ST ANDREWS 1-0 BORROWASH VICTORIA: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Earls Rewards Saints, As Vics Toil In the September Sunlight…

St Andrews 1-0 Borrowash Victoria

Vics foraged at Canal Street to the sound of church bells but failed miserably to cause home goalkeeper Shane Antcliffe any real stress, with strikers Alex Marshall and Kye Hall unable to find the wherewithal to look remotely like scoring. Wingers Adam Birch and Kirk Francis, who missed Vics’ best and a very clear opportunity, did offer a spattering of moments of attacking threat but the Drews’ defence was all-action and protected Antcliffe well. Paul Pallett and the brilliantly named Justin Peace were powerful and full-backs Ryan Hopkinson and goalscorer Callum Earls were fine supporting defenders. Despite some creativity from Ryan Fuller-Nadin, Vics were reliant mostly on long balls forward, usually by their fine central defensive pairing of skipper Jordan Simpson and side-kick Ash Lynch. The hosts were presented with more scoring opportunities than their guests but they were mostly off-target, although the goal-frame was struck and Birch hacked another effort from his goal-line. Vics’ goalie Wayne Smith did manage a couple of decent saves but despite the aerial abilities of Simpson and Lynch, Borrowash were often susceptible to high crosses. The game remained tense and close right until the end but in truth, Saints ought to have been two or three goals to the good by that time. The silence from nearby Leicester City’s stadium suggested that Arsenal were winning there and the bellringers continued to sound out a St Andrews’ victory. 

THE VICS' 'KEEPER WANTED TO CHUCK A COIN.
HE WASN'T ALLOWED...

It took me longer to reach Canal Street from the end of the M69 than it had taken for me to reach the end of the M69 from Solihull, due to the Leicester City v Arsenal snarls of traffic but when I arrived there, it seemed that St Andrews were expecting BArrowash Victoria, according to the match programme, which was probably written with Barrow Town in mind. I believe that the St Andrews club was born on the site of the demolished ‘Rifle Butt’ pub’, so I’m sad that the team is nicknamed either the Drews or the Saints, not The Butts… I’ll call them The Butts for this report. It’s what I do…

OOPS...

Home manager Andy Purple (it would have been brilliant if one of his ancestors had been called Violet…) was anxious and tetchy from the start, mostly concerning the referee, who took some real stick, despite the bells from the local church reminding us about profanity… An early free-kick by Vics, from Simpson, was flicked on by Marshall’s head but Hall was unable to get onto it, then soon, home striker Andy Fell fell, having hurt himself in the act of shooting straight at Vics’ Wayne Smith. The forward would be replaced during the opening period. A shot by Eric Shipley flew off target for the hosts but a fine run to the right byeline at the opposite end by Kye Hall, despite being fouled, came to nought and so the official brought play back for a Borrowash free-kick. Ash Foster’s set-piece was easily cleared by The Butts, however. Shay Brennan, a famous footballing name from the 1960s for Manchester United and Ireland, was warned for arguing with the referee but in truth, Borrowash had looked the more offensive in the opening stages, yet after Hall attempted to free Marshall, following a botched Butts free-kick, the move, typically, fizzled out and the hosts began to get on top. Hall struggled with a run by home right-back Hopkinson but the defender’s shot was too high, then The Butts kicked butt…

THE BUTTS BUTT OUT...

A SPECTATOR LOOKS EXHAUSTED BY THE GAME, THE WEATHER, OR PERHAPS THE CHURCH BELLS...

First, a free-kick on the right by Earls caused mayhem in the Vics’ penalty-box and the ball fell for Brennan to lash a close range effort onto the crossbar, but effective Butts midfielder Elliott Puttnam’s rebound try was smothered away by the guests. Then a foul from a more likely shooting position by Vics’ left-back Adrian Preston, offered Earls a chance to score and he took it. Smith lined up a defensive wall, Earls’ shot went over the barrier and bounced as the ‘keeper moved then dived left but the ball popped up over his flailing body to enter the right side of the net. Neither Smith, nor his coaches would be happy with that concession.

1-0: EARLS...

...RELIEF AND CELEBRATION...

Francis was caught offside, as the visitors attempted a response but Puttnam drove a low 24 yarder for The Butts, only for Lynch’s slight deflection to take the ball wide, which led to an Earls corner. From the third phase of this attack, Earls drove a shot high over the Vics’ goal-frame. After an Earls error, Birch was unable to create an opening for the guests, then Fell was replaced by Luay Bashir for the hosts and Borrowash squandered a great chance to equalise. Fuller-Nadin, so often pulling the midfield strings for the visitors, clipped a cute pass behind Hopkinson and Francis was in, one-on-one with home goalie Shane Antcliffe but the winger opened out his torso at inside-left, just 10 yards from goal and lifted his right-boot shot too high.

HOW TO CONTROL A BALL WHILST RIVER-DANCING...

Foster was the recipient of more Birch approach work but his low shot was weak from distance then he drove a 30 yard free-kick on the bounce, straight at Antcliffe. The award of the free-kick was argued about by The Butts coaches but it did seem that central defender Pallett had driven a truck onto Marshall’s back. Hall lofted a punt for Francis to chase but he only slid into the wire fencing beneath the byeline barrier, before The Butts reasserted themselves and Lynch did really well to block the ball at his near post from home skipper Danny Henfrey’s low right-side centre. Smith’s poor punch from Earls’ subsequent corner led to another Earls cross and a low drive at the left upright by Bashir, which was hacked away from the goal-line by Birch. The half ended with a superb challenge by Pallett on Francis, at the left byeline and the Vics’ winger was reacquainted with the fencing below the barrier. Maybe he sought an escape…   

FRANCIS HEADS FOR THE BYELINE...

