LYE TOWN 0-1 LONG EATON UNITED: match report by THE MOWDOG...

Morrison Dummies Bring Down Flyers

Lye Town 0-1 Long Eaton United

Two fine dummies by the experienced Clinton Morrison were the features of this drab, dismal and dour encounter at Stourbridge Road. The first wrong-footed a Lye defender to keep possession for United; the second, although I’m sure Morrison will claim a touch, was to befuddle Town’s ‘keeper Damien Stevens, who had advanced to collect a header back towards him by midfielder Dave Meese and the ball rolled between the goalie’s legs for Long Eaton’s winner. In truth, fouls littered the match, pretence of pain prevailed and several cautions were issued by the referee, whose performance apparently even caused the assessor in the grandstand to sigh regularly. Lye lacked presence in attack, relying on hacked balls forward and set-plays, mainly by Matt Johnson but visiting central defenders Ross Parker and Gerome Palmer stood tall and withstood the not too potent Town pressure. Chances were few and neither ‘keeper was really troubled but things had become rather fraught on the half-time whistle when Damien Whitcombe flicked out a set of studs after challenging Brad Wells, resulting in the United forward’s unwise hands-to-face attack on the wily Lye defender. Cue trouble but the referee booked both men, even though the second offence was technically of dismissal proportions. Long Eaton substituted the striker at the break, interestingly…

A corner for the Flyers, so 'keeper Stevens does his  impression of a Tiger Moth...

A Wells and Whitcombe clash...

The game was only given the go-ahead around 11am, so the going would be heavy for sure and the opening exchanges were ugly at times. An early cross from the left by United’s Dominic Allen bounced past the far post with Stevens stunned like a rabbit in car headlights and visiting challengers Ben Watkiss and skipper Jermain Hollis unable to connect with the inviting delivery. Ricky Anslow chased onto a James Spray pass for the hosts but nothing came of the attack, then Anslow squared the ball from the left for his skipper Ben Jevons but he couldn’t get onto it. Simon Williams and Spray combined to win a right-flank corner for the hosts and Whitcombe made a run towards the near corner of the penalty-box onto Johnson’s rehearsed flag-kick, only for the unbalanced left-foot volley to rise well over the crossbar. Spray then passed right to Jevons but from the right byeline, he could only plant a low cross straight at ‘keeper Josh O’Brien. At the opposite end, a spell of chaotic play in the Lye penalty-box, in which competent right-back Dan Jones was struck by the ball, led to an unintended back-header by Sam Mills but Watkiss could only lob his header past a post and the home team survived.

Meese fed Chris Russell for Lye but as Anslow chased a through-pass, O’Brien was quickly out to foil the forward and kick the ball clear, then a couple of challenges in attack by Whitcombe, including being badly fouled, unseen by the official, led to Spray’s 18 yard effort being fallen upon by O’Brien. Mills cleared an Allen centre and Meese blocked a shot for Lye, then Anslow won an unproductive corner for Town and Whitcombe smacked a couple of defensive volleys away. Jevons nodded on a Johnson free-kick but Anslow, at an angle on the right byeline, could only flash the ball behind the goal-frame, rather than turn inside. Suddenly though, Lye went behind to rather a bizarre goal. Meese lobbed a simple header back towards Stevens from about 20 yards, defensive right, but Morrison chased and appeared to jump over the ball in front of the advancing goalie, causing Stevens to hesitate and the ball to roll between the ‘keeper’s legs and somewhat apologetically into the home net. Morrison has apparently been credited with the goal. 

Long Eaton lead 0-1...

Long Eaton’s busy midfielder Gerard Moran was well involved but a wild foul I think by Markell Bailey, which earned him a caution, preceded a Johnson free-kick, which O’Brien caught, under pressure from Jevons; the goalie stayed down for a moment or two and Jevons was booked, much to his disapproval and disbelief. Then the game turned rather sour, after a tackle by Whitcombe on Wells, who flopped dramatically to the ground for the second time during the half, but the Lye defender had also flicked out a naughty foot at the forward, resulting in the striker’s angry reaction, which Whitcombe reacted to with a grabbing of his face like his nose was falling off. Trouble ensued, lots of players shouted and the referee thus had no chance of sorting out the problem alone, so he spoke to an assistant who whispered ‘things’ and the main official merely cautioned both combatants. There was lots of shouting and complaining, team officials were present too and then they all walked off for a cuppa, a fag and a pee.

Jevons receives his caution... Nice action, ref...

