BEDWORTH UNITED 0-2 POOLE TOWN: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Poole Harbour the Wind & Leave Bedworth’s Sails Limp

Bedworth United 0-2 Poole Town

Grandstand...

Grandstand view...

The posh seats...

A strong wind aided Poole’s cause in a first-half which featured few real chances on goal, despite promising play by the guests’ clever midfielder Luke Roberts, their often tricky wingers Luke Burbidge and Jack Dickson, plus the sheer hard work of striker Lee Wort, a real wart on the home defence. A single somewhat scrambled goal by midfielder Marvin Brooks separated the teams at the interval, after which home forward Justin Marsden tried his damnedest to create something in the way of opportunities for Bed’th, as the elements worked against Poole, for whom gargantuan defender Michael Walker ruled the environs of The Oval with a stout display alongside skipper Jamie Whisken. A second goal, smartly created by the aforementioned Roberts and expertly struck home by the deserving Wort left Bedworth, for all their hard work, with nought to show and rewarded the league leaders for their admirable attempts to pass the ball on the artificial but seemingly true surface. 

Russian Cossack dancer Whisken drops in...

Ref: "Are you sure that YOU want to wear YOUR headband around your upper arm?"

An organised looking Poole team fashioned an early chance when Walker rose superbly to meet a right-side delivery with his head but home goalie Denham Hinds flicked the effort over his crossbar and it was evident that both visiting wingers were going to be threats, as Burbidge and Dickson looked to run at home defenders. Wort was a more than useful target-man and his channel runs were unrelenting. Neat work by Burbidge led to Hinds collecting a low 18 yard shot by Roberts and then a pass by Whisken to Wort resulted in another low save by the falling goalkeeper. After a wild challenge by home midfielder Dan Creaney on visiting passer Brooks, the home player was justly shown a yellow card but then a Poole right-flank corner was won in the air by Walker again but his downward header bounced past the right post, although he claimed the final touch was off home skipper Kyle Cartwright, sporting a blue headband to set off his green kit…    

Man dries out his duvet cover...

Creaney gets booked, Brooks gets treatment...

Walker made a fine tackle on Bed’th’s striker Aron Wint on the 18 yard line, before the eager Marsden fed Rowe on the left but his low shot was straight at Poole ‘keeper Nick Hutchings. Good possession by Poole ended with a shot from around 38 yards by defender Will Spetch, which rose not too much over Hinds’ horizontal bar, before Creaney again fouled Brooks, this time escaping a yellow card… The opening goal resulted from a couple of not too confident touches by Hinds in the home goal. He was unable to catch a right-side corner, spilled the ball and then got a hand to Cartwright’s booted clearance, which flew towards Whisken on the left side of the 18 yard box. The Town defender volleyed the ball smartly back into the middle where Gulliver Walker nodded it down, Wort overhead-kicked it and Brooks stretched to volley into the net from a few yards. Clinical? Yep.

A Whisken away from being tackled...

Poole lead 0-1...

...& Brooks has scored...

Hinds was then caught at the edge of his penalty-box as Burbidge challenged him for a long ball forward by Poole and the ball bounced upwards and dropped onto the disorientated ‘keeper’s head. Not funny. I smiled though, because in one of the first games I saw at Villa Park, in 1959-60, against Lincoln, the City ‘keeper suffered the same fate, only the ball fell from a much greater height. I was in bits. The ball fell nicely for Burbidge to shoot at goal, only for competent left-back Craig Kelly to clear the ball off the goal-line. Kelly played well throughout for the hosts and his composure and passing were both generally good on the day.Home defender Jamie Ashmore, hurt, was replaced by Marlon Walters, Hinds saved well at Wort’s feet, following smooth footwork by Roberts, although a linesman’s flag was waving for offside and more good play by Roberts brought the half to an end. 

Bedworth: always up for a spot of soft drinking...

Brooks the goalscorer...

Creative Roberts: it's what he does...

Burbidge threatens again...