...AND SLIDES INTO THE FENCING...

The second period opened with an attack on the Vics’ left, through Francis, whose low delivery towards the near post saw Hall slide in but be denied by the lunging Pallett and then Marshall, twice attempted shots the first of which was blocked and the second rolled tamely into the side-netting from a couple of yards out. The Butts respond with a couple of shots, which were blocked by Foster and Fuller-Nadin in turn, then Bashir fed Kitching for a shot, which struck Simpson in front of Smith to concede a left-wing corner. Earls’ flag-kick was headed over the crossbar by Peace, with an expression of war. Foster shot wastefully off target for the visitors then the ball was controlled by a Butt arm, if you will, and the official patted his own chest, then the ball bounced up to strike Hall’s arm and a free-kick was awarded against him, incidents which only highlighted the inconsistency of refereeing and also the hand-ball rules…

OUT FOR THE SECOND PERIOD, THE VICS LOOK HAPPY ENOUGH...

...EXCEPT KYE, WHO GIVES THE EYE:
A MEAN HOMBRE...

LYNCH-PIN OF THE BORROWASH DEFENCE...

Borrowash were awarded two free-kicks from around 28 yards, both of which were on Francis and both of which saw home defenders cautioned. Fuller-Nadin’s break and then feed to Francis led to a scything foul by Pallett but Foster’s set-piece shot flew too high and after Troy Carty had replaced Vics’ Birch, surprisingly, Foster’s second free-kick was blocked, after Peace had shovelled Francis down. As The Butts moved onto offense, Smith could get nowhere near an Earls corner, then his fly-kick smacked into Bashir’s back but to safety. Brennan and Henfrey were then replaced by Jake Wain (“Hay, Wain!” I wanted to call…) and Lewis Turland but Wain missed an instant opportunity to settle the affair. Earls’ left-flank corner was headed back across goal by the towering leap of Peace but from just 3 yards, the unmarked Wain could only nod the ball over the crossbar.

WHAT LYNCH DOES...

THE MOSTLY REDUNDANT SHANE ANTCLIFFE...

A fine centre from The Butts’ left by the ever more influential Puttnam caused Smith to tip the ball away from the top corner of his goal as he scampered left and he was lucky that Turland’s rebound effort struck him too. Kitching’s drive was deflected, sending Smith scuttling towards his right upright to prevent a corner and it seemed only a matter of time before the hosts increased their slender lead. Marshall, possibly hurt, was replaced by Louis Menson-Evans, Turland beat Preston to glance Wain’s left-side centre well wide and Joe Brockley replaced Vics’ Lynch, who had played so strongly, but might have been struggling for fitness too. The most amusing incident, which must have served to illustrate to Gary Hamson that his Vics would leave Aylestone empty-handed, came when Francis battled into the left side of the penalty-box, was left grounded and Foster’s low drive struck the lying winger’s head. He would need treatment…

OVERCROWDED DWELLINGS IN LEICESTERSHIRE...

Smith did well to get down and save from Turland’s low shot, after Foster appeared to be fouled in midfield but his loss of temper in the aftermath was only exacerbated by the fact that his intended kick at an opponent, like Borrowash’s shooting, missed. He ought to have been cautioned though. Pallett fed the ball right to Hopkinson, who drove a late shot too high, before The Butts got away on the right again and Smith blocked with his legs again from Turland again, who then crossed from that flank and Puttnam controlled the ball well before shooting from 19 yards through a crowd, only for Smith to fall left and save. It only remained for the surprisingly ineffective Hall to chest the ball, spin and volley smartly into Antcliffe’s midriff from 25 yards and the official whistled to accompany the bells. 

HALL, 10, VOLLEYED ONE LATE SHOT AT ANTCLIFFE...

Simpson and Lynch had defended so well for Vics and yet their colleagues had failed to deal with St Andrews’ crosses (St Andrews’ crosses???) with any competence, despite their hosts’ inability to punish the errors. Perhaps the guests needed more from their full-backs, Preston and Glen Fidler, who found supporting Francis and Birch nigh on impossible for much of the game and in all fairness, Hall and Marshall fed on morsels throughout. Kitching held midfield together for The Butts but Puttnam was often dangerous and Bashir was a willing replacement forward. 

And that was that. A deserved win for The Butts, who celebrated well. As butts do… And at the other St Andrews, Rotherham had beaten Birmingham; I was so not sad.

The journey home wasn’t a problem and I wondered about Andy Purple and my car’s registration plate, which reads HZY, hence Purple Hzy… I hear guitars, not bells now…    

TEAMS:

ST ANDREWS:

Shane Antcliffe, Ryan Hodkinson, Callum Earls, Justin Peace, Paul Pallett, Eric Shipley, Elliott Puttnam, Danny Henfrey (Capt), Andy Fell, Danny Kitching, Shay Brennan.

SUBS:

Jake Wain, James Orton, Luay Bashir, Lewis Turland, Chris Goodman.

BORROWASH VICTORIA:

Wayne Smith, Glen Fidler, Adrian Preston, Jordan Simpson (Capt), Ash Lynch, Ryan Fuller-Nadin, Adam Birch, Ash Foster, Alex Marshall, Kye Hall, Kirk Francis.

SUBS:

Joe Brockley, Louis Menson-Evans, Troy Carty, Carl Spencer.