BROMSGROVE SPORTING 2-0 COVENTRY COPSEWOOD: match report by THE MOWDOG...

Rouslers Grind To Victory Over Enterprising Copsewood…

Bromsgrove Sporting 2-0 Coventry Copsewood

The Bodging, the apprentice, learns the art of being a football club secretary...

This game, replayed from its earlier abandoned encounter, due to a Copsewood defender’s bad injury, was contested by two contrasting approaches. Copsewood’s often slick passing and darting runners were constant threats for Sporting, who in truth looked a little sluggish in response, especially before the break and only two fine saves by Jake Bedford had kept them level, until Sean Brain’s excellent angled finish edged the hosts rather fortunately ahead. After the icy cold interval, Bromsgrove began to wear down their opponents and visiting ‘keeper Dale O’Donnell made three superb saves, before Chris Conway slotted a second goal for the Rouslers and the game changed significantly. Copsewood looked rather beaten, whereas Sporting, with Simon Fitter looking more controlling and influential in defence, held the physical upper hand until the end, despite the creative efforts of Coventry skipper Craig Civzelis, who prompted his team until the bitterly cold finish and the occasional flitting runs from their nippy forwards. This turned out to be an important victory for the hosts but I have nothing but admiration for the way that Copsewood approached the match.

Surely the scooter ends in an 'A'?

The contestants...

I wonder whose 'goal' was nullified by the previous encounter's abandonment?

The River-dancing Chris Conway kicks off...

A long free-kick forward by Copsewood’s Michael Quirke was mishandled by Bedford and he actually did well to claim the loose ball as striker Martin Gormley lurked. Brain baulked from behind just inside the visitors’ penalty-box but the officials reacted not at all, probably correctly, then a linesman flagged Conway offside, which he wasn’t, for it was Brain, not interfering, who was. Bedford then managed to get a waving hand onto a corner by Copsewood’s Lawrence Rawlings, after a foul by Jack Wilson in midfield had the visitors attacking. A short corner by the hosts involving Will Tibbetts and Brain, ended with a shot from distance by Sam Wills’ left boot but the ball drifted wide of the left upright. When the otherwise impressive Dan Morris, at left-back for the Rouslers, dallied on the ball, Liam Cairns mugged him and drove a close-range, angled shot from the right of the goal-frame but Bedford leapt down quickly, like a wicket-keeper standing up to a spinner and deflected the ball away.

A left-wing corner by the guests fell to defender Matty Fowler and his left-foot shot through a chaotic crowd brought another good save by Bedford, who threw himself right to turn the ball aside near his right upright. Bromsgrove were constantly caught out by the pace of the Copsewood forwards, whose one weakness on the night was not being clinical in front of goal but the hosts stuck in there, managing a couple of attacks of their own and one decent centre by Wills was cleared well by Coventry’s defence. Brain ran on well at inside-right to take the ball away from O’Donnell and when he fed the ball back to a colleague, the ensuing centre fell at the far post for Wilson, whose side-footer rolled almost along the goal-line, before passing on towards the right flank. Andy Wilson-King, the Coventry right-back, who was eager and astute throughout the game, handled a loose ball and was cautioned, before Wills rapped a 28 yard free-kick at the visitors’ goal, which forced O’Donnell to fall left and shovel the ball aside, like he was shooing away a vomiting dog through his back door. The referee spotted a bit of un-Sporting pushing at the ensuing corner though and Copsewood accepted the free-kick.

A fine challenge on the-not-so-royal Wilson by, er, the more monarchical Wilson-King led not only to a Copsewood attack, but also the opening Sporting goal. A superb challenge upon Cairns by the dependable Scott Smith offered Coventry a corner but this was cleared and Gavin Mahon’s rush forward for the hosts led to Brain speeding towards the left byeline. With no support, however, he simply lashed the ball high into the top right corner of the net for a spectacular finish from the tightest of angles and Copsewood were trailing, undeservedly.

Nearly a view of the goal celebration... 1-0 to Sporting...

The interval was reached, the temperature dropped, some sleet fell and there was still enough doubt in this game’s outcome to keep the crowd of 201 interested. I chatted with Tim Bradley, Bromsgrove’s recent young signing, and his father, then settled to find more decent batteries with which to invigorate my camera for the second period.

No crowd. Must be half-time...

