ASTON FC 4-3 COVENTRY UNITED: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Unidentifiable Coventry Fall To Aston On A Mission…

Aston FC 4-3 Coventry United

Hardly a 7-goal thriller, this match was played on a hard pitch, bumpy in places, which looked like stretches of sandstone had been unearthed in a mad fracking exercise. I liked Aston’s approach to the game, with uncompromising play, harrying and taking advantage of poor United midfield marking, which freed home skipper Reece Mills and his tall, lean accomplice Calvin Parsons to exploit the room afforded. They took every opportunity to feed bullying forwards Nathan Greaves (is he related to Edwin, the Coventry manager? EVERYBODY is related to SOMEBODY, after all…) and Marcus Malcolm, who didn’t disappoint. Greaves whipped in three goals, partly due to some errant goalkeeping by Cageman Jason Fox but mostly due to some generous defensive marking and being unable to prevent the striker from turning and lashing in shots. Coventry, although comfortably leading 0-2 before the interval, were pegged back by a disputed penalty and then lost their way totally, with only a few rampages by Leon Kelly threatening the home defence late on, in which Leon Ward was not only sound, but also really calm too. A look at Coventry’s team-sheet is interesting, not only for the introduction of youngsters on the day, but also for the complete team which WASN’T available for selection. Check this out: goalie Connor, or Mitchell, or Mohammed; a back four of Moudime, Hutchcox, Ntim and Vallance; a midfield of Maguire, Prinzel, Ndlovu and O’Grady; also forwards Blake and Rickhuss. Even a substitute could be added: Whailing… Fair play to Aston though, for grasping a celebrated late victory over The Cage, which was certainly something to remember and rejoice in.  

United skipper Chris Cox is about to remove his latex rubber mask...

Gods! Is Coventry goalie Joe Connor running the line???
Can't be, cuz Ned Kelly wasn't offside that one time... Joe would've got it right.

Mills’ early left-side free-kick was met by Mr Slim, Parsons, but his header drifted well off target, before Greaves drove a low effort at Fox, who collected well enough. An Aston defender misread a bounce as Dan Stokes flicked the ball on for Coventry but Kelly’s left-flank delivery was hacked for a corner by the alert Ward. The first of two corners by Wendel Moyo for United was tipped hurriedly over his crossbar by the determined home ‘keeper Raghban Ali, who pushed the second flag-kick towards the edge of his penalty-box. Gift Mussa, who was strong before the break but less so after the interval, was fouled in midfield and Chris Cox’s long free-kick was superbly headed down by Moyo to Kelly, who fed the ball back to Dan Lucas and his 18 yard shot skidded past the left post, with Ali slithering across his goal-line, displaying why he was wearing ‘trackies’ on the uncompromising surface. Neat Coventry approach work involving Mussa and Gilbert Kugbe-Dzisam led to a pass right by the latter but Mussa was unable to latch onto it.

Houghton marks Moyo...

Kelly heads on for Stokes...
Nice pose by goalie Raggi Ali...

Stokes was freed towards the right byeline but held onto the ball too long and was crowded out, before Gilbert was fouled 20 yards out, offering Coventry a shooting opportunity. Lucas, not wishing to have his shot videoed, took it quickly, before the referee even sounded his whistle and clipped it beautifully into the upper reaches of the left side of the net, beyond the swooping Ali’s reach. I had been so surprised that I hadn’t reacted as quickly as the midfielder, not getting a chance to press ‘Record’. Maybe a little sympathy and a signal to me next time, Mr Lucas? Thanks for that…

A quiet, barely perceptible celebratory dance by Lucas, after scoring a free-kick but not telling me...

Kelly and Moyo looked lively in the offensive zone for United again, before Mills struck a decent 26 yard shot for Aston but the ball rose too high. A fine one-two between right-back Nathan Ley and Gilbert for The Cagemen, led to a long centre by Ley, Kelly nodded the ball inside but Stokes was denied by defenders’ legs from 12 yards. Gilbert’s right-wing corner was glanced by Jamie Coleman, the ball rebounded to him and he raised a left boot, volleyed a good effort at goal from 7 yards and the ball took a small deflection off Parsons on its way past Ali. 0-2 and really, that should have been that for the Champions. It wasn’t. 

Coleman, third left, has added goal 2 for Coventry...

Aston had rarely made any more inroads into the Coventry defence than exercising the heading abilities of Cox and Coleman from long punts forward but with Mussa unable to take on the responsibility of combatting the home midfield alone, Aston started to push forward, as United probably relaxed a little with that two-goal lead. Cox was adjudged to have tripped an opponent inside the penalty-box, although he was lectured long and hard by the headteacher-like referee afterwards, probably for arguing that if offence HAD taken place, it wasn’t INside the 18 yards box. No point in arguing though and Malcolm stepped forth to strike a fine penalty high into the right side of the net.

Malcolm, foreground, has reduced the arrears...

