Bearded Blake Breaks Leicester Resolve…
Leicester Road 0-1 Coventry United
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| The well-mannered toss... |
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| The scurrying kick-off... |
Josh Blake netted the only goal of this attractive encounter late on but Coventry United deservedly wrestled the three points from their hosts, who were forced to defend with concentration, as wide-players Josh O’Grady and Tommy Maguire in particular pressed forward for the guests. Home ‘keeper Will Highland played really well, displaying good handling and smart reflexes, performing MANfully, despite taking some harsh criticism by a chap on the sidelines at the end about taking defeat like one… The ‘keeper heard it too, then splashed water from his bottle in the general direction of the terrace. Highland was superb: end of. Visiting skipper Chris Cox grew in stature as the game wore on and was particularly effective during the final 20 minutes or so, well supported by the fleet-footed Gift Mussa, who flitted about the sodden midfield like a fallow deer on a mud-plain. So impressive though, was left-back Ben Vallance, who was quick, read the game well, tackled hard and showed great anticipation throughout the match. For the hosts, apart from the general defensive heroics, midfielder Callum Riley impressed with much of his distribution and tall forward James Hicks looked dangerous on the few occasions that United allowed Leicester some offensive play. The last time I had visited this stadium was at the beginning of last season, when Truro City won 0-1, courtesy of Paul Kendall’s header but the result was expunged when The Knitters were dumped from the Southern Premier League. Indeed, on this day, my brows were knitted trying to find my way into the pitch-dark toilets before kick-off. At least nobody fleeced me of £2 for the privilege of parking and no spectator was fleeced a further £2 for the pleasure of sitting in the grandstand. But this was now Leicester Road’s stadium and I liked their style.
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| Cox is up... |
An early flick on by United’s Leon Kelly, known well to me from his Alvis days, came to nought, then the diminutive Leicester forward Nathan McGarrity showed quick feet on the right but Hicks’ angled centre drifted behind the goal-frame, where the present dressing-rooms lie. A fine move by the guests, involving Vallance, O’Grady and Cox, ended with the rampaging Pierre Moudime, who was a thorn in Leicester’s left defensive zone all afternoon, striking a low centre but this was an easy pick-up for Highland. The referee failed to award a free-kick to Leicester but then gave United one, irritating the incumbents of the home dugout but Kelly was unable to capitalise upon his possession on the right flank. The irritated home midfielder Jake Holt, a name well respected by my badger, was so infuriated, that he took a warning from the bearded official. That culled Holt’s protests… Leicester’s central defender Josh Smith was smacked on the buttocks by a Cox drive for the visitors and it was becoming plain that Coventry, with Gift Mussa lively and O’Grady making runs, were ascendant. McGarrity did manage to feed Sam Munton for a 25 yard shot but the ball crossed the byeline near the right corner-flag. Not that close then…
A good run by O’Grady saw Kelly win a fruitless corner, then O’Grady ran well again, only to nudge the ball over the byeline with the enigmatic Tommy Maguire in close attendance. Blake received a warning for a naughty slide-in on an opponent but a fine tackle by Vallance set the left-back running, O’Grady took over but Highland slithered on low land before Kelly’s strong legs could reach the low, threaded pass. A through-pass from Coventry set the ONside Maguire running at inside-right but an errant linesman flagged, although Kelly, definitely OFFside, had made no attempt to affect play. Hicks, foraging right, did well to fire an angled cross-shot for the hosts but visiting ‘keeper Joe Connor was happy enough to watch the effort pass his right upright. Neat interplay between Gift Mussa and O’Grady led to nothing then a smart Maguire pass released Cox on the left and his low cross from the byeline was only just scrambled clear by Lloyd Gamble, who had fortunately gambled… Maguire and Blake combined but O’Grady fell inside the penalty-box and the chance was lost, then a long pot-shot by Maguire from 30 yards (probably because he knew I would be videoing bits of the game…) was saved rather uncomfortably by Highland. O’Grady was annoying Leicester with a plethora of incisive sorties forward and finally, Smith interceded; Gamble had been left with a poor hand, well beaten by the Coventry man but Smith simply bashed him to the ground. A caution was accepted by the home defender and O’Grady’s demeanour soon afterwards was rather tentative.
