Little Red Rooster Curls Coventry To President’s Cup Victory…
Knowle FC 2-4 Coventry United
President’s Cup Final (after extra-time)
Listening to the legendary Sam Cooke’s songs en route to Bromsgrove was inspiring, given that his life was so tragically cut short and when Josh O’Grady’s free-kick curled past Knowle ‘keeper Ollie Wragg in extra-time, the Little Red Rooster had struck. He struck again with a corner, which crept into the goalmouth and brought farce into action, with both Wragg and Luke Hennessey erring as the 4th goal trickled into the net. Coventry had squandered a 0-2 interval lead to a resolute, committed, sometimes ruthless Knowle outfit, which played to its strengths, then capitalised upon poor marking and a sliced own-goal by Ben Vallance. The Little Red Rooster then fell under the challenge of Knowle left-back Jim Anderson in the final seconds of ‘normal’ time, which the referee deemed was a spot-kick. Uninspiring brawling ensued, I believe Anderson attempted to bag the Rooster on the ground, was thus summarily dismissed and the hushed crowd awaited a penalty-taker. Dan Stokes and Martin Hutchcox had already been replaced, Rob Prinzel and O’Grady were conspicuous by blending into the background, which left Brian Ndlovu to win the Cup for United. He shuffled forth, stubbed his shot and the ball rolled a good way wide of the left upright and we all faced overtime. Then O’Grady’s foot-skills took over and The Cage won the trophy, deservedly on chances created.
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| An early stumble for Stokes... |
Surprised that neither Nathan Ley, nor Jayden Rickhuss were even on the bench for Coventry and also intrigued by lowly Knowle’s previous two results, wins of 10-1 and 5-0, Coventry’s noisy, often raucous supporters wondered whether Hutchcox’s ankle and ‘keeper Joe Connor’s leg would last more than half-an-hour, for with no defender named as a substitute, United’s whole plan could have gone awfully awry. Knowle began astutely but with skipper Chris Cox and fellow midfielder Gift Mussa (Only Sixteen?) in fine fettle, once a low centre by Tom Craine had been ushered to safety by Vallance and Hennessey had launched an opponent over the touchline, which the officials ignored to everyone’s surprise, Hennessey then barged O’Grady down and although Stokes got some kind of connection to Prinzel’s free-kick, Coventry were denied. Another free-kick, taken from the right-flank and just inside the Knowle half by Hutchcox, brought the opening goal. The ball floated towards goal, Wragg appeared to misjudge it and like a Sugar Dumpling, it dropped into the unguarded net.
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| The ball is in the air. How unusual... |
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| Beefy Scot Prinzel prepares to take a free-kick... |
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| Goal! Martin 'One Ankle' Hutchcox strikes from 1500 metres away... |
Knowle’s Craine was cautioned for a foul, as the unbooked Hennessey smiled innocently, following his two misdemeanours, before Knowle couldn’t produce from two corners, then Leon Kelly was unable to link with Stokes for The Cage, who soon made a forceful run alone but failed to find the target from 25 yards. Hennessy made a brilliant block to deny Stokes, who had worked an opening and the forward nearly capitalised upon a typically adventurous run by Pierre Moudime on the United right. The solid Knowle forward Matt Botley was penalised for a foul and another fine Hutchcox delivery was headed straight at Wragg by Kelly. Yet another Hutchcox free-kick was headed too high by Cox, whose leaping was prodigious at times, belying his height. O’Grady moved inside a defender at inside-right and Wragg did well to beat away the winger’s stinging left-footer, before Coventry couldn’t press home their advantage from two decent corner deliveries by O’Grady. Connor then decided to fall upon a scruffy shot by Knowle, which was off target anyway, then fine skill on the right by the tricky Moudime led to a cross which was defended stoutly by Knowle’s Roz Kane, possibly not related to Spurs’ Harry, then Mussa’s determined play offered the bullish Prinzel a shot but his effort was wayward.
