Friday 30 January 2015

HOLMFIRTH: A WINTRY MORNING...

Holmfirth: A Wintry Morning…

Morning ‘bus halts to
Suck in huddling commuters,
Then drives on.
Local stores lurk to
Prey on dawdling customers
But instead, snow drives in,
Thickening, then whitening
The jumble, the cluster
Of Holmfirth’s glum stone;
But the River Holme thrashes
Defiance, plunges and rushes
In its hurry to reach the Colne,
Hissing with all the fuss it can muster…

Mourning chimneys, bolt straight,
Stack in jutting redundancy,
As, high above,
Winter trees mock in lines,
A sweep’s brushes, a discrepancy.
Yet indeed, snow flurries through,
Thickening, then lightening
The pile, the muster
Of Holmfirth’s glowering stone;
But the River Holme crashes
Belligerence, lunges and pushes
In its scurry to join the Colne,
Cussing with its eddies, tossed in a cluster…

Awry, sombre, dislocated pixels,

Like sepia kaleidoscope beads,
The irreverent pieces of an austere wall,
Speak of unsettled souls, with no leads;
The snug church tower’s façade
With its blackened scars of death and flood,
Contrast with its pallid clock-face,
As inevitable chilled hands throb like spilled blood…

Pete Ray

January 2015




Being in Holmfirth, South Yorkshire, Thursday 30th January.
This was the view from my window in the Old Bridge Inn and Coffee House…







Wednesday 28 January 2015

WHEN COACHES SCREAM FROM THEIR DUGOUTS...

Non-League Screamers…

I recall my dad embarrassing my mum
With a spring to his feet, like a Jack from a box;
Scuffling, scrabbling to yank open the front door
And get at the sheep, those youths in their flocks…

They’d run across his garden and trampled plants
And flowers and scuffed up his mown lawn;
Anger seethed in his military frown,
As he burst from the porch, bellowing his scorn…

“OIIII… HEYYYY… AAAAAAAHHHHH…” were the sounds he made,
As the giggling dimwits made good their escape
And dad would give chase, shaking a fist
But mum hid behind curtains, her expression agape…

That awful scream, that unnecessary admonition
Has recently reared its distressing head
At non-league football matches,
By angry coaches, gurning and quite red…

The “AAAAAAHHHHH…” is the commonest,
As tackles fly in, or players fake a fall;
But until men play like men and get on with the game,
The high-pitched squealing will continue to appal…

PETE RAY
January 2015

On my video clips, these screeches can be heard from men’s throats in each game I watch. They remind me of my dad’s unwise yells at uncouth youths and his chases down the road after them in Shard End, Birmingham, where I was brought up by a chap I was frightened of...

When dad embarrassed me, I wished I was a shoebill stork...

AFC BRIDGNORTH 1-2 SPORTING KHALSA: programme cover and LINK TO VIDEO CLIPS, including the goals...

The cover...

CLICK THIS MESSAGE TO GO TO ELEVEN VIDEO CLIPS, INCLUDING ALL THREE GOALS...

AFC BRIDGNORTH 1-2 SPORTING KHALSA: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Khalsa Kings of Crown Meadow…

AFC Bridgnorth 1-2 Sporting Khalsa

Khalsa attacked up the Crown Meadow slope during the opening half of this tetchy, often unpleasant encounter between two successful teams but their hosts, in the parlance of 1950s English soccer tactics soon ‘got stuck in’. Home ‘keeper Chris Crook could be heard bellowing “No fear…”, which said it all, and typically there was an inevitable skirmish on the slope, bringing back memories of Bernard Cornwell’s ‘Sharpe’ books. The visitors earned a deserved two goal advantage at the break but the second period was fraught and too often sank into a physical battle of nudges, crafty elbows and the occasional boot following through on a player getting away. Mark Danks scored a strange but rather decent goal to add some tension to the closing stages but Khalsa were always stronger and had Andy Hartlebury’s late effort brought parity to the match, in truth it would have been an injustice. An unfortunate dismissal for Khalsa replacement Chris Rabone caused a scene by Bridgnorth’s players, demanding to know why the game ended immediately, with no added time for the sending-off incident. Too late for the hosts though, for Khalsa had been the more resolute and dangerous outfit.
Ready to go...