Out of position Sean Kavanagh, at left-back for The Cage, defended one situation well, leading to a good shot by Gilbert, which rose just too high, before Stokes and Kelly combined, the latter was confronted by Ali and in the tumble which followed, Ali stood up and spotted the ball a yard or two away and picked it up, like he was retrieving his missing tortoise. A fortunate bounce offered Malcolm a shot from 20 yards but he sliced it badly. Then as the half wound down, a couple of headers away by Cox led to a forceful sortie forward by the dynamic skipper; something so lacking in the team’s performance on the day because he was having to cover in defence. He lobbed a pass for Stokes to run onto but again the home defenders crowded him out. The interval arrived, I moved round to the opposite side of the pitch for the second period and was surprised to find that Gilbert had been replaced by Tyler Morgan for the guests.

Ned Kelly wants a part in a disco movie...

Cox gets up so high, the wind-drag rips the jersey from an opponent...

The prone Nathan Ley obviously has fox-shit on his hand and the physio' holds his nose in alarm...

Collision time...

Edwin Greaves shows a fine turn of speed.
The 154 year old Patrick Suffo doesn't...

The referee handles the ball at the second-half kick-off...
Badly done, Sir, badly done...

Remarkably, the hitherto ineffective home winger Ryan Conlon suddenly ran at Ley on the offensive left for the hosts, his low cross was delivered to the near post and although Lucas was challenging Greaves, the striker got there first and slid and poked the ball past Fox into the net. Just like that, the lead had been withered away either side of half-time and in truth, Coventry never really recovered, as Mills powered his team forward, Conlon began to look more threatening and Tyrone Douglas began to play a fine half defensively for the home team.

2-2...

Fox was forced to tip on a fine centre by Conlon, who had again out-run Ley and the only immediate threat to Aston was a run by Ned Kelly at inside-left, which ended with a running physical wrestling match with Lionel Moses and his cross being cleared. Moses was left shattered on the ground, as if he’d just parted the Red Sea and he soon needed treatment. Ali’s wayward kick allowed an instant shot from distance by Moyo, which wasn’t far wide of the right upright, before Kelly’s head down from a free-kick resulted in a scramble but an offside flag was waved anyway. More physical running with defenders by Ned Kelly ended with a poke past the left stick but Coventry were soon undone by a left-wing corner. Fox lost the ball at the near post and Greaves thanked him kindly, before hooking the ball emphatically into the United net. Calamity!

Raggi hoofs...

3-2 now...

An immediate response was needed and Coventry’s rather disgruntled fans got it from Stokes, who had worked hard but with little service and no previous reward for his efforts. He was released, onside, through the middle, by Ley's fine pass and despite the bobbling ball, managed to strike it past the advancing Ali to regain parity for the visitors, in a game they had so commanded before the spot-kick had been awarded.

Stokes has made it 3-3, although his carer is nowhere to be seen...

Another Ned Kelly run, tank-like for a third time, again at inside-left, ended with a hard left-boot shot, which Ali stretched low for, stopped, but almost lost, as he scrabbled in the bare earth near his right post, like a coyote in a dust bowl. Danni Watson replaced Moses for Aston, Hossein Khorammi replaced Moyo for Coventry but to be honest, neither United replacement was able to influence the game at all. Malcolm was unable to get purchase in a shot, Mills curled an effort past the right upright and a Kelly run on the left looked promising but like Coventry’s whole day, the move fizzled out. Then, Ali’s free-kick was hammered forward in the closing moments, Greaves took possession in a crowded penalty-box, back to goal, following a jump by Coleman and Malcolm; he turned far too easily past Khorrami and Cox then simply rapped a left-footer deep into the net. It was so easy that Coventry’s heads dropped in the realisation that this match had been one too many for a stretched, hurt and tired squad. 

Ned Kelly shoots...

Jumping.
It's what footballers do.

4-3 now...

One last free-kick by the visitors ended with a Cox header forward but Ali grabbed the ball quickly, like it was the last cake on a picnic table and Aston had their victory. Coventry had been served by the occasional short passes of Lucas, whose game doesn’t include forays forward but the wholeheartedness of Gift Mussa was lost in the trenches, for support for him had been minimal and Cox must have been champing at the bit to push into his normal position. Moudime and Vallance were badly missed in the full-back positions and O’Grady’s skills and dead-ball deliveries were noticeable by their very absence. Gilbert, who stood and watched the second-half with me, had shown promise again but Moyo too looked an interesting young player. Aston’s Greaves took the plaudits, and rightly so, but well done to Ward in defence, also Louis Houghton, who had asked me to make sure I captured his likeness on camera. I did that, Louis… I enjoy watching ‘keeper Ali, for he epitomises the non-league footballing goalie: all effort and huge noisy punts, leaping about to save and not getting annoyed when beaten. Naturally, Mills was very competent again, supported by the rangy Parsons but Conlon’s threat was only seen after half-time. 

The Clap...

The Leaving...

The players introduce themselves at the end...
(Is that right?)

I returned home for cold chicken, mash and pickled onions, as if it was Boxing Day but I couldn’t help wondering about United’s Jayden Rickhuss and what a great character he is… I told him I’d seen Whitnash v Folly Lane last season and he admitted he’d played ‘centre-mid’ for Folly Lane; they lost 12-1 and I commented that now I knew why… He took the stick well. I appreciated that.

Gilbert looked after me during the second-half, making sure I wasn't shoulder-charged by non-relative Tommie Maguire...

The trophies were flashed about again by the Coventry players but few of those who should have been there, were…         

No Guard of Honour for the Coventry fans, so this is an Image of Honour...