WELLINGTON FC 1-1 CRADLEY TOWN: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Cradley Pay the Price, As Wellington Boot A Late Equaliser…

Wellington FC 1-1 Cradley Town

Some profligate finishing by Town allowed home striker Josh Hunt to get clear and plunder a late goal, leaving Will Tibbetts, Jovan Blake-Walker and Aaron Lloyd wondering about how they failed to make this encounter safe earlier. True, Hunt and early substitute Glenn Segust were denied by a handful of fine saves by Cradley ‘keeper Shaun Edwards but on the balance of play, Cradley ought to have taken all three points. And from two of the above names, my problem was created… Goalie Edwards and striker Blake-Walker became mixed up in my video commentaries, so that Jovan became Blake-Edwards, famous of course for his ‘Pink Panther’ films, so HUGE apologies to Jovan, who actually scored Cradley’s goal… I had been badgered (get it?) to visit Wellington FC by one of their followers, Oliver Cook and finally, I had driven down from Solihull to find a lovely church, a neat village, random tractors and a fearsome looking bull, in a field I hoped a ball would not be punted into. I was never going to retrieve it… That’s NOT what I do.

The Cradley Hammers appear with the Wellington Dovecotes...

Look at me... I LOVE having my photo taken...
His mate smiles. Sadly.

Will Tibbetts, right, wonders why Chris Charles is singing to himself...

The early skirmishes were just that: messy skirmishes, although Hunt appeared to be tumbled down inside the Cradley penalty-box by visiting left-back Chris Whittaker, yet the referee ignored the incident and his nearby linesman simply stood like a waxwork model, his flag ruffling in the Herefordshire breeze. A later incident involving Hunt and Town defender Matt Aston would also go against the forward, so maybe the officials wanted someone to be a scapegoat for their own shortcomings. The only shot we saw in the opening exchanges was a measured lobbed volley by hard-working Town midfielder Dan Priest, which landed on top of the home net. Home goalie Cris Manciu, who was unhappy for much of the game, often bellowing: “SHUT UP…” at colleagues, was forced to change to a white jersey, for his purplish one clashed too much with Cradley’s dark blue attire but his opposite number’s awful sliced kick almost allowed home forward Zac Sirrel in. A run along the right flank by winger Paul Jones was halted by a fine challenge from Town’s Lewis Clarke, along with Tibbetts, an ex-Bromsgrove Sporting player but Jones was hurt and unable to continue, hence the introduction of Segust.

"Quick, shut up, he's coming..."

The unhappy Wellie goalie prefers not to wear white...

Cider county action...

The game was poor, in truth, with far too many errors being made by both teams and barely any creativity being displayed, despite home skipper Will Perkins’ best intentions and Priest’s gallant efforts, which didn’t surprise me, as the Margaret of Antioch church loomed over the ground… Then, after home midfielder Adam Newbury launched a shot way over the Cradley crossbar, the visitors caused trouble, when a low right-side centre by the ever willing Clarke was hacked away from Tibbetts’ toes by home defender Nick Williams. Creativity then reared its long-awaited head and the guests scored the opening goal. A clearance upfield to Lloyd saw the striker show nifty feet and he, Messi-like, swung a great diagonal pass left for Priest to fasten onto; Blake-Walker supported at inside-left, received a pass from Priest and lashed the ball past Manciu from 15 yards. A good goal that, nothing Pink Panther about it at all…

0-1...

...but Jovan hasn't pleased the crowd of 5...

The Hammers lead...

Hunt then fastened onto a ball knocked forward and although he fought off Aston, the striker’s low shot wasn’t struck cleanly and the outrushing Edwards stopped the ball with his outstretched left boot. Hunt’s second shot was blocked and the move fizzled out, allowing Cradley to attack. A short throw on the right by long-throw expert Chris Charles was crossed by Tibbetts. Manciu lost the ball, Clarke laid a neat pass back for industrious midfielder Joe Lawley but his side-footed effort from 18 yards was just wide of the right post. Following a right-flank throw, Priest’s centre was partially connected with by Clarke but Manciu hacked at the ball as Blake-Walker lurked to convert and Wellington cleared. Out of nothing though, the hosts might have equalised, when Williams received a pass from Perkins, Segust worked a one-two with Hunt and only a fine dive and save by Edwards prevented the replacement’s rising near post shot from entering the net. Hunt peeled away from the ball-watching Cradley defenders from the ensuing corner but his lobbed centre was nodded wide of the right stick by in-form Wellington defender Ben Thomas. 

Tibbetts cleverly attaches a ball to the back of his neck...

Edwards is about to deny Hunt with a boot...

Edwards enjoyed a decent game...

Neat skills by Sirrel inside the Town 18 yard box only led to him tripping over the ball, before Manciu provided a Pink Panther moment, aided by Tibbetts, when the ‘keeper partially handled a high ball at the very left edge of his penalty-area, then attempted to boot the ball when he realised he could be penalised for handling it outside the rectangle but he was harassed from behind by the Cradley winger in true slapstick style, leaving the goalkeeper sprawling and getting Tibbetts booked. Manciu lay like Inspector Clouseau, after being leapt upon by Chinese side-kick Cato… (Watch the films…)  

Defensive duties for Tibbetts...

"And you can stop copying my homework..."

Half-time then, little to report of any real note, bar the fact that the Cradley strikers were chomping at the bit to get going, but hadn’t really been offered the ammunition needed. Lots of effort by Sirrel and Hunt for the hosts, but again, few chances to mention. It simply HAD to improve and by Jove (Jovan?), it did…

God watches as Tibbetts is cautioned...