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| A night at the Broms... |
Kelly set off on a chase but Wragg dived at his feet to collect a through-pass, the goalie quickly complaining that the striker had nicked his head with a boot, but Knowle centre-back Liam Ashmore was severely displeased and meted out his own punishment by flattening Kelly soon afterwards. Ashmore then did well to deflect a Kelly centre from the left byeline over his own crossbar, as United continued to press, then Wragg missed the O’Grady corner but Cox’s second header flew just over the goal-frame. However, practice makes perfect, so they say and another Hutchcox free-kick was met by Cox’s forehead and the ball speared past Wragg deep into the Knowle net. Cox made his way to the United dugout and there seemed an interesting celebration planned; he er, picked up a drinks container. Now that was innovative. We all expected a Tennessee Waltz, at least…
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| Kelly has a large ball on his shorts... |
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| Cox (7) has increased the lead for The Cage... |
As usual, after scoring a second goal, the leading team inexplicably lost concentration, for ‘That’s Where It’s At’, Sam Cooke once sang and soon, a left-side centre from Knowle found Botley lurking like a bear at the far stick and only a firm challenge by Vallance prevented an instant response by The Robins. Fine battling midfield play by Mussa led to skilled wing-play by Moudime on the right towards the byeline and Wragg only just managed to grab the loose ball at his near post. It only remained for Prinzel to run onto the ball but shoot wide from 28 yards and for Cox to go for a fourth set-piece header but he nodded O’Grady’s right-side corner well wide at the far stick. Half-time arrived, Coventry were seemingly cruising, (‘Ain’t That Good News), whilst Connor and Hutchcox had survived but Knowle had looked unlikely to threaten United, despite the running of Craine.
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| Replacements upon plastic seats... |
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| Number 6 Kane is Able to juggle a ball on his butt... |
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| Trooping off @ the interval... |
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| Let's begin again... |
Soon after the break, Nick Oakley drove a 27 yard effort wide of the Coventry goal and somehow, not only had Knowle seemingly upped their game, Coventry had obviously and criminally dropped theirs. Following hold-up play by Kelly, Stokes could only bundle O’Grady’s cross from the right byeline behind the goal-frame, but Coventry were shocked when a free-kick brought a modicum of hope for the Robins of Knowle. The ball was launched towards the inside-left channel, it was nudged by Kane but then cleverly flicked upwards and backwards by Craine, craning his neck, so that the ball looped into the far corner of goal, with Connor standing still and in a ‘Sad Mood’…
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| Craine (11) has pulled a goal back for Knowle... |
A low O’Grady centre brought a Coventry corner, the clearance of which Moudime fastened onto, but Cox’s shot was wayward from distance. Hutchcox was caught very late by I think Oakley and I believe he was cautioned, leaving the United defender hurt but he carried on regardless and then, when Connor caught a high cross, Ashmore delivered the ‘keeper into his own net with a clinical barge, which got Kobe Ntim cautioned for complaining. No action was taken on Ashmore. Craine’s song by Sam Cooke has to be ‘I’ll Come Running Back To You’, meaning The Cage defence of course, and he did so brilliantly, before firing a great 25 yarder only just over Connor’s crossbar. Good Moudime attacking was let down by his cross-shot, which flew too high, after Wragg had punched an O’Grady corner clear but Knowle so nearly caught Coventry out, when an accurate, defence-splitting pass by Craine saw Hutchcox’s superb tackle deny Botley a run to goal. ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ and sure enough, Hutchcox, hurt in that challenge, was replaced by Ndlovu, as Loz Shannon replaced striker Torryn Connolly for the opponents. Significantly, Coventry had lost their first potential penalty-taker.
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| Kobe (6) points the way... |
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| Hutchcox is in the wars again... |
Oakley was again to the fore for Knowle, as his free-kick from the left edge of the penalty-box curled past the far upright, evading three moving Robins. Hennessey knew he would be cautioned for his next foul and he was, for upending Ndlovu, even though the free-kick came to nought. Cox, initially having replaced Hutchcox at centre-back, changed places with Prinzel, who defended well for the remainder of the game but when Connor advanced to collect a through-pass, Vallance took it upon himself to hack the ball to safety and succeeded only in slicing a horrible left-footer into his own net. Bending over the crestfallen Vallance and mouthing was somewhat poorly done by Craine, which came as a surprise from such a clever footballer and the action should have brought him a second yellow card, really.