As the second-half began, a cross from Copsewood’s Danny Fraser from the left took a deflection off Chris Duggan, the bearded, fearsome-looking Sporting (of course…) defender but Bedford dealt well with it, flicking at it with a reaching hand and collecting the loose ball calmly. Smart play by Duggan and Tibbetts on the right flank for the home team led to Conway fastening onto the ball near the right byeline and although he shielded the ball well, his low near post shot crashed into the side-netting. Wills drove well wide from 25 yards, it really did appear that Brain was fouled in the 18 yard box, then Copsewood’s George Whitelaw was allowed to run too far but shot wide anyway. Bedford was unimpressed by the loose defending and bellowed at his team like an army sergeant working on rookies doing National Service in the 1950s. Whitelaw was hurt though and he was soon replaced by Ross Wimbush but his defence let him down shortly afterwards and Conway found himself with a lobbing opportunity from the inside-left channel, which he failed to get enough height on and O’Donnell looked mightily relieved to clutch the effort above his head.

A short period of Coventry attacking then ensued, during which Gormley twisted and turned but Alleyne could only roll a shot to Bedford, Fitter made a rare error but although Gormley fed Alleyne again, the striker’s sliced shot was very wayward and finally more neat passing by the Civzelis-inspired visitors led to Rawlings being flagged offside. Yet suddenly, despite their clever passing and pacy runs, the guests were stunned by a looming period of Bromsgrove dominance, during which O’Donnell excelled himself. Lacking width often, Bromsgrove suddenly worked an opening through the centre, where Brain exchanged passes with the excellent, wholehearted Conway and only a fine rush out and parry by O’Donnell saved his team. 

A right-wing corner was taken short by Wills to Duggan, whose accurate delivery found the head of the predatory Conway, but O’Donnell leapt high to turn the effort over his crossbar. The next corner, from the left by Tibbetts was fumbled by a couple of Coventry defenders at the near upright and Conway latched onto the ball to lash a 5 yard shot at goal, which O’Donnell flung himself at and deflected over the bar again to produce a brilliant save and frustrate the Bromsgrove striker. O’Donnell could only do so much however and soon, Conway found himself onside at inside-right, before sliding a smart shot inside the right post, beating the unfortunate, advancing O’Donnell from 18 yards to make the score 2-0.

Conway: 2-0...

Sporting replaced Tibbetts and Duggan, who is facing a suspension, I believe, with Craig Jones and Lewis Clarke and in truth that second goal really established Bromsgrove in the ascendancy and they played the game out stealthily, attempting to keep possession and working through their skipper, Fitter, who was so prominent during the remainder of the game. A wild Wilson shot was followed by the withdrawal by Copsewood of Gormley, for the introduction of Petajon Gordon, before a low clearance by O’Donnell somehow placed his team into an offensive position but Rawlings’ delivery was deflected upwards for Bedford to pluck like a pear from a tree. The two number nines were then replaced: the irrepressible Conway and the busy Alleyne were withdrawn for the introductions of the Rouslers’ Jozsef Jakab and the guests’ Ben Atkins.

Brain raced into the right side of the penalty-area but with Wills and Jakab in the middle, he shot against a defender’s legs, resulting in lots of Bromsgrove arms being raised, like a particularly unpleasant creature had appeared in a Dr Who episode. A short pass by Bedford to a colleague nearly brought disaster but the ‘keeper made amends and made a fine challenge to retrieve the ball, then Copsewood actually managed a good second-half shot at goal. A free-kick from 24 yards by Wimbush was well struck, left-booted, but it passed the left angle of bar and post. The hosts had strangled the latter stages of this game and had found the strength and commitment to beat an enterprising Copsewood team, who were good to watch for much of the time. Mahon and Wills were often an isolated pair in midfield for the Rouslers but Fitter’s experience was positive and Morris often looked effective at full-back. Brain’s speed and Conway’s sheer drive forced their team to victory but Copsewood ought to challenge strongly in the division on this showing…

Final moments...

My hands were surely not mine by the end, for I was sure I couldn’t feel them but a hot apple pie awaited when I reached home, followed by a bowl of Weetabix… 

Hey, it’s what I do… 

Teams: 

Bromsgrove Sporting:  Jake Bedford, Chris Duggan, Dan Morris; Simon Fitter (Capt), Scott Smith, Ryan Mahon; Will Tibbetts, Sean Brain, Chris Conway, Sam Wills, Jack Wilson.

Subs: Craig Jones, Jozsef Jakab, Danny Lennon, Charlie Wilson, Lewis Clarke.

Coventry Copsewood:  Dale O’Donnell, Andy Wilson-King, George Whitelaw; Craig Civzelis (Capt), Michael Quirke, Matty Fowler; Lawrence Rawlings, Liam Cairns, Dom Alleyne, Martin Gormley, Danny Fraser.

Subs: Ross Wimbush, Petajon Gordon, Ben Atkins.