable Horton. A high lobbed pass from Wills was wastefully skied from 18 yards by the marauding Lennon, then after Baginskis had been replaced by Josh Wills for Griff, Corey Faulconbridge was forced to pull back Jakab but escaped a caution, interestingly. Maybe a reward for playing generally well? Sam Wills was replaced by Charlie Wilson for Sporting, so that I didn’t have to report on two chaps called Wills as well as the two Faulconbridges already present. Fine play by Jakab took him to the left byeline and his neat cross was met by the flying Wilson’s header, but somehow the ball flew over the crossbar from just 4 yards out. The Flying Wilsons? Ah, no doubt from the American Circus, which used to be visible from the M42… 

The light fades both on the day and also on Griff's hopes...

Connor Corden replaced Ryan Aston for the visitors, Horton held onto another low delivery from the left by the dangerous Hewitt, before a threat on the right-flank by Daniels led to an unselfish pass to the supporting Mahon but from 16 yards, the industrious midfielder drove his shot over the terrace roof. Fine defending again by Fitter sent Daniels sprinting away on the right but when the low centre came over, a sit-com shot by Jakab, totally missing the ball, was followed by Wilson’s huge swing at it, only for his effort to roll gently to Horton and the referee blew his whistle so that he could go and get a sandwich.

The sign says it all: 'Bromsgro' into Round 2...

The second period had been more laboured and it was surprising that Griff didn’t capitalise upon a good opening period after the break. So, both halves had started well for the visitors, but Sporting had been the stronger later. Baginskis was fairly solid for Griff, Corey Faulconbridge was mostly really good at the back but Colley might have been more of a threat and Moore’s left foot was always a danger for the effective Jones and the legendary Fitter. Williams and Fekekang never stopped working for the guests but Russell barely affected the game in attack. The ’keeper, Horton, did well enough. The home full-backs called Chris, Duggan and Sockett were strong throughout but that pace in attack, from Daniels, Brain and Tibbetts was always evident. At least the red awning in the garden beyond wasn't attacked by wayward shooting…

I drove home for honeyed chicken and rice, followed by a strawberry brioche bread pudding… Whatever happened to my eggs and chips?

Teams: 

Bromsgrove:  Jake Bedford, Chris Duggan, Chris Sockett; Simon Fitter (Capt), Craig Jones, Ryan Mahon; Will Tibbetts, Reece Hewitt, Aaron Daniels, Sam Wills, Sean Brain.

Subs: Scott Smith, Charlie Wilson, Jozsef Jakab, Danny Lennon, Luyanda Kwinana.

Nuneaton:  Alex Horton, Ryan Aston, Andy Evans; Mark G Williams (Capt), Liam Baginskis, Corey Faulconbridge; Connor Faulconbridge, Steve Fekekang, Adam Russell, Aden Moore, Jack Colley.

Subs: Josh McEwan, Ben Scoffham, Connor Corden, Josh Wills.