Visiting skipper Lee Wherton benefited from a quick early attack by his team and a poor pass by Jason Pike but he hurried his shot and drove wide of the right upright. A couple of harsh challenges by Bridgnorth players, as if every Khalsa player was actually Diego Costa and needed a good kicking brought the inescapable playground scrap and how the officials could possibly have seen every villain, never mind a Crook, was an impossibility, so the referee chatted to an assistant about the film he saw last week and singled out Josh Bradburn and Ryan Guryn of Bridgnorth, plus Simeon Townsend of Khalsa to waft yellow cards at. That was OK then? The terrier-like and largely impressive AFC left-back Kev Buxton was in belligerent mood and looked so good early on and he clattered a 25 yard strike well wide, before the somewhat acrimonious contest finally saw a couple of passes from the hosts. However, when Pike’s astute feed inside visiting left-back Nicky Campbell, who was probably busy mentally preparing his next Radio 5 Live programme, the magnificently named Anwar Abdul Raheen Olugbon was deemed offside by a sharp linesman.
The bookings begin...

The fast contest saw Khalsa gain a left-side corner but Tesfa Robinson’s flick-on wasn’t capitalised upon, before right-sided attacker Mensah Kinch, who was involved in a fascinating contest all evening with Buxton, reached the byeline and colleague Townsend swivelled like one of the Temptations live on stage to strike a fine rising shot at the near post, only for Crook to pluck it from the air like a pear from a tree. All the hosts could manage was a disappointing Danks effort from 22 yards which bounced well wide of the left stick. A Kinch cross was over-hit, spoiling his run beforehand then following slack defending by AFC, he drove a shot high into the bushes behind the goal-frame. Hartlebury was actually defending so sensibly for the hosts, supported well enough by Bradburn, Buxton and Michael Evans (not to be confused with the legendary Plymouth Argyle striker, who contributed to get Paul Sturrock’s team promoted over a decade ago…)
There's a Crook on the pitch...

Bridgnorth then escaped a penalty-call, for with Khalsa looking threatening, the prone Bradburn appeared to drag the ball from Townsend’s feet with a palm and saved his team, with no punishment offered from the well-placed officials. Glynn Coney swung over a left-footed free-kick from the AFC right and although Khalsa ‘keeper James Pemberton spilled it like a tray of jam tarts on a cakewalk ride at the local fair, an offside flag denied Bridgnorth anyway. Both teams lost and regained possession and suddenly, like a knife through a cadaver in ‘Silent Witness’, Townsend ran onto an incisive pass from Bannister at inside-left to lift the ball over the rapidly advancing and falling Crook, to give the visitors a noisy and deserved lead. 
Khalsa lead...

Good offensive play by Campbell was stopped by the safe hands of Crook then from a quick AFC free-kick, a Khalsa defender nudged the ball past Pemberton to concede a fruitless corner, as Olugbon fell over on the poor surface, which was critically admonished before the game by a Sporting coach. Danger on the Khalsa left ended with the industrious Craig Bannister setting up midfielder Michael Perks for a shot, one of the perks of his job, but ‘Nosher’ (how did he get THAT nickname?) struck his 20 yard effort a long way over the home crossbar. With half-time beckoning and some spectators already heading for the beer queue, a left-side centre by Bannister skimmed the head of Buxton, letting in Kinch, whose first touch was a little loose but when Crook moved to grab at the rolling ball, he simply tripped his opponent with an errant body and the ball trickled behind the byeline. A penalty was awarded and Campbell stepped forth to strike a fine, low spot-kick to Crook’s left, as the ‘keeper went right. 0-2 and really, it was tough to see Bridgnorth getting back into this game, despite there being 45 minutes remaining. 
0-2 now...

Olugbon had put himself about for the hosts but Robinson and fellow defender Joe Rogers (I hope he doesn’t have an uncle called Roy…) coped well enough, yet the big forward lashed a rising shot at the start of the second period, which was probably heading for someone’s back-garden anyway, but the leaping Pemberton did well to get a touch on it. The resulting corner led to a whistle being blown as the gymnastic Olugbon attempted his second overhead-kick of the evening and so he decided to seek an interview with the headmaster, who was perhaps a little strict on the rule followed. Health and safety, I guess…

Bridgnorth cleared a right-wing corner by the more influential Wherton and Bannister held the ball up, veered left and, 22 yards out, turned to attempt to catch out Crook with a careful clipped shot, which dropped just over the crossbar. A surprising short period of passing by the hosts ensued, rather than the previous hopeful launches at Olugbon and Danks and this led to a shock goal. Typically though it stemmed from a deep free-kick, not a passing move… It was challenged for at the edge of the penalty-box, bounced off Campbell’s shins and as Danks turned, the ball simply fell at his feet like manna from heaven, so that his left boot swung and struck a sudden half-volley from 17 yards straight into the top of the Khalsa net, with Pemberton turned to stone, like he’d just seen Medusa’s face. Hope for the hosts, more resolve needed from the guests…
A goal back for Bridgnorth...

