HOLBROOK ST MICHAEL'S 0-3 MICKLEOVER ROYALS: match report by THE MOWDOG...

Inconsistent Officiating Encumbers Battle of Badger Hill

Holbrook St Michael’s 0-3 Mickleover Royals

The toss goes ahead as a Saint uses an imaginary telescope but sees no ships...

The referee of this encounter displayed such inconsistency that one wondered whether he had recently secured a university degree in the fault. One assistant looked on silently and incredulously as yellow cards were, or were not brandished, seemingly with a lack of common sense or authority. Some bad fouls were excused, whilst two innocuous trips by a visiting midfielder led to a pair of cards and a needless dismissal. The official erred badly when awarding a simple throw and later signalled a corner on the left, after the ball had clearly gone well wide of the opposite upright. Players and coaches alike became frustrated and rather angry with the discrepancies, which badly affected the flow of the game. Holbrook, or Hale Broc, Saxon for Badger Hill, was a new ground for me and it was clear that Saints were playing damage-limitation against the Royals, who were fielding eight different starters from their impressive FA Vase win over Willenhall Town last Tuesday evening. The guests won with something to spare, despite their profligate finishing and all three goals were disappointing for Saints to concede. Two scruffy close-rangers and a free-kick which passed through a bunch of people completed the unattractive strikes but the victory was imperative for Royals, although in truth the Saints’ general defending was stout throughout their determined ranks. 

Mickleover kick off...

The new footballing catchphrase could be heard as the players emerged from a melee of bushes, trees and leaning fencing at The Elaichi Park: “Come on boys, eh?” It’s heard just about everywhere these days. An early throw on the offensive right for Royals led to an overhead kick from the byeline by Davy Hamson, whose work ethic was evident throughout this game but eager colleague Louis Menson headed his good opportunity upward and wayward. Joe Brockley, no doubt feeling very much at home on Badger Hill, drove in a left-flank corner for the visitors, which was punched away by beleaguered home ‘keeper Chris Dodsley, but soon a fine left-wing run by the speedy Idris Kabonga for Saints ended at the byeline, something which was rarely repeated by the hosts, as Royals forced the pace. Home midfielder Rob Inkle escaped punishment for a bad foul on Brockley and Ash Foster’s resulting free-kick crashed into the effective Saints’ defensive wall, before Dodsley reacted well to turn aside a 19 yard effort from Royals’ Kirk Francis, who would probably spend his Saturday evening counting the bruises on his legs.

High-flyers on Badger Hill...

Francis was absolutely scythed down by Saints’ aptly named defender Joe Fowler (his full-back partner was Jordan Butcher: surely you couldn’t make this up?) and the frowning Fowler was justly cautioned. Francis hobbled away. Foster managed a weak header wide from an awkward high cross from the powerful Peter Aliguma, who had skewed it with the outside of his right boot from the left flank. Neater passing by Mickleover led to a low Brockley shot being saved easily then following a strong run from defence by Aliguma, the ball was crossed from the right by Menson, Francis got a touch and Hamson’s bobbling effort from an angle on the left struck the outside of the near post, with Dodsley scrambling. Dodsley made a couple of fine catches in traffic but he was beaten when Francis tricked his way to the left byeline after a one-two with Gwinnutt; Francis fed Hamson, who passed inside to Gwinnutt and the midfielder squared the ball for Brockley to shoot from 18 yards. Dodsley might have seen the ball late but he threw himself down to the right and made a fine one-handed save, only for the marauding Menson to flick the ball smartly into the corner of the net from an awkward angle. 

Fowler is cautioned...

Bodies tumble...

I asked Menson to smile at the camera if he scored, not to audition for 'Strictly Come Dancing'...

Menson applauds the crowd behind the goal: several cars and two people walking their dogs...

