ASTON FC 1-1 EARLSWOOD TOWN: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Earls Steal Point From Wasteful Aston…

Aston FC 1-1 Earlswood Town

Aston played some fluent football at Coventry United on Saturday but the pitch at Coleshill’s Pack Meadow for this encounter was far more difficult to pass accurately upon and thus home skipper Reece Mills had to dig in and get involved in a physical fight like the other midfielders on show. Earlswood, despite not having played more than a few games since December, began strongly and looked fairly lively in the opening half but conceded a goal near the break to the game’s most progressive attacker, Ryan Conlon. Aston then dominated for the majority of the second-half and only a couple of decent saves by visiting ‘keeper Will Stannage and in truth, some profligate finishing by the hosts, kept the Earls in the contest and allowed them one last-gasp chance, which winger Brad Hall lobbed into the empty Aston net, following an unwise up-and-under by goalie Ragbhan Ali. The evening started oddly for me though, for at the turnstile, the cashier reminded me so much of Duquan Weems from ‘The Wire’ that I stared, shocked, for a moment or two. I then asked for a programme, he looked about him with a frown and told me that it was Tuesday, so there wasn’t one. I didn’t quite understand that. Finally I shot a loose ball into the bottom right corner of the net before kick-off, in case either team needed a marksman (joke) and settled to watch the game.

Earlswood kick off...

An early clipped pass by Earls’ Gareth Davis led to a centre by Hall from the left, which evaded all attackers then at the opposite end, Stannage moved from goal to head the ball clear for Town, only for Conlon to attempt a spectacular lob from distance but his effort lacked direction. A long pass by Mills led to Nathan Greaves almost getting in a shot, then Earls’ Kieron Fitzgerald drove a 28 yarder well over the Aston goal-frame. Visiting striker Zak Lyons nearly got in a shot, as Earlswood really had a go at Aston, so much so that home defender Dom Reece was cautioned for a bludgeoning foul. Reece would be prominent throughout for the hosts though, with some good free-kick deliveries especially. Town had a strike disallowed for offside, an Aston corner was knocked on by a posse of jumpers then Lyons teed up an overlap, after which Roy Dunkley shot too high. Aston then went close to a goal through striker Michael McGhie but from a promising position, he screwed a weak shot past the right upright. Greaves then fed Conlon, whose flying hitch-kick drifted well off target, before the hard-working Lyons switched the ball right to Earls’ Dunkley, whose effort was saved smartly at his near post by Ali. Tom Weaver headed the subsequent corner well wide of the near stick.

Heads...

Again Lyons switched play to Dunkley on the right, whose low delivery was turned into the Aston net by Hall, only for him to be flagged offside. Conlon set up Greaves to shoot for the hosts but his effort flew 10 yards wide of the left upright, so his next drive simply had to fly 10 yards wide of the right upright, before Louis Haughton and Conlon combined to offer McGhie another shot at goal, which he again struck weakly and wide of the right post. Ash Churchill, who would have battled Earlswood on the beaches, on the landing grounds, in the fields, in the streets and in the hills, for Aston would never surrender, drove a shot for Stannage to pat down like a sandcastle on Bournemouth beach. A Lyons drive at the opposite end struck Reece’s legs, Keith Draper was cautioned for a foul on the escaping Churchill, then from the free-kick, Aston surprisingly took the lead. The ball was launched forward, knocked down in the 6 yard box, possibly by Town’s Jon Farley and there was the alert Conlon to rap a close-range left-footed shot into the bottom right corner of the net past a helpless Stannage. I was told that Ryan Conlon had represented Northern Ireland Schools as a goalkeeper, but maybe he found greater joy in scoring that goal than in keeping any opposition efforts out…

Aston's distant celebration: 1-0...

The first-half then ended with a right-flank cross from Aston’s Marcus Malcolm, which McGhie again miscued, this time over the car-park and into the high netting behind the target. It had been a strange old half, with Earlswood shading it but finding themselves losing 0-1. The Earls’ power and solidity in midfield had released Lyons for a couple of runs but in truth, Ali hadn’t been particularly threatened. Aston’s offense had stalled with wild shots, although Conlon was always a danger on the right and central defenders Remarlo Barrett and Reece had been fairly steady and always combative. Artur Serzysko had been a rock in defence for the guests and Dunkley was often lurking in good attacking positions. The midfield area though had been at the heart of the contest and would continue to be so.