Pike had been fishing for a caution for a while and he soon received one, then two substitutions were made: Chris Rabone for Sporting’s Townsend and AFC’s Tom Whitney for the quiet Griffiths. Marvin Nisbett managed a header straight at Crook from a right-side throw, before Bannister almost assisted himself to score from a fine sortie on the right. He drove towards the byeline and his low delivery was blocked back to him, but under pressure, he lifted the ball high over the goal-frame from close-range. Bannister drove well over the crossbar from 28 yards, then way over the telephone wires AND the trees from a disappointing 25 yard free-kick but Bridgnorth were being kept away from Pemberton’s goal, despite the hurry and scurry of the busy midfielders. Olugbon did manage to reach the right byeline past Campbell but his centre was blocked, then a good run by Evans to the same byeline led to a chest-high delivery but Pemberton clutched the ball well. Coney, hurt, was replaced by Liam Armstrong for the hosts, Rabone, following a neat trick on the left but a weak cross, was cautioned for a touch of time-wasting, involving kicking the ball away, which was ironic when one counted the number of balls hoofed into gardens and trees throughout the evening.
The Khalsa Salsa is planned...

Great sky...

Lewis Ayres replaced Guryn for AFC, a hopeful shot by the industrious Perks drifted well off target, but the real drama of the half happened very late on. Olugbon marauded into the Khalsa penalty-box but it was home skipper Hartlebury who attempted the do-or-die shot, sliding but scooping his 11 yard effort over Pemberton’s crossbar. It remained only for Rabone to scythe down an opponent and receive a second yellow, then a red card and the final whistle blew, with Pike leading the foray to the referee and the Sporting staff dancing the Khalsa Salsa, at the outcome of a tricky game. Never a classic, their victory was certainly deserved and Robinson, Bannister and Kinch were usually prominent. Olugbon and Buxton supported the fine AFC skipper Hartlebury as well as they could but in all fairness, the hosts lacked creativity on a difficult pitch, in a physical duel, on a cold evening…
Rabone is helped away...

Khalsa joy...

I drove home for a chunk of fruit-cake and a large bowl of Weetabix… 

It’s what I do…

Teams:

AFC Bridgnorth:  Chris Crook, Mike Evans, Kev Buxton; Jason Pike, Josh Bradburn, Andy Hartlebury (Capt); Karl Griffiths, Ryan Guryn, Mark Danks, Anwar Olugbon, Glynn Coney.

Subs: Lewis Ayres, Liam Armstrong, Jack Wilson, Tom Whitney, Dan Taylor.

Sporting Khalsa:  James Pemberton, Carlo Franco, Nicky Campbell; Joe Rogers, Tesfa Robinson, Michael Perks; Mensah Kinch, Lee Wherton (Capt), Craig Bannister, Marvin Nisbett, Simeon Townsend.

Subs: Chris Rabone, Brad Lawley, Kane Cork, Paul Henley, Ben Czerepaninec.


     

AFC BRIDGNORTH 1-2 SPORTING KHALSA: some general images from CROWN MEADOW...

The Bodging takes a seat at Crown Meadow...

Where the lads stand...

Foliage threatens the grandstand...

Crown Meadow: a graveyard for goal-frames...

Understated information-board as to where we are...

Street-lamp, possibly damaged by Luftwaffe bombing during WW2...

For benched goalies...

Pointy stick to poke your balls with...

End-view...

Corner-view...

Sunday 25 January 2015

LEICESTER ROAD 0-1 COVENTRY UNITED: programme cover & LINK TO VIDEO CLIPS...

Programme mostly in colour...

CLICK THIS MESSAGE TO GO TO THE 24 VIDEO CLIPS, INCLUDING THE WINNING GOAL...

LEICESTER ROAD 0-1 COVENTRY UNITED: light-hearted match report by The Mowdog...

Bearded Blake Breaks Leicester Resolve…

Leicester Road 0-1 Coventry United

The well-mannered toss...
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. 
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.
Blake pleads for absolution...
O'Grady has been bludgeoned...

Smith is shown a yellow card...

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.   
The jumpers...

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?
"Advantage is not right, Monsieur Moudime.
I would not allow it in tennis, either..."

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.
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.
Such a kerfuffle...

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… 
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.
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.