Only one goal between the teams meant that Bed’th had it all to play for and if Marsden could link with Wint more regularly and midfielders Andy Westwood and Elliott Parrott could engineer some ammunition, perhaps Poole’s Walker and Whisken could be more severely tested. The wind was still blowing, some rain added to the pleasures of playing in mid-December and United began the second period in the ascendancy. 

Seasonal floodlighting @ Bedworth's Oval...

Walters rose for a left-wing centre but his glancing header nudged off Brooks for a corner and the home fans sensed a change in fortunes but it was never to materialise. A huge NFL-like punt by Poole fell just right for the onside Wort to rush forward at inside-left but as Hinds advanced, the striker rushed a low left-footer past the right stick, when I’m sure many of the Poole players and staff members had expected a little chip over the ‘keeper. A smart piece of play by the speedy Marsden for the Greens, deep, as usual, saw him play a one-two with Wint but his 23 yard drive, wind-aided, rose over the goal-frame. A low shot by Creaney was simply gathered by Hutchings, before really clever play by Roberts again set up Wort for a shot but he had been flagged offside. A fine one-two between Burbidge and Roberts led to a wasteful delivery straight into the arms of Hinds at the near post, as Poole continued to look the more likely scorers. 

Christmas is a-comin' to Bedworth...

Another neat one-two, this time between the foraging Wort and the lively Dickson, saw Hinds race from his goal to snatch the ball off Wort’s boots and it must have seemed to the Poole striker that he would not find the net on the day. Marsden, although appearing to be the most dangerous of the home players, was replaced by Lewis Chester and he volleyed well wide after a pair of fine defensive headers by Poole’s Brooks and Walker had rescued the visitors from a set-piece threat. A Rowe drive was blocked by Poole, after a quick dash by Chester but with Bed’th claiming a push by Burbidge on Rowe in the Poole 18 yard box, the guests spoiled their hosts’ party by breaking clear through busy midfielder Carl Pettefer, whose work ethic was clear throughout. He passed along the right-flank for Roberts to take up possession and he took on Westwood, tricking him twice on a run to the byeline, from whence he pulled the ball back for the supporting Brooks who was unable to shoot due to Walters’ attention but the ball ran on for Wort, who drove a fine low shot into the bottom left corner of the net and the celebrations began.

0-2...

...& goalscorer...

...Wort...

Such great play by Roberts was rewarded with being replaced by Connor Doe (such a dear and SO fortunate his parents didn’t call him John…) before Wort was also withdrawn, to much applause from the dugout and he was replaced by Toby Holmes. Bedworth took off Wint and threw on Nathan McGarritty, as substitutions and stoppages wrecked any real flow. Poole were content to waste time at the edges of the field, Holmes drove low at Hinds, Creaney headed a deep free-kick well over the Town crossbar and Ollie Davis replaced Burbidge for the guests. All that remained were a couple of long throws, parrot-fashion by, er, Parrott and a sliced 25 yarder by Brooks, which sailed behind the Bedworth goal and the proceedings drew to a close. 

Roberts: good skills...

A deserved victory for the visitors but both teams contributed to a decent match in poor conditions. The surface of course allowed for passing to be quite accurate for much of the time but credit goes especially to Walker, Roberts and Wort for the visitors, despite some good moments by United’s Marsden and Kelly. 

The Bodging has found a whistle to blow...

The wind blew on the seat...

Me? Coughton Court for a Wassail Evening.

It’s what I do…  

BEDWORTH UNITED:

Denham Hinds, Jamie Ashmore, Luke Rowe, Andy Westwood, Kyle Cartwright (Capt), Richard Bryan, Daniel Creaney, Elliott Parrott, Justin Marsden, Aron Wint, Craig Kelly.

SUBS:

Marlon Walters, Lewis Chester, Nathan McGarritty, Jordan Archer, Nathan Haines. 

POOLE TOWN:

Nick Hutchings, Lewis Tallack, Will Spetch, Michael Walker, Jamie Whisken (Capt), Carl Pettefer, Luke Burbidge, Luke Roberts, Lee Wort, Marvin Brooks, Jack Dickson.

SUBS:

Alan Connell, Toby Holmes, Ollie Davis, Connor Doe, Tom Rees.

 

Post-game...