NUNEATON GRIFF 5-0 ALVIS SPORTING: match report by THE MOWDOG...

Shorthouse Disables Tankmen

Nuneaton Griff 5 Alvis Sporting 0

Luke Shorthouse bundled past the often flimsy Alvis Sporting defending to notch four goals for Griff, in a game which was oddly more even than the final score suggests. The striker was one of the replacements for a few Griff-men unavailable on the night and the tall, ‘Jon-Stead-of-Bradford-City-lookalike’ took full advantage, with Aden Moore weighing in with the fifth strike. The encounter was not easy on the eye, it has to be said, with errors and poor distribution infecting the action like a virus through a schoolroom but Alvis gave as good as they received, although their shooting was as poor as some of their abject defending. The numbers on the Griff shirts were tough to read from a distance away beyond the running track and steeplechase barrier, so I apologise for any mistakes in identity below.

A 24 yard free-kick by Josh Ruff forced visiting goalie Jack Hartopp to turn the ball over his crossbar early on, then the ‘keeper managed to hold onto a low drive by Connor Faulconbridge, before Alvis, with Steve Evans, their skipper, playing in centre defence, forged something themselves, when the eager, bullish Michael Healy ran hard on the right but his low cross, although lacking any real spite, was simply watched by everybody as it rolled gently past the far post. Anthony Hatton’s effort for the guests was saved comfortably by Griff goalie Alex Horton, before an overhead shot by busy Tankman Raj Virk soared into the night sky like a discus. A low shot by Healy was easy for the Nuneaton ‘keeper to pick up but although there wasn’t much creativity on show, there was no lack of effort by both teams. Then Ruff, whose performance was far from what his name suggested, released a long, high pass to inside-right, where Shorthouse was not short-paced, beating Hartopp as the goalie unwisely raced from his penalty-box, then he steadied himself and side-footed a simple left-booted finish from 16 yards. 

1-0 to Griff...

A fine pass left by Danny Harris to Ryan Aston led to the Griff left-back being blocked in the 18 yard box and Shorthouse’s eventual shot was clipped off target. Hartopp then appeared to lose a high delivery, there was some confusion and Shorthouse received a caution, as someone near a dugout bellowed out at the referee: “Get a grip…” His hair didn’t seem too windblown to me, however… Shorthouse was proving a problem for the Alvis defence aerially and soon he nodded a right-side centre down for Jack Webb to strike but the effort was sliced well wide of the right upright. Webb then broke away at inside-left and drove a powerful shot at goal, only for the encroaching Hartopp to make a fine parried save, before, in the second phase of attack, Shorthouse beat Darren Judge on the left and passed low across the penalty-area but Alvis’ skipper Evans tanked the ball away. Harris ran to the right byeline but his cross flew into the side-netting, before Shorthouse missed a great chance to add to Griff’s lead; he latched onto a defensive error and cut inside from the right, barged past a couple of poor challenges then pulled a hurried shot past the falling Hartopp but wide of the right post from 6 yards.

The officials speak officially in front of a signal-box...

Alvis replied with a couple of left-wing corners by Dean Kimberlin, which were headed clear but Ellis Layfield ran onto the second header and drove a good shot over the bar from 27 yards. Little had been seen of Luke O’Kane, who I remember from Alvis’ successful team of a few years back but after Ruff had fired wide for Griff, O’Kane threatened at the near post from a right-wing corner, allowing Judge to misjudge his shot badly and send it flying high like Steve Backley’s Olympic javelin. Then as the game moved towards the interval, O’Kane got onto a long boot forward by a colleague but could find no strength in his final shot.

The game had been disjointed and had lacked any pattern at all, with so many mistakes being made by both teams, but Evans for Alvis and Ruff for Griff had looked commanding enough, with Harris busy for the hosts too. Alvis would begin the second period quite strongly and it seems remarkable now that they contrived to ship four more goals and the total against them could have been even greater. 

Decent approach play by O’Kane fed Healy on the left side of the 18 yard box but the striker’s bellows after his shot sliced off towards the corner-flag said it all. Better play again by the visitors ended with a slightly sliced, off-balance left-foot shot by Virk from 16 yards which wasn’t far off-target. Kimberlin could get no power at all in a shot from 18 yards, following progressive work on the right-flank by his colleagues, then Griff took up arms again and Ruff’s long throw from the right saw Shorthouse leap like a big house and glance a header across the goalmouth, which nobody could reach. Corey Faulconbridge, the Nuneaton skipper, had defended as stoutly as ever but following one particularly good clearance, he found himself cautioned moments later, after Horton had dropped the ball. No, I don’t understand, either… The ensuing free-kick was struck well by Virk but his waist-high curling effort went past the left upright, with Horton scrambling across his goal.

A short free-kick from deep brought reward for the hosts, however and Ruff’s flighted delivery looked to be Hartopp’s as he jumped but under a challenge, he dropped the ball for Shorthouse to make short shrift of the opportunity: 2-0 but audible complaints from the Alvis players about a foul on the ‘keeper fell on deaf ears. There was no cheering either: really spooky… Almost immediately, home right-back Josh Willis crossed from deep on the right, Shorthouse leapt between the rooted Evans and a colleague and the glancing header bounced past Hartopp for 3-0 and Shorthouse’s trio.

Luke O'Kane battles on manfully...

A superb tackle by Evans denied Ruff’s and Shorthouse’s efforts to create something, before a fine break through the middle by Harris saw him feed Shorthouse to the right and the striker’s clever 19 yard clipped shot only just cleared the crossbar, with Hartopp between a rock and a hard place. Judge was replaced by Ross Knight for Alvis, Connor Faulconbridge drove in a strong left foot shot, which Hartopp knocked down like a Los Angeles Lakers basketball player, then after fine play by the ever-willing Moore, Harris’ finish was rather disappointing. More substitutions followed for both teams, none of whom really had much time to make an impression but a bad defensive error again by Alvis allowed Shorthouse to side-foot his fourth goal far too easily. Paolo Razza had already been warned for tough play for Alvis and thus he earned a yellow card for a wild foul, but from a late short corner on the Griff left, Moore simply drove the ball inside the left upright, with Hartopp seemingly unsighted. It only remained for Moore to set up Harris for a shot which Hartopp saved and Alvis’ players were left scratching their heads at the scoreline. 

Certainly, the visitors contributed but they were unable to prevent Shorthouse from affecting the game. Corey Faulconbridge, Ruff and Harris were in decent form for the hosts and although Moore was quiet, he took his goal well. Industry from Alvis’ Kimberlin, Virk, and of course Evans came to nothing in the end and in truth, their two forwards lacked real support. 

Teams:

Griff:  Alex Horton, Josh Willis, Ryan Aston; Josh Ruff, Nick Harrison, Corey Faulconbridge (Capt); Connor Faulconbridge, Danny Harris, Luke Shorthouse, Aden Moore, Jack Webb.

Subs: Scott McEwan, Ben Scoffham, Charlie Reardon, Liam Potter.

Alvis:  Jack Hartopp, Raj Virk, Anthony Hatton; Steve Evans (Capt), Aaron Cheshire, Paolo Razza; Darren Judge, Dean Kimberlin, Michael Healy, Luke O’Kane, Ellis Layfield.

Subs: Alex Lacey, Lewis Ludford, Ross Knight, Adam Day.