WORCESTER RAIDERS 2-1 PENNCROFT: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Regular Season Raiders Touch Down On Penncroft…

Worcester Raiders 2-1 Penncroft

Raiders shocked their guests with a goal from their first attack, before both teams missed opportunities, leading to a deserved Penncroft equaliser near half-time and the visitors threatened early in the second period too, only for home skipper Ant Smith, all frowns and green boots, to shoot the winning goal against the flow. The hosts then squandered a number of chances to confirm their victory, mostly on the break, even striking the goal-frame twice but Penncroft too were profligate, especially defender Ryan Walsh, who wasted two shots but it was he who had deflected Smith’s winning strike past his own ‘keeper, strangely. The game certainly livened up in the closing stages and in truth, the scoreline could have been very different. Smith and the really busy Ricki Halion were strong in the home midfield, left-back Lewis Platt was heavily involved but the sterling centre-back Elliot Dale was like a quarterback directing play for the Seattle Seahawks. (A mention to please home manager Kev Jenkins, whose tattoo revealed his Seahawks passion…) Penncroft were served well by striker Michael Hancox, right-back Michael Kerly, surely possessing the frame of a Baltimore Ravens full-back and central defender, Benjamin Djoumessi (unrelated to the other Messi) whose physique would surely see him at linebacker for the Denver Broncos.

The skippers toss...

On a sunny evening, the game kicked off late, resulting in a short interval and although an early run by the often open Marcel Nghomsi for the guests came to naught, a free-kick by Penncroft’s skipper Aaron Chandler from the right, was headed over his own square-edged crossbar by Jack Davies, who was soon replaced by substitute Ash Mills. The opening goal stemmed from Smith’s influence and Platt’s left-side centre, right onto the head of the scandalously unmarked Toby Attwood at the far stick, whose downward header was helped into the net by the diving Kyle Griffiths. Soon after this, a low drive by home striker Jack Martin, whose fortune was not the best on the night, was awkwardly shovelled aside by Griffiths, although lively Penncroft midfielder Josh Cook went closer, following some pressure, when his fine rising effort was spectacularly tipped over the horizontal block by home goalie Shaun Morris.

1-0 to the Raiders...

Brad Taylor then fed Martin, whose off balance 20 yard shot bounced wide of the right post, although Griffiths scrambled left just in case. After Nghomsi surrendered possession, Smith, looking creative, fed Attwood but his shot was deflected over the crossbar by Jaice Lloyd, who soon squared up to the frustrated Martin, who had instigated the unpleasantness. Davies left the field then and Raiders missed a great opportunity to settle their nerves, when Smith fed the ball from the left, Attwood fatally allowed the ball to roll across his body, leaned back and lifted his effort over the bar. Smith shot straight at Griffiths then Taylor and Smith combined but the increasingly irritated Martin shot wide again. 

The butt of Hancox...

The ref seems pleased to receive 15 out of 10 for his performance...

The game had looked like it was drifting away from Penncroft but suddenly their powerful striker Josh Carvel used his strength like a Minnesota Viking offensive-tackle to hold off a defender on the left, before swinging a great cross onto Hancox’s head at the far upright, but the ball dropped onto the roof of the net. The guests would soon score, however and this came as a result of a period of possession. A Kerly curly cross from the right was headed away by Worcester, the neat-footed Joe Hill retrieved the ball and fed it back to the completely unmarked Chandler, whose fine centre saw Hancox anticipate, home midfielder Dain Traylor hesitate and the forward left-booted the ball past the challenging Morris from 4 yards. 

Attwood on the ball...

1-1: Hancox...

Smith took a 23 yard free-kick for the Raiders, inside-left channel, inside the hatch-marks but he lifted his shot too high, which brought a few mumbled words from the skipper like, “Dash it, that wasn’t very good…” Carvel thumped a volley too high for Penncroft and a long Halion free-kick was shoved past his own post by the tall, shaven-headed visiting defender Walsh, which he would repeat twice more at that end during the second-half. The short break reached, the players were no doubt pleased not to have to climb the steps to their changing-rooms and the referee huddled with his line-judges to discuss the sharp edges on the posts and crossbar. Maybe.        