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| Blake pleads for absolution... |
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| O'Grady has been bludgeoned... |
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| Smith is shown a yellow card... |
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| Maguire prepares to test Highland... |
Maguire took the free-kick from the left corner of the penalty-box, surely not where the foul was committed, but his curled shot towards the near post was well batted behind for a corner by Highland, flinging out his arms, as he was challenged. The ensuing corner from Maguire caused a total kerfuffle at the near post, with Highland probably wishing he was tossing a caber instead, as his defenders displayed total chaos but visiting centre-half Jamie Coleman wasn’t quite able to capitalise and the hosts hacked the ball clear. Soon, Kelly miscued his header badly from 8 yards, following a great Maguire centre from the right, the ball dithering way past the right upright, then Maguire cut inside from the left but had a shot blocked by defensive shins. Vallance strode forward but with Maguire free on his left, he drove a 25 yard shot well wide of the left stick, before O’Grady drove in a fierce 25 yard left-footer, following Gift Mussa's pass and although Highland dived left to turn the ball away, Kelly retrieved it on the right. The experienced forward delivered a neat cross, which evaded the jumpers but fell for Maguire, who wasted his opportunity and hooked a poor shot into the side-netting. Blake, in the centre, looked rather peeved, like someone had nicked his mince-pie.
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| The jumpers... |
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| Match-winner Blake passes sideways... |
Another kerfuffle erupted in front of the Leicester goal but O’Grady was unable to profit, before, suddenly, the hosts looked a real threat and again it was Hicks who supplied it. McGarrity slipped the ball to the right and Hicks used his considerable physical ability to get in an angled shot from the right of goal but Connor covered it well and beat it behind for an unproductive corner. Then, from a free-kick, Moudime's clever centre from the right flank fashioned a chance for Blake, whose well-struck low volley was blocked by the alert Gamble’s boot, the ball looped upwards and Highland was fortunate to be able to grab it as it dropped. O’Grady was then fouled as he cut in from the right, but he kept his feet and looked dangerous, so the referee whistled for ‘disadvantage’ and awarded the visitors an unwanted free-kick. However, just before the interval, battling and fighting for the ball by both Gift Mussa then Moudime fashioned a chance for O’Grady, by now a real live-wire for the guests, and he dribbled impressively into the right side of the penalty-box past five defenders but saw his low drive brilliantly blocked by the slightly advanced Highland for yet another splendid save.
The break was short for United and they appeared quickly, although the hosts procrastinated and the sun began to set in a sky of orange and cloud-grey, causing the linesman on the terrace side of the ground some vision problems. An early corner by Leicester was survived by Coventry, although Joe Lyne’s point-blank nod went straight into Connor’s arms like he was being passed a sand-bag by people shoring up a flooding river. United defender Kobe Ntim was interesting to watch at that set-piece, for he grabbed one person in desperation, lost him, spun round, grabbed at another and looked all at sea, as if he was playing ‘Blind Man’s Buff’ at a kids’ party. Brilliant… Moudime then was fouled a couple of times as he ran from the right and broke clear, but Mr Consistency, the referee, blew for ‘disadvantage’ and awarded the guests another unwanted free-kick… Am I missing something here?
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"Advantage is not right, Monsieur Moudime.
I would not allow it in tennis, either..." |
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| Mussa Gifts a comment or two... |
O’Grady played a nifty one-two with Kelly, who in truth had received little in the way of aerial service all afternoon, but as the wide-man raced into the penalty-area, Munton clashed with him, although the referee was not inclined to award a penalty, possibly because of the importance of the game, or more likely for his own self-preservation. I thought the challenge was the meeting of two footballers. No more. Following a poor Maguire pass, he was surprisingly replaced by Sean Kavanagh and United’s nugget of unlikely trickery, their rabbit on the flank, their intuitive passer had gone from the encounter and Leicester surely had the ability now to clinch some superiority. Er, no, actually. Cox drove well wide from 35 yards for United, then the visitors lost possession to Hicks and McGarrity but neither could cause a problem and the reliable Vallance reclaimed liberty for his team and cleared well, although Holt picked up possession and drove in a long shot, which Connor watched fly way over his goal-frame.