Lloyd is watched...

Lloyd is attacked by a bull...

A decent effort by Blake-Walker was fired across the face of goal and past the left post following Lloyd’s head-on. Lloyd himself connected with a feed but his shot drifted past the near right upright, a home defender missed a cross from the right by Blake-Walker but Lloyd’s nudged shot was again wide and it seemed that Cradley, famous for making the anchor chains for the ‘Titanic’ were getting an iron chain-like grip upon their hosts. However, Segust drifted back into the game and capitalised upon an error in the Town defence to drill a low and angled drive, which Edwards did really well to get down to and turn aside. The last line of the Cradley defence was doing as well as Withgar, the last of the Saxons who once lived there.

Aston: innocence...

The wily Priest...

Lloyd connected with a right-side centre to fire into the near post side-netting and it really seemed that Manciu’s goal was blessed by Margaret of Antioch, for after fine work by Priest, the dependable Ben Thomas swiped the ball off the feet of Blake-Walker, then when Tibbetts’ trickery appeared to threaten a second Town goal, he attempted a square pass to the unready Blake-Walker, who surely must have assumed that his colleague would shoot. Not the case. Ben Fischer replaced Lewis Phillips for the hosts, after a Perkins free-kick had flown into the belly of Edwards, before Blake-Walker, having dropped off his marker, headed wastefully wide at the left upright, from Tibbetts’ well-flighted right-side corner. Rich Thomas-Robinson replaced the hurt Charles for the visitors, Aston was cautioned for arguing with the referee I reckon, then Blake-Walker’s next low shot was held onto by Manciu.

Perkins' free-kick is about to drop over the crossbar...

Priest was working so hard for Cradley in midfield, with Lawley’s passing often critical and when Priest fed Tibbetts on the right, Clarke’s subsequent header was not far wide of the left stick. After a Tibbetts shot was blocked, neat Lawley play led to Lloyd driving a shot too high, then the very camera-shy (not…) Joe Colley appeared for Cradley, replacing Whittaker. A good move, involving Lawley, Tibbetts, Colley, then Lloyd, whose one-two with Priest ended with the playmaker’s effort missing the target, but it was Wellington who were closer to scoring when a fine pass by Segust, who had been fed by Williams, freed Hunt at inside-right but after veering right past the advancing Edwards, the striker’s shot struck the inside of the near post and flashed across the 6 yard box. The second phase saw Town’s Darren Whitley head Segust’s robust drive over his own crossbar. A Perkins free-kick dropped too late for the hosts, who must have sensed a chance of a point by this time, especially when Tibbetts fastened onto Lloyd’s flick but yet again failed to shoot. 

Two players run so hard, they've each dropped a leg...

And so it came to pass that Wellington put the boot into Cradley’s victory thoughts; a fine and diagonal pass from Ben Thomas freed Hunt through the middle, between Whitley and Thomas-Robinson and this time he scored low past the advancing and totally helpless Edwards. 

GOAL! Note the animated crowd...
Not.

The 'keeper obviously needed a hug...

1-1...

It remained only for Manciu’s goal to be threatened by Tibbetts, who broke onto a long ball but chipped the ball wide of the left post with Manciu beaten and for the tireless Clarke to send another header past the left upright from a right-wing corner, after Hunt had been cautioned. To my astonishment, after a nudging of foreheads with Aston, who had already been booked, the pair had definitely clashed skulls, however lightly. Lucky Mr Aston I reckoned but the official possibly reacted badly to Hunt’s fall, like he’d been pummelled by Cradley-made chains. I then recalled what John Wesley wrote about Cradley people in 1770: “…wild as colts untamed but the bridle was in their mouths.” I liked that.  

Late Wellington defence...

"A bruise? What? Rubbish... You are BOOKED..."
Hunt is astonished...

The scoreline was more acceptable to the hosts than to their guests I am certain but Wellington, a village near the unforgettably named Moreton-on-Lugg, was once owned by Hugh Donkey, according to the Domesday Book and so the team simply had to make an ass of the result…

Fine defensive play by Cradley’s Aston, supported by skipper Darren Whitley and Wellington’s Ben Thomas, backed by Aaron Morgan, some decent midfielding by Priest and Lawley for Cradley and also by Perkins and Newbury for Wellington, plus some dangerous attacking by Blake-Walker for the guests and occasional threats by Hunt for the hosts meant that the game, after the break, was far more watchable.

I drove home, fearing the ‘queuing M42 traffic’ but there was none, so my eggs and chips were still hot on the plate…

It’s what I do…

TEAMS:

WELLINGTON FC:

Cris Manciu, Nick Williams, Luke Winter, Ben Thomas, Aaron Morgan, Lewis Phillips, Will Perkins (Capt), Adam Newbury, Josh Hunt, Zac Sirrel, Paul Jones.

SUBS:

Andy Price, Glenn Segust, Ben Fischer, Will Mohan, Saul Thomas.

CRADLEY TOWN:

Shaun Edwards, Chris Charles, Chris Whittaker, Darren Whitley (Capt), Matt Aston, Lewis Clarke, Will Tibbetts, Jovan Blake-Walker, Aaron Lloyd, Dan Priest, Joe Lawley.

SUBS:

Joe Colley, R’mar Murray, Rich Thomas-Robinson, Mark Jones.