ELLISTOWN & IBSTOCK 2-3 BORROWASH VICTORIA: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Kye-High Hall Brace Helps Gwinnitt Win It For Borrowash…

Ellistown & Ibstock 2-3 Borrowash Victoria

FOR PARIS...

RESPECT FROM BORROWASH...

...& FROM ELLISTOWN & IBSTOCK...

I guess it simply drives coaches barmy. On the road, their team edges ahead, then makes an error and is pegged back. The players will learn from that, surely? Their team edges ahead again immediately, but then the team errs again and gets pegged back straight away. The players must surely have learned from their mistakes this time? Well, er, no actually. Later in the match, when the team edges ahead again, incredibly, the home team immediately strikes a post. The team didn’t learn. In this game though, Borrowash held onto and ought to have increased their lead, given to them by a pair of classy Kye Hall strikes and a bullet from left-winger Idris Kabongo. Ellistown, game and fleet though their forwards were, failed to trouble Vics’ goalie Ash Warner much and the visitors deserved their victory. The conditions were awful at times, with driving rain and a strong wind down the length of the pitch but to be fair, the surface looked reasonable enough and both teams wanted to pass the ball. Tariq Wilson and Jair Cabral were prominent in the home attack, as was Tatenda Maswanhise on occasions but Borrowash were not only powerfully served by Peter Aliguma and Adam Burton in defence but by the excellent Brandon Gwinnitt in midfield. At times Gwinnitt was like a wild boar on speed in a wood of saplings and some of his tackles on the slippery grass were as spectacular as they were effective. He was unfortunate not to score but his presence was enormous for the guests, who were unrecognisable from Wednesday’s putrid performance in their Derbyshire Senior Cup defeat to Holbrook Sports. 

KYE HALL LOOKS PLEASED TO BE THERE...

WET ALREADY...

Gwinnitt soon took the first of three free-kicks from left of centre and strangely, the second and third were 15 yards closer each time; this one was nodded forward by the leap of the scary Aliguma but his header was gathered by home ‘keeper Steven ‘Inspector’ Morse. Gwinnitt’s second delivery was well headed clear by E&I right-back Jamie Ward, plunging onto the turf. Malcolm Onochie, the home defender did well to prevent Alex Marshall from fastening onto an astute Kirk Francis pass, as the lively visitors attacked again but the first goal, when it came, was messy from the hosts’ point of view. Marshall had clipped a ball forward, Morse raced to the right edge of his penalty-box but a defender baulked him, as Kabongo hovered and the goalie’s kick was too hurried, too short and quickly intercepted. The ball ran kindly from Ryan Fuller-Nadin, I think, into Hall’s path and he turned quickly, spotting Morse way out of goal and the striker’s 28 yard shot drifted accurately into the empty net.

OMG... I SAW JAIR PLAY...
(BRAZIL STAR...)

THE LEEDS LEGEND HATES STANDING IN RAIN, UNNECESSARILY...

SUCH COLOUR ON A GLOOMY DAY...

IDRIS ON THE BALL...

0-1 & A GOAL FOR KYE HALL...

CONGRATULATIONS...

A deserved lead, some happy Vics and then a lack of concentration, as the guests dallied on the left side of defence, possibly involving skipper Scott Birch and tall defender Mitch Robinson, so that, somehow, the ball was fed inside to Wilson, whose neat, shovelled finish, placed just inside the right upright, left ‘keeper Ash Warner standing and wondering what the fug was going on with his protection. 

1-1...

...WILSON...

Immediately though, Borrowash regained the lead and a delivery towards the left side of the penalty-area wasn’t gathered by Marshall but ran on to Kabonga, who controlled the ball smartly and triggered a 17 yard bullet into the bottom left corner of the net, near post, with Morse helpless.

1-2...

...KABONGO (11) HAS SCORED...
GWINNITT TELLS ELLISTOWN IT'S THEIR TURN NOW...

Hanging onto a lead was proving impossible for Vics however and once again they were undone to concede an equaliser. The ball was passed by Carl Timms then moved left by Maswanhise to midfielder Connor O’Grady and his clipped feed was allowed to pass by Wilson, to where the lively, lithe, lurking Cabral waited to beat not only the advancing Warner but also the covering Francis, who fell into a heap with his goalie as the ball was despatched into the bottom right corner of the net.

...CABRAL OBLIGES...

2-2 NOW...

A couple of free-kicks were then interesting to watch, for home left-back Wojciech Saczewski took a long run and smacked a low drive towards the left upright, wind-aided, but Warner fell right to smother and gather the ball. Then Gwinnitt’s third and closest left-side free-kick actually benefited from the wind-against, as his effort dropped alarmingly and clipped the top of the home crossbar, with Morse inspecting it closely. A fine challenge by Onochie to deny Francis ended the half, which in truth, although watchable, had lacked goalmouth action, despite the four goals… 

KABONGO READIES TO BLOCK...

