DAVENTRY TOWN 0-4 RUGBY TOWN: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Daventry Dumped To the Canvas By Rugby On Boxing Day…

Daventry Town 0-4 Rugby Town

Gifts were handed out on Boxing Day by Thornton’s kindness. Not the confectionery Thornton, but the footballing Kevin Thornton, resplendent in red and black apparel which clashed rather awfully with the orange of his rather wondrous facial hair. The gifts were three assists for colleagues and he, more than anyone, condemned the Vikings to defeat on this Christian festival day. Two corner routines and a very unselfish square pass to David Kolodynski meant a rousing round of applause from the enraptured Rugby fans when the bearded one left the field early, presumably to join a sales queue outside Curry’s with real hope of purchasing an electric shaver. Kolodynski likes scoring when I attend, right from the first time I saw him, when he lobbed Truro’s ‘keeper and equalised in the final minute of a game a few years back, after Rugby had been outplayed on their own patch. He might have netted a hat-trick on this day at Daventry but failed with a header and shot another effort wide.

Ploughing through the long grass...

The Vikings...

Rather a limp effort by Chris Tullin...

David Kolodynski: "I need a pee..."

Jason Lee ties the knot...

Daventry were poor against the wind and poorer with the elements behind them, failing to muster more than one effort at Barnsley lad Sam Andrew’s goal: a header by Rob ‘Son of a Laird’ Prinzel, whom I’d watched at Coventry United last season. Little went right for the hosts, whose wild kicking too often squandered possession and in truth, Mitch Piggon and Nabil Shariff in attack received weak support. In truth, the game was one of few real goal chances, with home ‘keeper Ben Heath only making one tough save but Rugby’s determination, concentration and chance-taking led to Daventry’s sad demise on the day. Thornton though, was really effective.

Rob Prinzel: once in red and green, now in purple...

The Daventry players demonstrate a real ability as Morris Dancers...

The opening exchanges in the wind, not only arising from turkey dinners, Christmas puds and pickled onions, but from the weather too, saw the ball rising like a glider on the Cotswolds at times and both teams struggled to adapt to the conditions. At least Rugby belied their name and didn’t insist on punting the ball just to gain ground with the wind at their backs, for with Thornton finding a niche behind the willing Kolodynski, and Callum Powell being instructed to pull home right-back Curtis J.R. Hartley wide, slowly the visitors grabbed some ascendancy. Shariff, no doubt nicknamed ‘Omar’ after the famous actor, did pull a defender when latching onto a Prinzel pass though, before both Piggon for Daventry, then Rob Parker for Rugby saw shots blocked, as much of the game was like a dozen-man soccer-tennis game over an imaginary half-way line net.

Prinzel was sitting and foraging for possession but was often hurried to volley on clearances from his central defenders Ricky Hill, bearded and frowning, and skipper Jason Lee. Both have famous footballers’ names, oddly: Ricky, once of Luton and Jason, once of ‘pineapple-on-head’ fame. The opening goal stemmed from Kolodynski’s run at inside-right, I believe onto Mattias Curley’s fine pass, after Viking Kieran Fitzgerald’s pass had been intercepted. Although Kolodynski the Unselfish attempted to feed the supporting Powell on the left side of the penalty-box, his pass was blocked back to him, from whence he shot at goal from 16 yards. His effort lacked power but a deflection off Lee left goalie Ben Heath helpless as the ball nestled in the right corner of the net, leaving the Valley fans waving their arms about, like Santa had flown off without leaving them any gifts. 

Head down, Lee rues the deflection...

0-1: Kolodynski...

Thornton’s right-side corner was headed over the home crossbar by off balance visiting skipper Steve Towers, after beating Prinzel’s leap, then Daventry survived a bit of a scramble in their penalty-box but Lee eventually shovelled the ball out towards the defensive right. Chris Tullin, in centre defence for the guests and a mean foil to the towering Tom Ryan, made a fine interception from a swerving Daventry left-side cross then Hill’s left-side throw, a huge one against the wind, was also cleared and I thought: “That throw could prove really advantageous after the interval…” I don’t think Hill used it once, as it happened however, for the hosts rarely managed any sustained pressure on the Rugby goal during that second period. The quick feet of Kurtis Revan on the Rugby right led to a low centre but the surging Powell was just unable to reach the cross in time, through no fault of his own it seemed, although his coaches maybe felt that his anticipation ought to have been sharper. As Thornton began to influence the game even more, his neat right-foot centre from the left swerved over Hill’s jump and dropped onto Kolodynski’s head just a few yards from goal but Heath was relieved as the ball flew straight at his belly. 

J.R. shot by Powell...

A Thornton gift of a cross...

2-goal Kolodynski...

Kolo delivers...

A head forward by Rugby freed Kolodynski again at inside-right, a worry for Daventry, but this time he drove his shot past the right upright. Strong play by Tullin, which actually involved some running (only joking, Chris…) led to a chance for Thornton but after turning well, the midfielder smacked a left-footer some yards past the left stick. All Daventry offered in response was a sliced effort by Shariff, which swung well wide as he fell and I wondered who had shot the Shariff… As the half neared its end, with the visitors only a goal ahead, Rugby deflated their hosts with a cleverly worked corner routine and led 0-2 at the break. The short corner was played between Thornton (who else?) and Kolodynski, thus releasing Thornton for a dribble along the left byeline past Barry Deacon and his pass to the near edge of the 6 yard box, past Lee was despatched into the roof of Heath’s net past a helpless Heath by Ryan, who was completely unmarked. 

