EARLSWOOD TOWN 0-2 PAGET RANGERS: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Rangers Contain Huffing and Puffing Earls To Hand Title to Coventry United…

Earlswood Town 0-2 Paget Rangers

As the Coventry United contingent breezed into The Pavilions ground to watch and see whether their team would become champions of the MFA Division 2, without actually playing, it became clear that the hosts had found that even naming a team would be rather difficult and Paget would take full advantage during the opening half. The referee was forced to bang on the Town dressing-room door a couple of times, for late arrivals and unprepared players had delayed their appearance on the field. In Cornwall, one could say they emerged “Dreckly…” The 6.10pm kick-off would have been a tough ask for several players but Rangers seemed well represented by the majority of individuals who lost 0-1 at home to Coventry United recently. Substitutions would be made early by Town but although they pressed hard after the break, with Dave Barfield instrumental in midfield, Earlswood rarely caused Rangers goalie and skipper Peter Maguire any real problems, bar a couple of punches from successive left-side crosses. Indeed, Paget seemed content to keep their shape and defend resolutely, with Josh McPherson outstanding and the huffing and puffing Earls were left ruing their failure to blow the Paget house down. Coventry’s officials were thus handed the league title on a plate, courtesy of two unusual pieces of goalkeeping… 

The tossing begins...

The pitch, with its meandering contours and bobbly surface was not conducive to accurate passing and consequently the ball was regularly in the air and sure enough, home defender Tom Weaver soon met a deep offensive free-kick with his head but the effort bounced gently into Maguire’s arms. Visiting striker Terence Carpenter, known as ‘Tez’, like defender Craig Gasiewski is known as ‘Goose’, used intelligent runs to harass the home defence and he was seemingly bundled over in the Town 18 yard box but the referee and male linesperson didn’t think so. The other Paget striker, the smiling and affable Kurt White then received his first blow to the head from behind but importantly, his nod-on was fastened onto by the supporting Cam Knight on the right flank and his centre to the far post was met by the head of the industrious Dean Morris, whose cushioned header would surely be saved. It wasn’t, for in moving across to attempt to save, home ‘keeper Aaron Burkett appeared to lose his footing and stagger, like he’d had a rough night at the pub, or was falling from a tightrope, leaving him sprawling and the ball entered the net untouched.

Dean Morris (4) shows his versatility by using two legs and four arms...

0-1 already...

Could be a low-five...

Kurt White protects his head, in case the flag leaps at him too...

A right-wing Paget corner saw White clashing heads again but with a colleague this time and he looked a little stunned to say the least and the vivacious smile had gone. A free-kick to Paget, as Town struggled to contain the visitors, was clipped from the right corner of the penalty-box by Tom Howard and the impish Carpenter was forced to improvise as the flight of the ball went behind him but his back-heel, over his own head, was impressive, if a little too high. Slightly untidy defending by Paget allowed the basketball-tall home forward Arthur Doherty (I hope that’s right) a chance for a shot from the inside-right channel but the ensuing volley bounced into Maguire’s grasp. Visiting midfielder Billy Fagg, all bustle and very vociferous, got free of a challenge and shaped to shoot but the referee had awarded his team a free-kick already, much to Fagg’s annoyance, yet this set-piece would bring about Rangers’ second goal. 24 yards out, inside-left channel, Morris shot at goal with an effort which should have been routinely saved by a goalie but as Burkett dropped to collect it, he fumbled it awkwardly and there was the lurking Carpenter to poke home a gift of a goal.

0-2 and job done, virtually...

A couple of Paget breaks brought no reward, Barfield replaced Danny Bostock for the Earls, who took the skipper’s armband too and home full-back Keith Draper, always prominent, lashed a shot way too high. Paget squandered a corner, before Doherty fastened onto the ball in the inside-left channel but thumped a shot well wide of the near post. Rangers’ Morris set up Dan Cullen for a shot but he lifted it over the bar, before, finally, Earlswood looked dangerous, through Charlie Wilson and Rory Wood but both were foiled by Maguire, who had run to the edge of his penalty-area and virtually tackled Wood like a 1970s Leeds United defender. With the half close to ending, the hosts won a corner on the left and the trajectory curled into a melee in the 6 yard box and bounced off the shocked Maguire’s shins, like he was a padded ice-hockey goal-tender for the Chicago Blackhawks, but fortunately for him, the dependable McPherson hacked the loose ball clear.  