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| 2-2... |
Kelly saw a downward header really well saved o his goal-line by Wragg, as United attempted to regain their chucked-away lead, Vallance volleyed way over the crossbar and Mussa threatened at the right post, following a driving run but Wragg grabbed the ball. Dan Lucas replaced the rather quiet Stokes, crucially the second potential penalty-taker to leave the field, with the game tied at 2-2. Craine was very late on Connor, as the ‘keeper claimed a low, long Knowle pass but again escaped punishment, then following a left-wing corner, Lucas’ low shot bounced off the base of the left post, with Wragg standing staring. After smart passing between Shannon and Craine, Prinzel crashed into the back of Craine (possibly payback), to earn a deserved booking but although the Knowle free-kick was cleared by United, Botley’s eventual shot was well wide. And then, in the closing seconds of the game, O’Grady fell under Anderson’s challenge, a penalty was awarded, Anderson was as displeased as I feel when watching certain weather forecasters on Central News and Ndlovu stepped forward to take the spot-kick when the naughty chaps had stopped their shenanigans, following the award of the penalty and the dismissal of the badly behaved Anderson. Edwin Greaves must have been wishing ‘Bring It On Home To Me’ but Brian couldn’t oblige, for surely his kicking-boot studs scraped the ground, hence the dust rising, but what a moment to miss a gift of a goalscoring opportunity…
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| Overtime beckons... |
Extra-time was whistled and Coventry regained the upper hand, Prinzel lifting a 10 yard right-footed, near post volley direct from O’Grady’s right-flank corner onto the face of the crossbar and then Lucas driving a 25 yard shot straight at Wragg. Kelly then rose at the right post, 5 yards out but somehow contrived to head a fine O’Grady cross from the left a good yard over the bar, with Wragg beaten but relieved. Ndlovu, possibly wearing a neighbour’s slippers, not actually boots at all, miskicked Vallance’s left-side feed, then following a Knowle error, O’Grady’s power-delivery was brilliantly deflected for a corner by effective Knowle defender and skipper Paul Farrell. Cox was then sent from the arena for a bad foul, his second caution, apparently and the numbers were even again but with Prinzel formidable in defence and Ntim tackling, harassing, flying through the air like a heron from a reed-bed and bellowing orders like Sir Francis Drake on Plymouth Hoe, Coventry were not giving up this ascendancy easily. United were awarded a 23 yard free-kick and the Little Red Rooster himself, O’Grady, minus beard but with a bag of boot-tricks, curled a delightful shot high into the top right corner of the net and suddenly, Knowle looked wretched, drained and beaten. Following a fine Vallance challenge, O’Grady drove a hard shot wide and soon, half-time in extra-time arrived.
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| The Little Red Rooster hides in the darkness after scoring Coventry's 3rd goal... |
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| Cox takes the long walk... |
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| Connor: largely untroubled... |
The only threat to Coventry stemmed from a deep Oakley free-kick, which caused some kind of chaos in The Cage defence but a linesman’s offside flag rescued United anyway, before the game was finally settled, following a Moudime interception and then his shot, which was deflected for a right-side corner. If Vallance’s own-goal was comical, the final nail in the Knowle coffin smacked of dark humour. O’Grady’s low corner fell for Wragg to gather on his goal-line but he didn’t. The ball squirmed away from him and Hennessey attempted to kick the ball away, only to turn it into the net instead. Crucial late errors had cost the match for Knowle and Wragg must surely have lost his rag… A late O’Grady corner was nearly turned in at the near upright by the deserving Moudime, Kavanagh replaced Kelly, who received huge applause for his unselfish performance and the referee brought an end to the Final.
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| Now 4-2 to Coventry... |
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| Final whistle... |
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| Trophy time... |
‘Cupid’ had drawn back his bow and let his Caged arrow fly straight to Edwin Greaves’ heart, the Champagne flowed, ‘What A Wonderful World’ it was now for Coventry, who must have felt like ‘Twistin’ the Night Away’, or ‘Havin’ A Party’, as the Cup was held up, then passed round like in a ‘Chain Gang’ but Kobe Ntim was like a kid in a sweet shop, even dancing the Can-Can at one stage. ‘Summertime’ is a time for fun, Coventry enjoyed their share of it, but fair play to Knowle, they showed great humility in defeat and they contributed not to a classic football feast but to a war of attrition in a game which certainly lacked little in the way of drama. Six goals and five from set-pieces says it all really.
After wondering why the ubiquitous, noisy, constantly popping up and swaying Tommie Maguire irritatingly nudged my shoulder a couple of times whilst I was videoing and puzzlingly kept calling me ‘Mowcat’, I drove home via a ridiculous M42 diversion, played Sam Cooke’s ‘Havin’ A Party’ about 20 times loudly and with extreme base in the car, ate a lump of cheese in the kitchen for some reason and rounded off the day with that bowl of Weetabix…
It’s what I do.
Teams:
Knowle FC: Ollie Wragg, Luke Hennessey, Jim Anderson; Paul Farrell (Capt), Liam Ashmore, Roz Kane; Nick Oakley, Mike Lys, Torryn Connolly, Matt Botley, Tom Craine.
Subs: Callum Mallett, Loz Shannon, Liam Donaghy, Chris Knott, Grant Harrison.
Coventry United: Joe Connor, Pierre Moudime, Ben Vallance; Rob Prinzel, Martin Hutchcox, Kobe Ntim; Chris Cox (Capt), Josh O’Grady, Dan Stokes, Leon Kelly, Gift Mussa.
Subs: Sean Kavanagh, Dan Lucas, Brian Ndlovu, Patrick Suffo (aged 476), Jason Fox.