SURRIDGE DOES AN IMPRESSION OF A 1950s PLAYER IN THE CHARLES BUCHAN FOOTBALL ANNUAL...

HALL DISPLAYS NEATLY ROPED HAIR...
TIMMS IS READY AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE...

MUSCLING MARSHALL...

KYE AS CLEOPATRA...

TIMMS DEFENDS FULLER-NADIN...

The rain had taken a breather by the interval but would return later to drench the players again but one of the Borrowash replacements was huddled inside a Dronfield Town jacket (one wonders why…) and although nobody was listed on the E&I team-sheet as number 17, a number 17 appeared on the pitch after the break. Helpful… 

WARDROBE MALFUNCTION?

An early second-half, deep, right-side free-kick by Marshall for Vics was knocked on at the near post by Hall then Morse, reading the code, parried it but a linesman’s flag signalled offside anyway. Marshall, looking much better in possession by this time, also fed Gwinnitt but his disappointing low shot was wayward. Francis and Gwinnitt then combined to set up Marshall for a high 25 yard curling shot, which bent in just too late and whipped wide of the left stick, much to the relief of Morse. When home striker Lee Hillier, quiet thus far, was fouled on the offensive right, Cabral’s free-kick found the head of O’Grady but the connection was barely a glance and the ball bounced well wide of the target. A fine challenge by Burton on Maswanhise, as the speedy forward burst into the penalty-box, brought yells of “Penalty!” by home fans but the officials thought that the defender’s challenge had been legal enough.

ALIGUMA THROWS IN...

JAIR THREATENS...

Then Hall’s deft finishing was demonstrated again; Kabongo made a central thrust, saw his attempted pass towards the right bounce back to him off Saczewski and the winger stretched to fire a decent shot at goal, which was beaten away by the diving Morse but only as far as Hall on the left side of the 18 yard box. The striker steadied himself and with great accuracy, chipped a lovely goal into the far corner of the net. His arms and hair aloft, the forward received the acclaim of his impressed team-mates. Mine too, actually…

HALL'S CHIP HAS WON THE GAME FOR VICS...

So, had Borrowash learned not to afford E&I an instant opportunity to respond? Er, no. Wilson was criminally allowed to drift towards the left side of the penalty-box and his carefully engineered pushed shot with the inside of his right boot from 18 yards looked a goal all the way but he and Warner could only watch as the ball rolled agonisingly onto the right post and was cleared for a corner, which Warner punched away, causing a melee. A shot from 18 yards by home substitute Danny Blythe was deflected and Aliguma’s concentration was necessarily good as he hacked the ball clear from inside his own 6 yard box. So Vics survived a lack of concentration at the third attempt and then went close to scoring themselves, following a decent attack and a cross by Birch. Gwinnitt’s hard, low drive was splendidly turned aside by Morse, diving right. 

ALIGUMA & CABRAL, THE WELL-KNOWN LOGISTICS FIRM...

Aliguma’s disappointing shot rolled to Morse, Robinson was replaced by Dan Martin, Francis was denied by a last-ditch tackle, before Warner had little difficulty in falling to save a low Wilson shot. James Buck replaced Marshall, Dave Carr replaced Kabongo, Burton made a fine block for Vics and Gwinnitt’s next two tackles resembled the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Alex Smith sliding to gain a first-down. With minutes remaining, Warner bellowed to Francis: “Take it into the corner…” but the winger didn’t, made ground on the left instead, onto Carr’s pass, cut inside and unleashed a shot, which Morse did well to turn away to his left. The game ended soon afterwards and Borrowash, by chances alone, were worthy winners, although once or twice after half-time, the hosts had looked promising on offense, as some neat passing nearly freed their runners.    

DARKNESS & THE END...

Aliguma was strong for the guests, Birch busy at left-back, Francis a lurking threat but Hall’s performance was decent, netting a brace. Ryan Fuller-Nadin’s efforts were laudable, but a stonking midfield effort was instrumental to win it: Gwinnitt’s…

Me? Wet. Long drive home to eat Cottage Pie, pleasingly.

Don’t usually do that…

TEAMS:

ELLISTOWN & IBSTOCK:

Steven Morse, Jamie Ward, Wojciech Saczewski, Malcolm Onochie, Sam Surridge, Carl Timms (Capt), Jair Cabral, Connor O’Grady, Lee Hillier, Tariq Wilson, Tatenda Maswanhise.

SUBS:

Joe Neal, Sam Collins, Danny Blythe, Perry McGrath.

BORROWASH VICS:

Ash Warner, Peter Aliguma, Scott Birch (Capt), Mitch Robinson, Adam Burton, Ryan Fuller-Nadin, Kirk Francis, Brandon Gwinnitt, Alex Marshall, Kye Hall, Idris Kabongo.

SUBS: 

James Buck, Dan Martin, Dave Carr.