DARLASTON TOWN 1874 FC 2-0 BLACK COUNTRY RANGERS: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Darlaston Find the Net, As Anonymous Rangers Practise Wastefulness…

Darlaston Town 1874 FC 2-0 Black Country Rangers

The toss...

A strong breeze, a cloudy but sunny afternoon and Darlo managed a victory against Rangers, who really ought to have scored several times themselves. Diversions delayed my arrival at the Darlaston venue, the three guys at the entrance-table welcomed me and even had programmes to sell… Shock. The match was played on the pitch further away from the clubhouse, meaning no dugouts but an opportunity for replacements to sprawl beach-like in the sunny periods. I was finally handed a list of players’ names and numbers for the hosts, although whether these were correct or not, I really cannot confirm, so apologies for any errors in identification. I had no names at all for Black Country Rangers’ squad but I did recognise number 11, Phil McGready (?) and number 10, Mark Habbershaw (?), but perhaps it was better that I didn’t find out the name of their number 7, who missed several scoring opportunities himself and failed to deliver assists on other occasions. His powerful runs during the opening half, against suffering Darlo left-back 17 (Jake Griffiths?) were however quite scintillating. A pair of goals within minutes during the opening period of the second-half settled the issue for the underdogs, netted by Sammy Giles and Lee Blake, wearing 11 and 10 respectively. 

Don't get me wrong: I was really grateful...

Strangely, none of the three goalkeepers on view was particularly bothered by shots on target, for some of the shooting was so wild that the threat to the goal-frames was as absent during the match, as during the warm-up period. Perhaps Rangers looked more threatening with the strength and size of Habbershaw in attack, the pace of McGready on the left, the persistent and often really good prompting of their number 8 and the real danger of 7’s running on the right but three times the winger simply ran at the byeline and the promise fizzled out like a lit firework on a rainy night. Habbershaw and number 19, a lively forward, must have wondered if they were 7’s colleagues at all. One brilliant run at inside-left by 7 won a corner, however. Darlo managed an early corner, which the BCR ‘keeper missed the flight of but the ball bounced off target off a home player but the home goalie, possibly Chris Collins, was fortunate not to be punished with a card, even though this was a ‘friendly’ game, when he handled the ball outside his 18 yard box to deny McGready. I wondered whether the officials wouldn’t award penalties on the day either, so as not to upset anyone… Habbershaw’s 18 yard free-kick cannoned off home defender 4, probably Ben Lawley, whose defending before the break was excellent.

10 and 4: Habbershaw and Lawley...

BCR 7 goes at the home defence again...

Lawley (if he was indeed number 4…) made three outstanding clearances late in the half, with boot and head but still Rangers’ 7 was unable to deliver a decent cross for supporting colleagues. Darlo’s Giles was obviously the ‘crowd-pleaser’ with some astute, almost nonchalant tricks on the ball, along with some decent free-kick deliveries and he was involved in the hosts’ best move of the whole game. It might have been Sam Melia (6?) who exchanged passes with Giles, as Town broke at inside-right and when Giles’ cross flew in, Melia’s stretching toe-end sent the ball goalwards, where the wrong-footed ‘keeper threw out a flailing arm and somehow made a great save. The rebound was lifted off-target as the goalie scrambled to his feet, grabbed an upright and shook it, like he was attempting to move it out of the way of the shot, or retrieve his Frisbee from a tree. 

Darlo fight...

Habbershaw (10) chases...

I was really impressed by home number 15 Callum Folwell (?), whose mature performance at right-back before the interval belied his years. He was moved across after half-time to nullify the threat of Rangers’ 7, which he would do with aplomb too. McGready nodded a cross from 19 into the net but was adjudged offside, as Rangers forced the game still but with Lawley on a mission not to concede for his team, the only other incident of note came from a near post effort by Rangers’ 12, which was a couple of yards wide.

Giles prepares a Town free-kick and BCR's 7 watches...

Picnics on the grass...

The 'keeper probably wishes he was watching Wimbledon on TV...
What the hell are his shinguards doing?

The players stretched out on the grass, some warmed down, others warmed up, the officials left the pitch for a break in their little communal room and substitutions became more numerous when play restarted. BCR’s lively number 15 crossed from the left, as the guests began the second period on the offensive but 7’s downward header lacked any power and new goalie Dan Elwell (?) picked up the ball like it was a bottle of milk left on his doorstep by a milkman. (Do we recall milkmen? Gods, I’m so old…) 7 then bent to lift a near post header over the crossbar from his skipper’s corner but suddenly, the ball broke left for Town and found the slick-footed Giles, who tricked defender 2 at inside-left and clipped a smart 18 yard effort off Rangers’ midfielder 8’s back, up and over the diving custodian and the ball dropped into the right corner of the net. 1-0 and Town were ahead and grinning.

1-0: Giles, second right...

They were soon laughing too as a Rangers free-kick was messed up, the visitors squandered possession and suddenly, replacement Lee Blake was racing through the middle; the goalie began to advance but slipped over like a novice ice-skater and one could see the awe and amusement on Blake’s face as he shot past the recovering and unfortunate ‘keeper. Blake was laughing so much, he probably nearly messed up himself…

2-0: Blake, left...

Speedy Darlo substitute 12 (Damian Fathers?) shot wide of the near post, following a left-side throw, Rangers’ 7 saw a shot deflected but from then on he sadly sliced several attempts, three from inside-left across the face of goal but the final one actually conceded a throw to Darlaston. Even Habbershaw lifted a wild one too high, then McGready was off target with a header and then he smashed wastefully across the face of goal from an angle, after some really hard foraging by Habbershaw inside the penalty-box, when just nobody could dispossess him. Giles’ clever cross from the left went to waste as no team-mate was supporting, BCR’s 19 got back brilliantly to deny Fathers’ fine run goalwards and Habbershaw decided not to shoot from a promising free-kick position, so that substitute 14 was flagged offside at the far post. 

Physical stuff...

Rangers’ 5 had a shot saved, Darlo’s 2 headed badly wide after a corner had been nodded back into the middle and just when it seemed that BCR’s 7 had got a shot on target, he, er, struck his effort against colleague 17. His frustration was alleviated though by what happened when a fine cross from the Darlo left by Giles dropped to Blake, unmarked, far side of the 18 yard box; the sun was in Blake’s eyes, he back-pedalled, he began to tumble, he overbalanced, he dropped like someone had nicked his chair from behind him on the beach at Blackpool, or he’d just hit fresh air outside a night-club after a heavy drinking session. He ended up on his butt as his header bounced gently and many yards wide. I enjoyed that. I hope he laughed again too…

Darlo player-manager Mr Swann appeared in defence to help stem BCR’s embarrassed late rush but Town survived anyway and the Rangers contingent in the audience had their own ideas who was to blame for not winning… 

I thought Giles, Lawley and Folwell really affected the game for the hosts and Fathers’ pace was a godsend on the break late on, as BCR pushed forward. For the guests, obviously 7 and Habbershaw were effective, 19 was busy throughout but 8 was always involved and anchored the midfield area. I spoke a few words with a beaming Mr Swann and was even invited for a cuppa after the game by the home officials, which I graciously declined, for the Saturday eggs and chips awaited off junction 4 of the M42…

It’s what I do…