Callum waits for his hair to reach his beard...

Goalie Ben Heath takes a moment to practise his discus throwing...
0-2 though.

Daventry must surely have expected to dominate the proceedings after half-time but in all honesty, they didn’t and again Piggon and Shariff seemed isolated in attack as long balls were played too often past midfield, with Prinzel regularly looking like a tennis spectator at Wimbledon, as the ball pinged to and fro past him. Indeed, it was the visitors who threatened on rare occasions and Sam Andrew in the Rugby goal could have stayed in Barnsley, for all the work he was forced to do. 

The Daventry sky...

Kolodynski nearly capitalised as a left-side centre found him off balance at the far post but the ball fizzed from his boot like a cork from a shaken champagne bottle and well wide of the target, with Daventry left-back Jon Bukasa arriving a little late to challenge. Edison Panzo-Antonio replaced the ailing Shariff for Daventry, Piggon could get no power behind a header from distance, following Panzo-Antonio’s flick-on, allowing Andrew to scoop up the loose ball and then although Panzo-Antonio threw himself at Lee’s near post right-flank centre, he was unable to get a touch and Rugby survived. At least Panzo-Antonio was chucking himself into the fray, but the tricky feet of Rugby’s Revan soon made good progress, before the wide-player lost control of the ball, much to his colleagues’ frustration. Finally, a goalkeeper was invited to make a difficult save, when Powell defended well for his team, fed Thornton, whose sweet (get it?) pass along the left touchline was chased by Kolodynski near the byeline. He fed the ball inside for Powell and his resulting hard shot, between Hill and Joe Curtis, was beaten out by Heath, falling left.

Ever felt so alone, Mitch?
Piggon is hurt...

And then Rugby struck a nasty blow to Daventry’s already dwindling hopes. Bukasa was cautioned for a foul on Thornton and after the free-kick was taken too quickly, the second attempt resulted in a right-side corner. Thornton took it, Ryan rose at the near post, arms linked with Lee, and headed downwards into the Vikings’ net, flattening Tullin, who hurt his arm, which needed a rub and a bit of love from someone in the dugout and Daventry’s intentions were snuffed out like the last candle on Christmas night. Thanks go to the warming-up substitute who ran right in front of the camera, just as Ryan’s head connected with the ball, but enough of the incident was captured…

Saving Private Ryan from being mobbed...

0-3 but Tullin is hurt.
No-one cares.

Rugby conceded a corner when an Andrew fly-kick didn’t travel too far against the strengthening wind and from this, Prinzel rose over the top of Tullin to head goalwards, but Andrew caught the effort easily under his crossbar. Piggon had fallen over heavily in the Rugby penalty-box and he was replaced by Adam Creaney for Daventry, as the aforementioned striker was led away, possibly cloaked in a warm wrap: a Piggon in blanket, perhaps… Dan Childs replaced Fitzgerald for the flagging Vikings, Powell saw another shot blocked and trickery by Revan again led to a drive well wide. And then Thornton gift wrapped the fourth goal for Kolodynski, lurking once again at inside-right, once again not picked up by the home defence. Thornton fastened onto a loose Daventry pass and made ground at inside-left, leaving Hartley behind and drawing both central defenders to him but instead of shooting, he squared a pass to Kolodynski, who had time to unwrap his gift as Bukasa backtracked and slot an easy goal past the frustrated Heath.

Steve Towers over Panzo-Antonio...

Thornton has set up the final goal...

Kolo: 0-4...

Jetmir Esso motored onto the field for Rugby and replaced Thornton’s damp beard and, fuelled, ran about a lot. Let’s hope he doesn’t name any future son B.P. Thornton was given a decent ovation by his adoring fans and it was left only for Tullin to be caught late by Panzo-Antonio, who earned a caution, I believe.

Dye the beard white next year, Kevin and you could hand out MORE gifts...

No Christmas lights in the trees, Daventry?

The dugouts late on...

Andrew thwarts Panzo-Antonio...

Rugby looked like the higher placed team in the league but this was obviously a bad day on the pitch for the hosts, who really struggled with the conditions and their creativity, resulting in both strikers rarely getting a sight of goal. The implacable Tullin, head glistening in the floodlights, when they were actually utilised, looked as steady as a Newlyn fisherman at the stern of his boat in a Mount’s Bay gale, Ryan was impressive, scoring twice too and full-backs Curley and Sam Warburton were steady. The hosts failed to get to grips with Thornton however and he fashioned the result.

Andrew: an easy afternoon...

Me? Back to Solihull for my favourite annual dinner: cold turkey, mash and home-made picked onions from Alrewas, near Burton-on-Trent, then Christmas pudding…

The Bodging takes cover...

It’s what I do…  

TEAMS:

DAVENTRY TOWN:

Ben Heath, Curtis Hartley, Jon Bukasa, Ricky Hill, Jason Lee (Capt), Barry Deacon, Kieran Fitzgerald, Rob ‘Laird’s Son’ Prinzel, Nabil Shariff, Mitch Piggon, Joe Curtis.

SUBS:

Dan Childs, Edilson Panzo-Antonio, Adam Creaney, Neil Champelovier. 

RUGBY TOWN:

Sam Andrew, Mattias Curley, Sam Warburton, Chris Tullin, Tom Ryan, Steve Towers (Capt), Callum Powell, Rob Parker, David Kolodynski, Kevin Thornton, Kurtis Revan.

SUBS: 

Ryan Smith, Sam Woods, Mason Rowley, Jetmir Esso, Aaron Opoku.