Smith prepares to shoot too high...

Interval 1...

Interval 2...

Penncroft began the second period on offense and put home ‘keeper Morris under some real pressure, with central defender Dale having to be rather alert, alongside Jamie Heason. First, Carvel managed a low shot from 8 yards, following a chaotic spell in the scrimmage and Morris got down well at this left upright and a defender conceded a corner, which was taken by Chandler, only the ball was missed at the near post, flummoxing Morris, who hacked it off the goal-line. A foul by Nghomsi relieved the pressure for the hosts but another Chandler centre ended with a chance from an angle on the left of goal for Walsh but his low strike rolled past the far upright. Straight from that short period of survived pressure, wouldn’t you just know it, the hosts broke forward, Smith latched onto the ball and struck a 27 yards shot from the inside-right channel, which appeared to take a small but significant touch off the luckless Walsh’s hip, possibly and although Griffiths dived left, he was unable to prevent the ball from nestling inside that upright.

Smith of the green boots has scored the winner: 2-1...

Sunset 1...

Walsh was again in action, nodding a Platt centre away for a corner, before a few moments of action included two cautions and a substitution. Halton fouled Cook, who kicked out at the effective Raider, so both were booked, as the young, promising Hill was replaced for Penncroft by Ryan Fennelly. Traylor, looking hot and bothered, was replaced by Worcester substitute Steve Jeffries, before Penncroft again threatened, Morris clearing a low cross from Chandler with his feet. From the second phase of play, a fine Fennelly centre from the right fell perfectly for who else but Walsh at the left stick but he lifted the ball over the frame of the goal from just 2 yards. The hard-working Lloyd was hurt and soon replaced by Patrick Manaseh for the visitors, Carvel headed Nghomsi’s centre to Morris and after Joey Haines had replaced the rather quiet Attwood for the hosts, Raiders so nearly made the game safe. Smith was unsurprisingly involved again, as was Haines, who fed Jeffries and although the replacement didn’t strike the ball well, the shot rolled and bobbled against the left upright, with Haines slicing the spinning ball into Griffiths’ arms.

Dale the Thoughtful...

Squandering possession in midfield to Haines, Penncroft’s crossbar was left shaking, if square-edged, as the substitute’s superb 28 yard drive cannoned onto the goal-frame. A hurried Griffiths kick was sliced backwards and aerially by Chandlers right boot but Martin’s header was easily plucked by the goalkeeper to spare his and his skipper’s blushes. Penncroft’s next effort rolled wide then Smith set Martin running on the right, only to be beaten to the ball by Griffiths, who hacked it out for a throw. Smith’s next shot struck Djoumessi and flew for an unproductive left-side corner but after another rush forward by the guests, Worcester broke clear on their left, with Martin in possession; his skipper was to his right and one defender was attempting to cover but incredibly, not only did Martin ignore Smith and go for goal, he missed his kick too. More Hail Mary attacking by Penncroft, with Kerly in the thick of it, left them short on defence again but this time Smith homed in on goal from the left, only for the committed, retreating Kerly to tackle him, leaving Martin even more frustrated in the middle.

Sunset 2...

The game ended then, breathlessly and in all fairness, the one head which kept calm for Worcester was Dale, with Halion becoming even more effective with some fine challenges in midfield as the game wore on. Penncroft never stopped pushing forward, so that kept the game tense but those late misses by the hosts could have been so costly. No overtime, no Gatorade poured over Raiders’ Coach Jenkins’ head and tattoo but an important victory beneath a beautiful sunset,as dusk began to settle in Claines Lane…

I went home for my tea. Cheese on toast and Weetabix. 

It’s what I do…