DROITWICH SPA 3-1 FC GLADES SPORTING: match report by The Mowdog...

Spirited Sporting Not Spared By Spa

Droitwich Spa FC 3-1 FC Glades Sporting

When I used to DJ discos at Lucas GKS cricket evenings at Moor Lane, not far from Villa Park, the first couple of hours were tough to negotiate, for nobody had taken in enough booze to want to make idiots of themselves on the dance-floor. When they had, the evening got better and better and this Midland League Division 2 game was similar, for the opening 35 minutes or so were simply poor, with errors frustrating all, players slipping over regularly on the heavy pitch and with creativity at a premium. But it got better… The final half-hour was busy, with Glades going close to an equaliser at 1-2 behind and Spa’s James Ward missing three glorious chances to flatter his team. A late miss by Spa’s James Lemon was not to prove costly though, as Ward finally found the net in the closing seconds and I left the muddy field feeling reasonably well entertained. The effort from the players was huge and 41 spectators saw a decent spectacle in the end, at a cost of, er, £1 for a programme. I was welcomed with smiles, although I did lose my badger iPhone cover in the bar… I was also hailed by Bromsgrove Sporting’s car-park steward, who was pleased to tell me that Birmingham were 0-2 behind at Blyth Spartans in the FA Cup; didn’t last though… 

The toss. Finch (10) nestles in the grass...

Finch boogies, as Campbell (9) and Miller-with-Gloves prepare to kick off...

Finch flies into the action and Lemon (9) zings...

A lazy Glades pass led to a 24 yard drive by Spa’s Henry Davis but visiting ‘keeper Steven Cullen was well behind the effort, before Davis almost freed the running James Lemon, only for Cullen to hack the ball out to home right-sided player Chris Higginson, whose 40 yard shot sliced way off target. Spa left-back Adam Granger sold himself short and visiting midfielder Mark Smith’s cross was blocked for a corner, from which nothing was gained. Tom Campbell, the more lively and influential of the two Glades forwards, fastened onto a long boot forward but shot weakly at home ‘keeper Matt Oliver, then Macaulay Finch, Lemon’s side-kick, headed right-back Besar Celaj’s centre upwards and well wide from 12 yards. Glades’ attacks were slow and measured, whereas Spa’s were more often on quick breaks, with Lemon and Finch, possibly the best named forward pair in non-league football, always to the fore.

Spa's Davis threatens Glades' Smith... 

A poor clearance by Droitwich allowed Campbell another shot but this time, at least Oliver fell left to gather, before a clipped effort by Davis at the opposite end took a deflection past the left upright. Glades, with Nicky Playdon prominent in midfield, were still a little ponderous but Spa still needed to close them down more quickly, yet it was the hosts who took two more shots at goal, with Higginson’s effort being fielded and Ward’s 25 yard try trickling to Cullen like a crown-green bowling ball, following a pass from Lemon. Fine work by Lemon on the right saw him cut infield and his release was deflected past his own goal by the combative but fortunate Sporting skipper and defender, Simon Quigley. After an attempted offensive overhead shot by Glades went badly wrong, Spa broke away and Lemon escaped the offside trap but was denied by a fine tackle at inside-left, which produced a corner. Higginson swung in the kick, Cullen’s punch went towards his own goal but Smith cleared from the goal-line and Davis collected the kick-out, passed left to Higginson, whose subsequent cross was punched down straight to Finch by Cullen and the striker’s flitting skill led to a low shot, which was also hacked  from the goal-line but by Quigley this time. Exciting stuff… 

Spa-man Granger leaps...

Mitchelle Hodge, the tall Glades central defender, was playing well, but was also allowed by the officials to be more physical than probably even he expected to get away with and he set off on a fine run upfield but he was yanked back by home midfielder Graeme Pardoe, who surprisingly escaped a caution. The free-kick was cleared to the strong Glades midfielder Paul Bonar, but his shot from 22 yards disturbed the upper reaches of the tall trees behind the goal. Quite suddenly though, Bonar’s left-side centre saw Campbell and home skipper Mark Burrows go for a near post header, diving and the ball looped off the defender’s head and over Oliver for a sickening own-goal. 

Struthers picks up Davis, after clattering him first, of course...

0-1 to FC Glades...

A fine run by Ward and then smart play by Lemon again, led to a decent shot by the skilled Davis but his effort was wide of the target. Another fine run by Hodge through the middle saw him tangling again with Pardoe but the defender chased the ball towards the left touchline in the attacking third. Unfortunately for him, his pass back to supporting left-back Darren Michael was inaccurate and Spa’s Higginson raced away, with the curiously onside Lemon squeezing through on the right flank, before slipping a pass inside to Finch, who had flown forward in support and the striker swooped to turn a low shot off the ‘keeper’s right hand into the bottom left corner of the net. Gold for Finch, then… 

Finch has equalised, as a boxer limbers up in an attic nearby...

The interval was reached, the players trooped off, the sun appeared although the temperature dropped but I have to admire both pairs of central defenders, for their commitment and challenges, if not always their finesse, had been mostly admirable. Until the hosts took the lead, the game carried on after the break as it had beforehand but that strike would open up the encounter, leading to several close shaves at both ends. 

Davis again in the action...

