MILTON UNITED 5-0 WOKINGHAM & EMMBROOK: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Wokingham Wilt @ Withering Windy Heights…

Milton United 5-0 Wokingham & Emmbrook

The local farmer has agreed for some of his land to be built upon apparently, hence the clearing of a line of trees behind one goal at Milton’s ‘Heights’ ground, which exacerbated the problems caused by a hefty gale blowing straight down the pitch. Incredibly, lowly W&E had won 5-0 last week but this week, despite a fine rearguard performance during the opening half, against the element of wind, holding out until moments before the break, they then failed miserably to grasp any hold on the game in the second period, although a rain element lashed into the Milton faces to make the task even more difficult for the claret & blues. They responded with four more goals and could have scored more, as W&E toiled with little guile in the tough conditions. The shocked home ‘keeper was rarely brought into action after the interval as merely a couple of decent shots skimmed his crossbar. His colleagues sliced through the W&E defence though, as if the gale had opened seams for them, rather like the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive-line rips seams open for running-backs Jamaal Charles and Charcandrick West. Winger Tom Austin and replacement Daniele Piscopo nabbed braces for United, albeit with the aid of one deflection each and I guess the 5-0 result seemed a little harsh on Wokingham & Emmbrook’s first forty minutes. During that time they had allayed Milton’s often pedestrian offense with stout defending, often from Shaun Wanklyn, whose afternoon lit up when he became involved in a couple of shoving incidents with United’s forwards. Well, it WAS the day that Tyson Fury beat Wladimir Klitschko to win a heavyweight title… 

Milton's Austin sways in the wind...

Obviously, the hosts enjoyed the territorial advantage before half-time but early throw-ins came to nought and a sliced drive by Taylor Janes drifted well off target, before a Conor Forster cross blew behind the goal-frame. Visiting ‘keeper Kile Lennon did stretch up to catch a rising Forster drive but United’s patience and unhurried attacking led to little pertinent danger on the billowing W&E net. A right-boot delivery from the left by Janes was miscued completely by Wanklyn but Milton’s Harry Dalton’s slide failed to connect with the ball. Dangerously Wanklyn glanced on a Janes free-kick from the right, which then glanced off the head of Will Day for solid home striker Niall Hodgkins to strike but his connection was weak and Lennon gratefully fell upon the loose ball. Dalton was busy and strong throughout the game and he soon reached a decent Janes cross from the left at the near post, only to head the ball downwards and wide from a good position.

Janes poses for his future waxwork at Madame Tussaud's...

Beech turns into the gale...

As the half wore on, the W&E defence looked competent enough, whereas Milton maybe struck too many too hard passes, which skidded away with the wind and Lennon seemed content enough, until Forster lined up a 25 yard effort, which he was not only forced to dive left for and parry away, but was also called upon to block Hodgkins’ rebound from the right byeline. The ensuing Janes corner dropped onto the top of the W&E net. A strange incident followed almost immediately, for a W&E free-kick was cleared by United for lean, tireless midfielder Josh Beech to latch onto but although he appeared to be fouled in centre-field by Will Day, the referee waved for play to continue and suddenly, the guests looked set to spoil the script. Striker Luke Scope fastened onto Wanklyn’s pass, onside, but with only the advancing goalie Craig Griffiths to beat, he retracted his scope and slipped the ball left to Elliot Rushforth, who had rushed forth in support, only to be ruled offside as he shot past the left upright anyway.

Forster prepares to shoot...

OMG... What a sky...

In another break, Scope made a run at inside-left for the visitors but there was nobody on hand to convert his low pass across the goalmouth and Milton survived again. Dalton looked dangerous at inside-right for the hosts on one occasion but Lennon dived right to turn away the striker’s low shot and from the ensuing corner, Tom Austin’s delivery was headed way over the goal-frame by home skipper Jon Stott. Midfielder Dan Cox-Rodgers had been the go-to guy in the trenches for Milton and as he influenced the play, it was Forster again who tested Lennon from distance, only for the head-high shot to drop past the right stick. Another Janes shot was off target but his next right-wing corner bounced off the back of W&E defender Dan Carter, who was on far post duty and the resulting melee ended with Wanklyn and Dalton shoving each other as the ball was cleared by the guests. The referee played on and things settled down. Most odd indeed…

You can't beat a good scuffle...

Scope again moved well on the left for W&E but his angled effort was stopped by the reactive Griffiths and wouldn’t you just know it, with only moments left in the half, the hosts scored to deflate the guests. It was a patient move by Milton and when the ball finally arrived on the left attacking touchline, Janes’ fine cross was solidly headed downwards to bounce into the left corner of the net by the unchallenged, running Hodgkins. 

1-0: Hodgkins...

