BORROWASH VICTORIA 0-2 HOLBROOK SPORTS: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Brookie Hazeldine Rekindles Borrowash Bonfire, As Damp Vics Fade From Cup…

Borrowash Victoria 0-2 Holbrook Sports

(Derbyshire Senior Cup)

Here they come...

Ash Warner: visible in the gloom...

Huddling Brookies...

Huddling Vics...

Agreed, the conditions did not suit passing. True, the pitch was soft, slippery and uneven. Yes, ‘full-strength’ was not the order of the evening but this game was difficult to watch, with cheap losses of possession, aimless kicking and lots of chasing, mixed in with some rough tackling, which stretched the young referee’s patience to the limit. Yet only two players received cautions and those came late in the game. The Brookies won deservedly, for they at least bothered home ‘keeper Ash Warner a few times and looked lively on occasions, whereas the Vics forwards, not thriving on a dearth of service, failed to cause visiting goalie Dan Graves any real anguish. He saved a low drive from Brandon Gwinnitt and punched out a couple of crosses but in truth, Kyle Hazeldine was the architect of Holbrook’s victory, scoring the first goal and providing the second on a plate for Jermaine Palmer, like a servant at Downton Abbey. Even so, despite substitutions, which relieved two of the three Borrowash forwards, oddly, Borrowash were careless and toothless on offense, constantly squandering possession, although Sports’ attacking moves too often broke down also. What amazed onlookers was the number of inaccurate kicks of the ball, sending it at weird angles, usually nowhere near a colleague, as slices, shanks and skids reminded the few spectators of being present at an under-8s hack and chase game in unpleasant conditions. 

Coulson & Briscoe toss...

November 11th: Borrowash Victoria...

November 11th: Holbrook Sports...

Either the referee has an arm round a lino', or the linesman is playing scissors, stone, or paper...

The surroundings of Borrowash Victoria AFC on a grim, windy, rainy November evening would be a fine venue for a horror movie and I spent several moments wondering whether bats would soon swirl about my head and worrying about bites upon my old codger’s neck. The Holbrook goalkeeper was called Graves… Even the video function on my camera was affected, failing in the poor light to focus in time to catch some of the action, which included a good save by Warner from Palmer and the execution of both Holbrook goals, for which I apologise. I performed as poorly as the action on the pitch, it seems… 

Why Menson-Evans couldn't win aerial ball: look at Coulson (5)...

Kye Hall is given room, just in case his hair thrashes in the wind...

The opening half passed quickly enough. I was glad. Menson-Evans had a close-range effort from a decent centre by Reece Horne, whose attitude belied his mid-teen years, parried, but a flag was waving through the gloom to signal offside. Missing Owen Brown, Matt Martin, Adam Burton and Peter Aliguma in defence, as well as those recently departed, Mitch Robinson partnered Scott Birch in centre-defence for Vics but the latter was soon beaten by visiting striker Vaughn Hallsworth, who turned well at 18 yards, inside-left channel, but then stroked an inaccurate 14 yarder past the right post, as Warner advanced. Hallsworth did manage to feed Palmer for a shot but the big striker’s effort was well beaten away by the diving Warner and in all fairness, it seemed only a matter of time before the visitors netted.

Louis Menson-Evans: a struggle...

"Gosh, Sir, 'twas nothing I did..."

Kye Hall, Louis Menson-Evans and Kirk Francis in the Borrowash attack were so rarely involved in the first-half, despite the fact that the breeze and then the rain were both in their favour. Indeed, their main contribution to the proceedings was to stray offside on a good number of occasions, although to be honest, Brookie skipper Jack Coulson and his fellow defenders were tall and resolute too. Menson-Evans did battle hard when Hall passed the ball across the penalty-box from the right but when the ball was cleared by Sports, Brandon Gwinnitt’s shot from distance rose too high. Too often Vics’ passes, possibly better described as ‘boots forward’ to be honest, were struck too hard but Gwinnitt did manage another 28 yard drive, which bounced and skidded across the grass, forcing a low save from Graves, falling left near his upright. The subsequent corner was typical of the match: it drifted behind the goal-frame. The ‘keeper punched out a free-kick by Vics’ Khaleeq Shafique, his second punch clear of the evening, then Palmer slipped as he shot at the other end and the ball looped over the Borrowash crossbar.

