RUGBY TOWN 1-0 BASFORD UNITED: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Resilient Rugby Blunt Basford

Rugby Town 1-0 Basford United

I spoke with Basford’s manager Martin Carruthers pre-game, ex-Villa of course and I reckon I met with his best mood of the day, for his team’s inability to deliver even reasonably decent feeds into the penalty-box, especially during a frustrating second-half, annoyed him so much that his bellowing words could be heard on the opposite touchline. Blair Anderson, the main culprit from corners, looked on in disbelief as colleagues failed to get near his often overhit set-pieces. Rugby’s ‘keeper Sam Andrew, for the second time in a matter of days, was rarely troubled and was only called upon to stop a simple downward header, he slid from goal once and he managed a meagre touch to one Anderson corner. Basford’s shooting was otherwise wayward. I remember going to the cinema earlier this year and when the film’s certificate was displayed on the screen, it read: ‘Mild threat.’ That was Basford, mildly threatening. Home central defenders Chris Tullin and Tom Ryan dealt really well with the danger that Ruben Wiggin-Thomas and Stuart Hendrie customarily pose and full-backs Matt Curley (nice grandparents, by the way…) and Sam Warburton were in fine form too. The game was won by a great penalty-strike from the heavily marked Kevin Thornton but the award looked soft. As a Basford fan quipped: “You can tell it’s Christmas. You can see how he (David Kolodynski, who fell) gets so many goals…” Not my words. 

Flags everywhere during the tossing...

Again a wind was evident and a good deal of quick kicking by both teams meant a frenetic beginning, during which Andrew caught a Billy Bennett corner, Basford custodian Jake Wood snatched the ball from Rugby’s Callum Powell, as the sprinter lurked and after a neat jinking run, Anderson drove a wild shot off target. Thornton and Kolodynski worked a short corner routine on the right for Rugby but the latter slammed the ball high and wastefully across the goal-face. Rugby fashioned the first actual goal chance but Powell was unable to take it; fine dribbling on the right by Kurtis Revan led to a partial block at the near post by Wood, Thornton slid a pass to the far side of the penalty-box but Powell, turning, hurried his rising drive over the crossbar.

Wiggins-Thomas denied again...

Are these young bucks posing for jobs at Hollister, or what?

Andrew caught a tame Hendrie header from Fabian Smith’s centre, then Revan’s footwork saw him dance into the right side of the 18 yard box again and this time, Wood flew to tip away the ball from the winger’s angled delivery. Wood looked relieved soon afterwards when Ryan lost Basford’s Rhys Myers at a free-kick situation, delivered by Thornton but the Rugby man’s inexplicably weak header was easy for the goalie to gather. A fine Ryan pass led to Kolodynski winning a corner, Revan’s neat skills saw Powell unable to capitalise again, before Smith passed the ball back to his ‘keeper. Wood’s control was a little lax and he passed the ball straight to Thornton, who attempted to veer right past the stranded goalie, who managed a touch on the ball, as well as tripping the bearded one. Basford breathed again…

A Basford wag is about to pull Kurtis Revan's shorts down...

Martin Carruthers is so angry that he's set the sky on fire...

A patient Basford attack seemed to last for minutes, with supporters begging a player to shoot and in the end, Kyle Dixon, lively throughout, ended up going backwards and feeding a defender but Rob Parker won the ball, fed Revan but his shot was sliced well wide. Basford’s best chance arrived soon afterwards when Hendrie linked up with his strangely quiet skipper Wiggins-Thomas to free Ash Grayson into the right side of the penalty-area but the midfielder’s low shot drifted wide of the far post, with Dixon straining to reach the ball. A neat Hendrie pass freed Wiggins-Thomas and although his shot bulged the net, he was flagged offside. A fine Curley interception saw space open up before him and with most people expecting a shot, he passed for Kolodynski to run onto, right-flank. Kolodynski hadn’t moved however and the ball rolled over the end-line for a goal-kick.

Socks in boots.
But were the boots new in socks on Christmas morning?
Probably not.

Thornton looks to create...

Pressure by the visitors led to a clever shovelled Hendrie pass over the defence for Wiggins-Thomas, who found his route baulked by the Rugby defence, another Revan cross was cleared by Basford and then Wiggins-Thomas beat Revan on the Basford left, cut inside and drove in a shot but it ballooned high and very wide from 19 yards. And then Rugby scored their precious winning goal. Basford were attacking with mild threat, Rugby counter-attacked and Ryan’s pass broke to Thornton, who fed Powell to his left, received a return pass at 18 yards, slipped the ball right to Kolodynski and Darkin fell into the forward, who collapsed. Thornton’s fine low left-foot penalty curled inside the left upright, despite the fact that Wood had dived full length and the correct way. 

Wiggins-Thomas: nice turn, shame about the shot...

Thornton has converted a penalty...

The winner...

Kevin Redbeard Thornton is hoping for a part in the next series of The Last Kingdom...

Basford upped their game conspicuously to slightly more mild threat and a Wiggins-Thomas shot was deflected, although Dixon was in a good position nearby, then Rugby had difficulty clearing a corner and after Revan had tricked his way forward for Rugby but sliced another shot badly wide, Andrew was mildly threatened by a Basford lob, which his defenders cleared for him, despite an offside flag waving. Andrew then dropped to stop a Darkin header on his goal-line from a left-side Anderson free-kick, following a caution for the rash challenges of Revan. A break by the hosts saw Powell flagged offside, as Kolodynski attempted to free him, then as the half expired, Wood kept his team in the game. Powell broke onto a Warburton pass but Wood narrowed the angle well to block the winger’s low shot, then rose quickly to make a flying recovery stop to deny Thornton’s goal-bound rebound effort. Fine goalkeeping…

Anderson in control of both ball AND hair...