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| Hicks ploughs a lone furrow... |
Coventry’s attacking then seemed more ‘long-ball’, with Highland catching a Kavanagh centre, then a Gift Mussa drive, then a fine Vallance delivery, before a shot from the battered O’Grady was blocked by the home defence. Gift Mussa’s pass was flicked on by O’Grady, who was unceremoniously dumped on this butt by a bad tackle but this time Mr INconsistency allowed play to go on and Highland did really well to claw away Moudime’s byeline cross from the right, leaving a defender to complete the clearance. Decent hold-up play on the Leicester right by Hicks was covered by Coventry, then Kelly was bludgeoned to the ground, hurt and was soon replaced by Dan Stokes. A rare strike at the visitors’ goal was hit by Lyne from 25 yards but a slight deflection on the low shot allowed Connor to fall right and gather.
And then, after a lunge on the much-buffeted O’Grady by strong, effective home skipper James Hartland, who was cautioned, the visitors struck the only goal of the game and Stokes, although he didn’t actually touch the ball, was instrumental in its scoring. Kavanagh's deflected shot inadvertently fed Moudime for another rollocking right-side run to the byeline, from whence he crossed short, but Stokes ran to the near post, accidentally dummying Highland and the ball dropped at Blake’s feet, 6 yards out, far post and the ball rolled into the bottom right corner of the net. Cue a sliding celebration by the glabrous, bearded one and Highland picked up the ball, ran to the half-way line and planted it on the centre-spot. He was blameless, United were joyous.
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| Such a kerfuffle... |
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| Coventry appear to be rather happy about this... |
A brilliant, long, dribbling, freebooting run by O’Grady, like he was blundering through a copse, trying not to be paint-balled, ended with a last-ditch Leicester tackle, before Jordan Ponticelli replaced Lyne for the hosts and then a centre by the home team bounced upwards off Vallance’s head for Connor to nudge over his crossbar. After O’Grady was again knocked down, Cox fed Blake, who cut inside from the right but he shot wildly and well wide from 22 yards but still it was Coventry who looked the more likely scorers. As the game hurried edgily to the finish, a poor, left-footed clearance by Highland was struck at goal from 45 yards by the enduring Cox and Highland had to back-pedal to catch the ball, which he did again, as Blake’s late replacement Rob Prinzel tried to lob the ‘keeper from 40 yards. One last free-kick by Leicester was cleared by United to O’Grady, who broke at inside-right and true to form, Mr Consistency blew his whistle for ‘disadvantage’ to United and the end of the game was, to be fair, correctly signalled…
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| The Coventry fans aren't sitting any longer... |
A good victory for the visitors in the end but with Hicks and the creative Riley present, the hosts were perhaps always capable of a goal before they conceded one themselves, and even then, maybe a late equaliser. It wasn’t to be however and despite heroic efforts by the hosts’ defence of Gamble, Hartland, Matt Bradshaw and Josh Smith, they succumbed to that single goal by Blake’s 7 (his number…) The visiting skipper Coxed his crew throughout and this allowed Moudime, Vallance and Gift Mussa to attack at will at times with runs at the opposition, but Blake’s presence and O’Grady’s tireless offensive dribbling were undoubted match-winners too. Fair play to Will Highland: the man played a fine match and deserves all the plaudits for his great performance between the Leicester sticks.
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| Good game @ a good venue... |
I raced home to eat and get to a family party, where I knew Chester manager Steve Burr would turn up grinning, after his team had edged out his old employers Kidderminster, 1-0. When he greeted me, he did indeed grin…
It’s what he does…
Teams:
Leicester Road: Will Highland, Lloyd Gamble, James Hartland (Capt); Jake Holt, Josh Smith, Matt Bradshaw; Sam Munton, Callum Riley, Nathan McGarrity, James Hicks.
Subs: Jordan Mellon, Jordan Ponticelli, Mussa Yussuf, James Spencer (possibly!), Ken Hughes.
Coventry United: Joe Connor, Pierre Moudime, Ben Vallance; Chris Cox (Capt), Jamie Coleman, Kobe Ntim; Josh Blake, Josh O’Grady, Tommy Maguire, Leon Kelly, Gift Mussa.
Subs: Sean Kavanagh, Patrick Suffo, Dan Stokes, Rob Prinzel, Martin Hutchcox.
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