Seb Szondi & Kirk Francis...

The interval was a relief. The worry was that this match-up would go to overtime… Please, no… 

The Bodging was hoping to flatten some of the uneven patches on the pitch...

The interval. When no mistakes were made.

After the break, Warner palmed out an awkward free-kick delivery by the guests, then at the opposite end the quiet Alex Marshall saw a shot blocked by a massed defence but soon the visitors struck, after a long free-kick had been missed by everybody and bounced off the head of Hazeldine to Warner from 3 yards. Hazeldine found himself freed at inside-right and he swept a low shot past Warner and into the bottom left corner of the net. With the hosts stunned, a right-wing Holbrook corner caused havoc in their defence, as wild kicks failed to get the ball away and eventually, Warner did really well to block a close-range effort by Brookie midfielder Ash Hayes, who was combative, let’s say… Any rebound was nullified by a waving flag for offside.

Palmer-power...

0-1: Hazeldine for Holbrook...

Both 17s appeared then: James Buck replaced Vics’ Menson-Evans and Ross Coxon replaced Hallsworth for Sports but all Borrowash could muster was a pair of angled shots from the right. Francis’ effort was easy for Graves to fall upon and Hall’s off-balance shot rolled some 20 yards wide of the left post. Soon, Robinson’s short back-pass from the right-back position was attacked by Coxon and Warner had to be quick to slither and save at the substitute’s feet. The second goal was imminent and again Hazeldine was involved, doing well to fight to the left byeline, before cutting Warner out of the play with a pass to Palmer and he couldn’t miss, scooping the ball home from 7 yards.

Goal 2: Palmer for the Brookies...

The tussling Coxon & Meehan...

Dave Carr replaced Hall for Vics, Holbrook’s Seb Szondi was relieved of duty, Michael Meehan replaced home skipper Danny Briscoe and then Meehan summed up his team’s evening by slashing a hurried shot well wide of the right upright from 20 yards. A couple of late bookings, following the introduction of Holbrook’s number 3 Niall Mather, for Palmer (number 14 Lee Mitchell had played at left-back throughout), made the often feisty game worse: Hayes was cautioned for persistent fouling, then Birch was booked for a really wild tackle. This caused a problem at the very end, for Shafique made a determined run for the hosts and was harassed all the way by Hayes, which caused a minor skirmish, so not only could Shafique feel relieved not to receive a yellow card, Hayes probably breathed a heftier sigh of relief…

Words exchanged...

James attempts to Buck the inaccuracy trend...

Skirmish sorted...

No overtime, so huge thanks to Hazeldine… In a game of errors, Holbrook advanced to the next round of the competition and with two competent full-backs supporting the central defenders, Sports were too solid for Vics on the night. A few decent passes and insights by Horne promised for Borrowash, along with some good play by Gwinnitt but in truth, they performed quite badly on the night and surely could feel no remorse at the defeat. After chatting to Davy Hamson before the game, it was evident that he might be the one to repair the sagging striking plumbing…

Warner: a couple of decent saves...

Me? Long, 54 mile drive home to hot toast.

It’s what I do…

TEAMS:

BORROWASH VICS: 

Ash Warner, Danny Briscoe, Khaleeq Shafique, Mitch Robinson, Scott Birch, Reece Horne, Kirk Francis, Brandon Gwinnitt, Louis Menson-Evans, Kye Hall, Alex Marshall.

SUBS:

Ryan Fuller-Nadin, Michael Meehan, Dave Carr, Steve O’Connell, James Buck.

HOLBROOK SPORTS:

Dan Graves, Roberto Labbate, Lee Mitchell, George Morgan, Jack Coulson, Chris King, Seb Szondi, Ash Hayes, Jermaine Palmer, Vaughn Hallsworth, Kyle Hazeldine.

SUBS:

Jake Dodds, Niall Mather, Stephen Akers, Sam Foster, Ross Coxon.