Bennett and Anderson press for Basford...

Revan suitably cautioned...

Corey Grantham would replace Bennett for Basford after the break, as United appeared to go to a back-three, utilising Fab Smith on the left-side, which prompted speedster Powell to be moved onto the right-flank for Rugby after a while, rather than face the natural right-back Robbie McNicholas. Wiggins-Thomas and Hendrie needed more involvement for the guests and Anderson’s mild threat needed to be switched to ‘high’, if Basford were to nick one or all three points. Thornton, although less effective than against Daventry on Saturday, was still the go-to player for the hosts and Powell’s pace was always going to trouble Basford, with Kolodynski’s ‘ghosting’ needing watching too. The second-half would be one of Rugby challenging United to infiltrate their defence, which had been well protected by their foraging skipper Steve Towers and sidekick Parker thus far. Tullin reminded me of a roused Sergeant in the Somme trenches, having lost his helmet, but having also rolled his sleeves up to bully his lads into holding their ground. It worked, too.

I liked this...

Early jinking by Powell on the left for Rugby, led to a cross struck too hard and then a disappointing shot well wide, before Darkin trudged from the field for Basford to be replaced by a number 18, not listed on the team-sheet, but probably the splendidly named Jheryl Pickbourne. Kolodynski and Revan combined to win a corner for Valley and then Tullin showed his mettle for Rugby. A fine long pass by Fab Smith bounced over Warburton’s head and freed Anderson on the right side but after reaching the byeline, the winger’s low centre was brilliantly intercepted and despatched for a corner at his near post by the sliding Tullin. The corner was overhit by Anderson and Mr Carruthers leapt up and down like Popeye raging in a cartoon, after girlfriend Olive Oyl had been kidnapped by Bluto.

Powell having a jink...

Following a foul on Powell, Thornton’s free-kick dropped far too late from 25 yards, before Revan challenged Wood from a cross and then Wiggins-Thomas was cautioned, probably for kicking the ball away, or maybe complaining, following an offside decision. Andrew was alert enough to grab Warburton’s header to him, before Anderson could pounce and Rugby then made two surprising substitutions: Thornton and Revan, the Bearded Creator and the Tricky Initiator, were replaced by Jake Healy and Jetmir Esso, who was fuelled up ready to exhaust McNicholas. Jetmir surely saw his number on the Esso sign… Powell drove a shot at Wood, Curley stretched to make a fine interception at the other end and Hendrie, not greatly involved thus far, drove a cross-shot from left to right but well off target. A Wiggins-Thomas shot was deflected for a corner, taken short this time but Anderson messed that one up too, shoving a weak near post shot wide of the goal-frame. 

Men standing about...

Powell then fell under a Fab Smith challenge inside the penalty-box, the nearby linesman didn’t react, the referee didn’t either, but Fab did: “Excuse me young fellow, didst thou attempt to win a penalty-kick with a flailing but rather unconvincing plunge?” he commented with mild threat. Powell rose but Smith shoved him down again. Fortunately for Fab, this happened OUTSIDE the 18 yard box and he was merely cautioned but Kolodynski wasted the free-kick by lifting it over the goal-frame, like Thornton’s previous effort. Andrew was unable to reach another Anderson corner, which again floated too far, before all the pace was removed from Rugby’s attack when Powell was replaced by another Smith: Ryan. Jack Wood replaced Basford’s Grayson, who had been full of running and had passed the ball with aplomb at times and the visitors took three corners, only one of which caused any problems at all, for Andrew flicked at it and finally the third was missed by all, leaving an offside flag to relieve Rugby and then I saw Tullin, on the 18 yard line, screaming at his troops… And he has such a babyface smile too…  

Fabian sees the colour of his shirt...

Esso ‘braking’ (get it?) saw his road to goal blocked, Grantham was cautioned for diving a second or two after being tackled and the hosts went so close to adding a second goal near the end. Ryan Smith won possession, fed Kolodynski on the right touchline, just inside the United half, who released Healy to run on but his touch and Pickbourne’s challenge saw the ball roll for Ryan Smith again but as McNicholas covered, Wood advanced from goal to gather the ball. It only remained for Dixon to fire wide from 25 yards, for Jake Wood to advance as an extra attacker at the final right-side Basford corner, which Pickbourne planted onto the roof of the net with a header and Tullin’s Troopers had held their trench…

‘Hard work’ by Rugby won out, just as ‘squandering and mild threat’ by Basford had left them pointless, but Ryan was responsible for fine defence for Rugby, Powell was dangerous and Thornton was a likely match-winner, all of which Mr Carruthers knew about. Kolodynski didn’t score though. I munched my eggs and chips at home in shock at that but the fierce contest was eminently watchable, despite the lack of goals and I was intrigued by the fact that at the home of Mr Kipling’s cakes, Rugby should field a player called Warburton. You just couldn’t make that up…

I drove back to Solihull and watched the final episode of ‘Homeland’. It was like being in the trenches with Tullin’s Troops…

It’s what I do…

TEAMS:

RUGBY TOWN:

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

SUBS:

Ryan Smith, Jetmir Esso, Jake Healy, Mason Rowley, Aaron Opoku.

BASFORD UNITED:

Jake Wood, Robbie McNicholas, Billy Bennett, Fabian Smith, Rhys Myers, Rob Darkin, Stuart Hendrie, Ash Grayson, Ruben Wiggins-Thomas (Capt), Kyle Dixon, Blair Anderson.

SUBS:

Jack Duffy, Tom Harrison, Corey Grantham, Jack Wood, Jheryl Pickbourne.