Aston began the second period with more intensity and I believe that Earlswood’s staff were concerned for their players’ fitness levels but they dug in. Stannage reached a through-pass from Conlon before Greaves could arrive, then Conlon’s surging run ended with a shot, which bounced past the right post, as Stannage stood like a mannequin in Burton’s window. McGhie then released Greaves near the left post but the ball struck his hand before his innovative back-heel was kicked off the goal-line and the official awarded Town a free-kick. McGhie, for I think it was he, headed a right-wing corner goalwards, only for Davis to scramble the ball clear from his goal-line, then from the second phase of attack, Malcolm shot well over the goal-frame. The ascendancy enjoyed by Aston was suddenly interrupted by a run from Lyons in the inside-right channel but his low drive was well parried clear by the diving Ali.

Danny Bostock replaced Earls’ Farley, who went off for a rusk or two, a Greaves shot was deflected for a corner then a fine attack by Aston so nearly brought a decisive goal. A superb trick by Haughton left Hall tackling the cold night air and falling down like he’d been spun round, then the right-back raced along his flank, crossed accurately and Conlon (I think) rose to loop a header onto the Town crossbar, before Ron Adjei, I believe, played the loose ball to safety. Haughton was rewarded by being scythed down by Rostock, who was instantly cautioned. An overhead-kick ensued from Reece’s free-kick but Earlswood survived then the quieter Town striker Lyons was withdrawn for the introduction of Jordan Walters. Adjei was also replaced, by Cordell White, before the Earls escaped twice in seconds. Malcolm’s low shot was stopped by Stannage’s feet but from the rebound, another low and weak McGhie drive went straight back to the ‘keeper, Weaver then appeared to hack the ball towards his own goal, which seemed to strike Conlon and the guests survived yet again. 

Earlswood managed a shot by Weaver, which was well wide, before Churchill was replaced by Dan Watson for Aston. The trench warfare intensified, as Earlswood stubbornly refused to give ground and Aston fought to settle the match, with Conlon curling a decent shot past the right upright from 18 yards. Stannage palmed a Greaves shot away to his left but the big forward was unable to find a pass to McGhie from the rebound, before the beavering Fitzgerald was booked for a foul. A Town free-kick fell for White to shoot from 24 yards, just past the left post, with Ali scrambling across the sodden turf, but on a break, Conlon cut in from the left for Aston but lifted his shot disappointingly too high, with supporting players well placed and not used. Another Earls shot, possibly from Draper flew wide of the left stick then McGhie shot hard against a blocker’s legs at the other end but miscued a weak left-booter past the right post from the inviting rebound.

Davis was having a running verbal feud with a linesman, who gave as much as he received, possibly because he had been right about an offside decision, then, as Aston were being urged to keep the ball to waste valuable seconds, they lost it, Town hacked the ball hopefully forward, Ali exited his 18 yard box but belted the ball high and vertically towards Hall, wide on the Town offensive right. As Ali turned to get back into goal, Hall’s speculative volleyed shot was accuracy itself and every cold head watched in slow motion as the ball bounced gently into the net. A late scramble in the Earlswood box involving Watson came to nought and somehow, Town had secured an unlikely point, despite their strong opening to the first-half. Aston were dejected and rightly so, for the chances squandered were numerous after the interval.

1-1 and a late Earlswood goal...

Weaver and Serzysko held firm for the guests and Fitzgerald is probably still running now, unless he too tried to access the M42 at the Motorcycle Museum like I did and ended up in a ridiculous diversion on the way home. Conlon played well for the hosts but McGhie and Greaves might have won the game for Aston, supported by the graft of Mills and Malcolm. They didn’t though…

Thanks to Aston for the kind welcome and it was good to see the Earlswood staff again…

Handshakes...