A push by the tall and very physical Saint Adam Kay led to another Foster free-kick, this time from 25 yards being hacked clear by the hosts and then a right-side delivery by Royals’ Hamson saw Menson dive to head the ball from a few yards out but his effort flew sideways as he crashed to the mud and Francis could only fire the rebound into the side-netting from an angle on the right. Aliguma ran a long way to complain that he thought that Menson had been fouled, which was doubtful, but the referee decided that Aliguma would like to witness the yellow card trick instead. A sliced kick by Dodsley led to Menson cleverly beating Fowler and crossing for Francis to head well wide from a standing position 12 yards out, then Kieran Lynch, who showed a fine touch throughout the game for Royals, fastened onto a Saints error, fed Francis but the forward’s low shot was stopped by Dodsley. A trip by Brandon Gwinnutt of Mickleover was surprisingly punished by a booking from the official and then a one-two between Menson and Francis didn’t quite come off, Francis stretched out a foot as the ball was cleared and he too was cautioned, again causing real consternation for an aggrieved Royal. 

Barely a jump between them...

Aliguma is cautioned...

...so is the shocked Francis...

Gwinnutt is also ominously booked...

Aliguma fed Foster for a shot which Dodsley dropped to save, before Kay barged into Hamson and received a caution, but that challenge too seemed hardly worthy of a yellow card. Menson then threatened on the right side, following Blockley’s pass and drove in a near post shot, which Dodsley blocked with his poised legs but Menson was unable to do anything with the rebound. Half-time was signalled by whistle, not by yellow card, the players trudged back into the shed at the bottom of the garden and the cloudy afternoon began to look a trifle murky. Matt Cole, Kay and home skipper Charlie Holman had defended with real aplomb for the hosts but despite their undoubted dominance, Royals had squandered too many opportunities and had been careless too, preserving hope in the Saints’ ranks.

Scrappy action...

West is cautioned now...

Following the break, Menson, a little frustrated thus far, made a positive run at inside-left but the frustration intensified as his shot passed harmlessly wide of the Saints’ goal. Francis was then crudely floored by the fortunate Fowler, who was not shown a second yellow card, but was merely advised, in the company of his skipper, not to repeat the misdemeanour. This incident should be remembered by the reader, for it has a bearing upon later developments. Menson then nodded a Brockley free-kick past the upper region of the left upright, as Royals continued to dominate but following neat build-up play, the visitors were awarded a free-kick, just outside the penalty-box and some 15 yards from the byeline. Foster managed to clear the undermanned defensive wall with his delivery and the ball somehow sneaked past everybody and entered the Holbrook net. 0-2 and the points were all but safe, even at this stage of the match.

0-2: Foster...

Royals are home and dry...

Foster poked a low shot from Ryan Thompson’s right-side centre but a deflection won a corner, which Dodsley failed to claim, under pressure from the leaping Aliguma but Menson, beyond the far stick, could only lash a wasteful shot well wide of that upright. Sensible thinking by Holbrook’s coaching staff led them to replace Fowler with Mitchell Robinson, for they surely realised that one more foul by the right-back could end up in a dismissal. Hamson chased back to tackle an opponent near the half-way line, was hacked to the ground himself but no foul, or warning to the perpetrator were forthcoming, yet the game carried on and Francis set up Menson just 12 yards out for what ought to have been a third Royals goal, only for the winger to hurry a terrible rising shot off target. Hamson scrapped for a right-wing delivery by Thompson and managed to scuffle the ball back for Foster, whose decent 19 yard shot veered just past the right angle of bar and post, as Dodsley threw himself through the air like a circus acrobat.

Mickey Dunn replaced the hard working, if largely ineffective Mike Smith (not the legendary M.J.K. Smith, the famous Warwickshire cricket captain) but immediately a bad foul on Francis, just 23 yards out, brought merely a free-kick, as a Saint escaped a deserved card. Dodsley palmed down Foster’s subsequent drive, as if he was demonstrating an illegal basketball dribble but the ball eluded the lurking Hamson and the hosts breathed again. Royals then squandered another opportunity, following a fine turn towards the right byeline by the impish Hamson, whose centre fell at the near post for the criminally unmarked Francis, who could only lift his difficult shot over the horizontal beam. A Brockley corner bounced off Francis for Dodsley to clutch on the goal-line, like a squirrel grabbing a partially buried peanut, then Saints actually got the ball deep into Royals’ territory, which was a relief for my neck, constantly turned to the right since the interval. Robinson fed Jordan Butcher but his shot rose closer to the top of a huge tree way behind the actual target, than the goal-frame. He failed to hit the tree, also.