Half-time arrived, the game had been hectic enough, some passing had been attempted but Earlswood had seemed as disjointed as Paget had been disciplined and it seemed a long way back for the hosts. Adam Wormall was replaced by Brad Hall, the tricky winger for Town at the interval and his dribbling was good to see at times, when allowed to get forward during the second period, with Barfield directing affairs for the Earls.

The tricky Brad Hall...

A weak back-header though, at the start of the second-half by Weaver, freed White for a run at goal at inside-left but he turned inside the penalty-box and the chance was lost, probably because he was awaiting a bang to the head, which didn’t materialise. Doherty looped a header for Maguire to catch from a right-wing cross, Weaver left the field for the hosts and Kieran Fitzgerald appeared in his place, then a strong Fagg run ended with a shot way too high and more words of disgust, which drifted across to the farmhouse yonder, leaving cattle staring in disbelief. Burkett fumbled a centre but was fortunately awarded a free-kick by a generous referee and there was a caution, for White I believe, yet Doherty could so easily have dragged the all-bluster, but no effect Earlswood attack back into the contest, when he escaped at inside-right. Sadly however his weak shot apparently took a minute deflection off a defender for a left-side corner, taken by Craig Nolan. A punch from the flag-kick, under pressure, by Maguire, fell to Doherty, 12 yards out but he miscued so badly that the ball flew as a brilliant pass to the left-wing and back to Nolan again. The second cross was really thumped away by the gloved fist of Maguire and the danger was over.

Fagg up...

The ailing White holding not his head, but, er, his leg, was replaced for Rangers by Michael Gordon but Earlswood looked more lively at this point in truth and both Barfield and Nolan drove shots from 25 yards, Maguire saving the first effort and Nolan’s drive rising too high, following better Town passing. Jacob Barnes replaced Rangers’ Fagg, then I believe that both Morris and the tall, effective Craig Evans were cautioned for the guests and although Maguire appeared to be wrong-footed, he collected a quickly taken free-kick by the industrious Nolan comfortably. It remained only for the Earls’ smart central defender Paul Martin, good throughout the game, to prevent Gordon from shooting accurately, following a break onto Evans’ long pass and finally, Reece Jacobs replaced Rangers’ Evans and as a cool evening replaced an orange sunset, the officials signalled the end and for celebratory handshakes to begin for the men from Coventry.

The ball spends a little more time in the air...

The battered Kurt White is about to be replaced...

The lads act out a Friday night in Broad St, Birmingham,...

This had been a bustling, often inaccurate match but try as they did after the interval, Earlswood failed to look particularly dangerous at any time and Paget’s dogged defending and shape won the day. The Pavilions is a ‘nice’ venue for football and the club is always welcoming, which is gratifying for visitors. The dusk drew in, I returned home to microwave a fish meal and check if I’d caught the sun, before wondering whether Kurt White had reached home without further mishap to his body. 

It’s what he does…   

The Earlswood sunset...

Teams:

Earlswood Town:  Aaron Burkett, Keith Draper, Adam Wormall; Paul Martin, Artur Serzysko, Tom Weaver; Craig Nolan, Charlie Wilson, Arthur Doherty, Rory Wood, Danny Bostock (Capt).

Subs: Richard Learnihan, Dave Barfield, Kieran Fitzgerald, Cordell White, Brad Hall.

Paget Rangers:  Peter Maguire (Capt), Cam Knight, Goose Gasiewski; Dean Morris, Craig Evans, Josh McPherson; Tom Howard, Dan Cullen, Kurt White, Tez Carpenter, Billy Fagg.

Subs: Dave Arrowsmith, Reece Jacobs, Jacob Barnes, Mike Edmead, Michael Gordon.