Damien Whitcombe, foreground, auditions for a part in 'Casualty'...

James (9) Sprays a few kind words to the opponents, whilst Whitcombe (4) now auditions for 'Strictly Come Dancing'...

Ah, good fun like at Birmingham's Christmas market...

Yellow for Wells...

Neither Wells, nor Markell Bailey reappeared for the guests after the interval and they were replaced by Theo Smith and Tom Cooper-Rickards. Morrison ran a good distance and set up a shooting opportunity for Hollis but his effort from 18 yards was handled successfully by Stevens, like he was ushering his dog out of the back door for a quick turd expulsion. Hollis was marauding about in midfield and he escaped punishment for another bad foul, which led to a Johnson free-kick, a Russell retrieval and lob for Jevons to lift a header onto the roof of the net. A reckless Allen foul on Russell earned him a caution then Anslow’s shirt was tugged and Spray’s 20 yard free-kick flew through the United defensive wall but O’Brien fell right to clutch the ball safely on his goal-line.

The sun sets on Lye's ambitions...

Atmospheric...

Suddenly, in the midst of the languishing Lye offensive play, the slowing down of the game by Long Eaton (O’Brien was instructed by defenders to take his time after 50 minutes) and the simmering unpleasantness, United attacked on their left but from an angle at inside-left, Cooper-Rickards side-footed his shot and Stevens thrust out a left boot to turn the ball away. Better approach play by Lye led to a really badly sliced shot by Spray, sprayed so wide it was like his hose was on the wrong setting, then Michael Armstrong replaced the already cautioned Allen, which was probably good thinking by the United manager. A Mills header bounced to O’Brien, before a good Lye move nearly led to an equaliser; Spray fed the overlapping and innovative Jones for a right-side centre and Anslow’s near post flick only just flew past the far upright.

Cor! Look at that sky...

Whitcombe was caught by a really high Hollis boot, who I think was cautioned, Mark Danks replaced the largely ineffective Anslow for Lye then Watkiss was so late on Whitcomb that he arrived like a Cornish workman: ‘dreckly’… He was booked though. Spray then applauded a linesman’s second award of a decision in quick succession to Long Eaton and was correctly and promptly booked, rather at odds with some of the cruel fouls being dished out, highlighted by a wild lunge by Armstrong on Williams, for which he too was cautioned. Tom Overfield had replaced Russell for Lye and one centre by the replacement caused some vexation for Morrison, who conceded a corner. Jevons nodded a cross inside for the barely involved Danks to fire at a defender, Meese sending the rebound well wide but the final chance fell to the visitors, who in all fairness, were riding out the game quite comfortably. Smith worked hard to enable Watkiss to advance into the left side of the penalty-area but he lifted his ‘measured’ right-footer over the crossbar as Stevens narrowed the angle.

The Black Country clouds gather...

Parker and Palmer (sounding like a firm making pens and biscuits) defended stoutly for the visitors, surprisingly Morrison wasn’t too involved in truth but Hollis was effective in midfield and full-backs Allen and David Boafo, another player I know from his Dunkirk days, were always competitive. Boafo indeed, received another whack from Whitcombe in the closing stages, which was no surprise, as the vociferous Lye defender had been targeted regularly since his altercation with Wells. Lye had won a number of corners but they had generally came to nought and Overfield wasted a couple of late deliveries, to United’s relief. Meese seemed calm on the ball at times for Town but one felt that he really could have grabbed hold of the game and run it, rather than fading desperately from it. Mills was steady, Whitcombe as tough as ever and Jones looked good at right-back throughout for the hosts; Johnson’s set-pieces were often well-flighted, if not contested well enough by his colleagues.

I walked away with wet feet, returned home for eggs and chips and watched a totally different sporting activity at 7pm: Barcelona v Sevilla… 

It’s what you do.

Teams:  

Lye: Damien Stevens, Dan Jones, Matt Johnson; Damien Whitcombe, Sam Mills, Simon Williams; Chris Russell, Dave Meese, James Spray, Ricky Anslow, Ben Jevons (Capt). 

Subs: Reece Shilvock, Kev Nickle, Max Bissell, Tom Overfield, Mark Danks.

Long Eaton:  Josh O’Brien, David Boafo, Dominic Allen; Jermain Hollis (Capt), Ross Parker, Gerome Palmer; Ben Watkiss, Gerard Moran, Brad Wells, Clinton Morrison, Markell Bailey.

Subs: Lee Fell, Michael Armstrong, Shaun Rickford, Theo Smith, Tom Cooper-Rickards.