Owen Brown had replaced Brockley for the guests, then Matt Savage replaced Hamson and Francis took a break to nurse his ills, for the introduction of Oli Buxton. Richard West replaced the brilliantly named Fenwick Butcher for the hosts, before another thoughtless and wild challenge by Saints led to another free-kick for the guests, 25 yards out, but yet again, the referee failed to issue a warning or a card to the transgressor. Aliguma nudged the ball to Foster and his shot was deflected for a right-wing corner, which the official awarded as a left-wing corner, until he was talked down. Soon afterwards, as Gwinnutt, effectively running the midfield now for the Royals, challenged an opponent, a trip was correctly signalled by the official but then Gwinnutt was dismissed, after receiving a very harsh second yellow card, which even the Saints players must have been aghast at. Good job Jordan Butcher had been replaced then, if this was the level of inconsistency being shown…

The unhappy Gwinnutt is dismissed...

Kabonga, rarely seen by this time, took a free-kick shot from 25 yards and he somehow scooped a dreadful shot way too high, to his own anger and frustration, then Aliguma, chaperoning the ball out of play for Mickleover, was shovelled down from behind by home striker Charlie McCormack, who received, er, no card at all. The third Royals goal was unfortunate for Kay, who had escaped further punishment for fouls given away; the ball struck his arm as he attempted to control it, Savage stole possession, ran towards the 18 yard line but fell as he poked a left-foot shot, which bounced off Holman’s foot, then the advancing Dodsley’s boot too, leaving Menson to chase with Robinson and as the pair slid like Quarterbacks getting a first-down, the ball rolled apologetically into the net.

0-3...

It only remained for Holbrook to push forward again and when Alimuma headed a left-side centre out, West sent a fine angled volley across the face of the visitors’ goal. The referee blew for the game to end, maybe attempted to hide his embarrassment and had probably left the ground before the Holbrook staff had taken the nets down. Can’t blame him, really. Mickleover should have won the game more convincingly but as Chris Dodsley kept reminding his team-mates, until the third goal, they had never been out of the contest. Dodsley, Kay and Holman had done their best but in truth, Kabonga, the one realistic danger, was rarely fed and Royals’ Thompson nullified the threat well. Lynch looked good for the visitors and Simpson held his men steady. Hamson and Francis were dangerous for Mickleover but Foster was prominent in midfield and was always willing to shoot. 

'Keeper Chris Dodsley looks totally fed up...

I looked at the Holbrook club badge of a knight on a charger but the Royals had convincingly won this joust. I wondered whether one-time owner of the land, Edmund Crouchback would be squirming in his grave at the performance of the officiating Sheriff… Me? Eggs and chips in the faraway hamlet of Shirley in Warwickshire. It’s what I do…

Teams: 

Holbrook St Michael’s:  Chris Dodsley, Joe Fowler, Jordan Butcher; Matt Cole, Adam Kay, Charlie Holman (Capt); Mike Smith, Rob Inkle, Charlie McCormack, Fenwick Butcher, Idris Kabonga.

Subs: Mickey Dunn, Mitchell Robinson, John Pearce, Richard West.

Mickleover Royals:  Ash Warner, Ryan Thompson, Kieran Lynch; Jordan Simpson (Capt), Peter Aliguma, Joe Brockley; Louis Menson, Brandon Gwinnutt, Davy Hamson, Ash Foster, Kirk Francis.

Subs: Oli Buxton, Matt Savage, Danny Martin, Owen Brown, Jake Pritchard.