Picking up the chaff, Finch fed Lemon, who peeled away, ‘curded’ his loins and was only stopped by a fine Hodge tackle in the penalty-box but Glades moved left on the counter and Mark O’Donnell passed to Campbell, who sensibly fed Bonar at 19 yards but the glabrous midfielder shot well off target, to his consternation. Lemon then moved onto a fine centre by Celaj but as he was about to shoot, a challenge went in from behind by Glades’ Andrew Struthers and the ball flew awry, with the home dugout screaming “Penalty!” as one. Glades escaped. On the break for the guests, Campbell worked an opening near the right byeline but when his head-high cross was delivered towards his partner Kenrick Miller, the burly, gloved forward threw out a heel, like he was free-skating on ice and the slight connection led to nought. Then Spa won a left-side corner and another decent Higginson corner curled to the near post, where visiting defender Quigley headed the ball against his team-mate Bonar’s back and it dropped in the mud for home skipper Burrows to bite at and the ball trickled over the goal-line. This was a goal of slapstick proportions but it served to liven up the encounter and Glades really battled back into the contest.

2-1 to Spa...

A Michael cross drifted too far but Glades kept the issue alive, with O’Donnell shooting wide from Smith’s service. Miller, unsurprisingly, was replaced for the visitors by James Shipway but it was the hosts who came so close to adding a third goal. Ward found himself running under pressure from Hodge at goalie Cullen and managed to poke the ball beneath the advanced ‘keeper from 18 yards, only for the impressive Hodge to get back and deny the lurking Finch on the goal-line at the left upright. Smith threatened on the Glades right but when his short centre fell at the near post for Campbell, the striker somehow miscued behind the goal-frame, before Mike Seeley, the stout home defender got into a wrestling moment with Campbell. Then a fine volleyed shot by Bonar brought a good save by Oliver, diving right to turn the ball behind for a corner, which a visiting player somehow cleared for Droitwich to breathe again, as Struthers’ eventual centre was caught under no pressure by Oliver. Oliver wanted more of that… Smith was replaced by Kofi Durham for the visitors but Ward nearly scored for the hosts instead.

Finch fluttered on the wing, right side, fed Higginson and his centre was well cushioned by the adventurous Lemon, who sucked in a defender and laid the ball off to Ward, who slipped by Struthers but as Quigley slid to challenge, the lean midfielder drove a low 8 yard shot from inside-left past the right upright. Careless defending by Glades then offered Ward a chance to make amends, when a fine one-touch, triangular move at inside-right between Higginson, Lemon and Ward, freed the midfielder to shoot from an angle across Cullen but also well wide of the far stick. Campbell was then played in, fortunately, but the goal-frame would come to Spa’s rescue. He attempted a one-two with Shipway but the substitute was tackled by Pardoe, only for the ball to break left for Campbell to clip a measured strike over the advancing Oliver; there was a pause, maybe the effort nudged off Oliver’s muddy glove but it glanced off the crossbar and the hosts survived.

Quigley decided he’d had enough of Davis’ quick feet, so hammered him down to receive a caution and the subsequent blessing of the home winger’s withdrawal, for the introduction of Steve Pitts. Oliver grabbed the ball off Durham’s toes, following a pass by Bonar, then Quigley’s header across the Spa goal from a free-kick found Campbell at the left post but he was flagged offside. Attacking, Glades squandered possession again and suddenly, there was Lemon, in possession at half-way, with Finch supporting and surely Lemon would bear fruit this time; there were no defenders at all but as Cullen advanced and Lemon attempted to drift right of the ‘keeper, Cullen deflected the striker’s effort for an unproductive corner. Lemon looked sour. At the other end, Pardoe produced a brilliant tackle to deny Campbell a run at goal then Spa responded with neat play between Higginson and Lemon, who peeled right and reached the byeline with clever skills, pipped Michael then beat the slithering Quigley; Lemon’s low pass across goal was palmed out by Cullen but Bonar was unable to clear and there was Ward to turn and shoot past the right post from 7 yards. Ward must have wondered what he had to do to get the ball even on target in the muddy goalmouth but when Spa were awarded a deep free-kick in added time, Seeley offered him one last chance. And he took it.

The ball flew straight to Struthers but the defender missed the ball, which dropped over him to Ward, who controlled it, turned and fired a low shot through Cullen and into the net. ‘Struth, Struthers! It was so easy… Ward barely celebrated; it was like he’d been playing a really annoying hole on the Crazy Golf course at Mawgan Porth for a while and had finally sunk his ball. 3-1 to the hosts and on chances alone, that seemed about right but in truth, Campbell might have won the game alone for Glades, albeit lacking effective support. The two pairs of central defenders were dour, direct and down to earth, although Hodge really liked his rumbles forward for Sporting, eventually playing out the latter stages in attack. Lemon was admirable for the hosts, especially against the tough Hodge and Quigley, and Finch, Davis and Higginson contributed well enough. Ward became more prominent for Droitwich as the game wore on. Playdon continued to try to orchestrate for Glades and Bonar was prominent at times but I guess the last laugh went to Finch, who gave Ward some real stick for finally scoring: a case of a Haw, HawFinch…

Ward prevents hospital treatment by finally scoring for Droitwich: 3-1 now...

I failed to find my iPhone’s badger case in the bar, or around the pitch and with icy hands, drove home for eggs and chips… Hey, it’s what I do…    

Teams:    

Droitwich Spa FC: Matt Oliver, Besar Celaj, Adam Granger; Mike Seeley, Mark Burrows (Capt), Graeme Pardoe; Chris Higginson, James Ward, James Lemon, Macaulay Finch, Henry Davis.

Subs: Steve Pitts, James Halsall, Joe Mayo-Brandon (is that right?), James May, Nick Seabourne.

FC Glades Sporting:  Steven Cullen, Darren Michael; Simon Quigley (Capt), Mitchelle Hodge, Nicky Playdon; Mark O’Donnell, Kenrick Miller, Tom Campbell, Paul Bonar, Mark Smith.

Subs: Tom Reece, Kofi Durham, James Shipway, Eddy Pitt.