The sky darkened, I moved to the cover near the lavatories and the rain looked to add another advantage to W&E but in fact it was Milton who looked threatening, with some decent movement by their forward players and after the marauding Beech failed to lift the ball over the advancing ‘keeper, who then dealt with Janes’ near post centre, the hosts increased their lead. Smart play by Hodgkins, who recognised that Dalton was unable to take possession due to being in an offside position, saw the striker battle for the ball on the left side, eventually passing it across the penalty-box to where Austin lurked and he slipped a left-footer past the advancing Lennon and W&E looked winded…

Austin puts Milton in the driving seat...

2-0...

Stott latched onto a 30 yard free-kick but was unable to get his right-footer on target from beyond the left upright, although a left-booter might just have brought more reward, maybe. Superb play on the left by Dalton led to a delivery straight to the again unchallenged Austin whose first touch sent the ball upwards but his half-volley, as it fell, rose sadly too high. Beech also shot too high from the right side of the penalty-box, following good interplay between Dalton and Forster, before more decent stuff from Dalton led to Austin’s shot being deflected to Lennon. The visitors were certainly moving forwards with intent but with little threat, in truth and a Jake Butler drive soared well over the home crossbar, as finally, someone attempted a shot.

Wanklyn’s next pass was chested into Rushforth’s path by a colleague and his 25 yard effort skimmed the crossbar but it was the hosts who found the net again, as they attacked smartly on the left flank and Janes’ centre again found Austin alone some 10 yards out (where was his marker?) and although Luke Giles partially blocked Austin’s shot, the ball bobbed over the luckless Lennon and it was 3-0.

Austin again...

3-0...

Griffiths sprawled along his byeline beyond his left post, to grab the ball, before Wanklyn was involved in a spat with Hodgkins this time and the W&E defender was replaced soon afterwards, no doubt to grab the best seat at the pub for the Fury fight. He was certainly in the mood… Adam Bruce and Daniele Piscopo appeared for the hosts and Matt Pietrasik was brought on for the tiring guests. Lennon stopped a rising Hodgkins shot, a fine free-kick by W&E’s Jordan Rowland scraped the Milton crossbar, the visitors wasted a corner by delivering it behind the goal-frame and Bruce combined well with Forster, only to shoot straight at Lennon from 18 yards. Austin broke to the right byeline for United but his low pass found no colleagues nearby but when Beech won possession as W&E attacked, he released the speedy Piscopo on the right and his pace was far too much for the labouring visitors and the substitute slotted a calm finish past the outrushing Lennon. 4-0 and W&E heads dropped further…

Into-the-wind offense by the claret & blues...

Fisticuffs 2...

Piscopo (14): 4-0...

Piscopo raced clear again, although his final pass towards Austin was errant but the winger soon made amends, for he, like Austin before him, was criminally left unmarked in the penalty-box, Bruce’s pass freed him and although his first shot was blocked by guest substitute Tom McNelly, his angled rebound effort beat Lennon at the near post and flew off Day’s boot on the goal-line to add goal five for the rampant hosts. 

Bruce attacks...

5-0 to Milton...

Piscopo has added his second goal...

It was remarkable how few chances the visitors created after the interval and how many Milton conjured up, proving that stealth against the elements can be deadly. The non-stop Beech, the sitting Cox-Rodgers and the unpredictable Forster were all instrumental in the United victory and Janes’ deliveries were often accurate, despite the gale. Right-back Ben Taylor was a willing support for Austin but Ian Lovegrove made sure that the defence remained solid after the break. Dalton impressed, as did Hodgkins, who had a good second period. For the visitors, ‘keeper Lennon did well enough but the defence, solid in the first period, was too often as leaky as a punctured beer can after the interval. Carter did well in the opening half and Rushforth worked hard, like others on offense but the finishing was simply not evident. Weird though, that when at Bulmershe College, Reading in 1970, I was in digs for a few weeks near Lowther Road, Wokingham, behind the Rifle Volunteer pub, which I believe is where W&E’s true home is… I never knew that. 

Fair play to all the combatants though, for the effort used in such awful conditions, was to their credit.

Me? Awful M40 journey through torrential rain to Solihull and then out for a meal with my son and one of my daughters at Cafe Saffron in Knowle… Solihull sewers beware…

It’s what I do…

TEAMS:

MILTON UNITED:

Craig Griffiths, Ben Taylor, Taylor Janes, Josh Beech, Ian Lovegrove, Jon Stott (Capt), Tom Austin, Dan Cox-Rodgers, Niall Hodgkins, Harry Dalton, Conor Forster.

SUBS:

Adam Bruce, Daniele Piscopo, Seb Dixon, Jonny James.   

WOKINGHAM & EMMBROOK:

Kile Lennon, Dan Carter, Jordan Rowland, Will Day, Shaun Wanklyn, Luke Giles, Jake Butler, Nick Bateman, Luke Scope, Sam Bateman, Elliot Rushforth.

SUBS:

Tom McNelly, Matt Pietrasik, Dan Bateman, Josh Pearson, Sam Whiting.