CHASETOWN 2-1 DAVENTRY TOWN: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Mugisha Breaks Viking Hearts At the Death…

Chasetown 2-1 Daventry Town

Daventry arrived at Chasetown, following a good old forking of the pitch by local volunteers, with only eleven players, including coach Neil Champelovier. A transfer embargo, the loss of Hartley to Stamford and the unavailability of four others, meant that a huge shift in worsening conditions was expected from those on duty. In fact, ‘keeper Ben Heath didn’t actually have a shot to save, for the sheer belligerence of central defenders Jason Lee and Ricky Hill, with many headers and clearances away, protected him so well. True, James Dance struck a Daventry upright but the guests also went close, home goalie John Bateman beating out a couple of shots, blocking another from Rob Prinzel and tipping a Barry Deacon free-kick over his crossbar, which was also then rattled by a Hill header. Near the finish, with the game tied at 1-1, Edilson Panzo-Antonio somehow headed wide of a Chasetown post from 2 yards, leaving Scholar replacement Stan Mugisha to ram a cruel winner past Heath in the dying moments, as heavier rain lashed down. 

The toss... But Rob Prinzel (right) looks worried...

An early foul by Dan Childs on Chasetown’s George Washbourne meant a delay for treatment to be administered to the ailing home midfielder but the ensuing free-kick shot by Ryan Wynter was blocked, then after a retrieval by Danny Edwards, winger Jon Gould shot wildly off target. A quick rush forward by the visitors, who were employing Mitch Piggon as a spearhead, ended with a decent low 20 yard Deacon drive, which Bateman turned aside, diving right. A smart one-two between Mike Williams and Washbourne, ended with Williams winning a corner, which came to nought and at the other end, after chesting down a long ball forward, Piggon’s snap-shot was well wide. Better passing by Chasetown, led to  Nick Turton and Wynter combining to offer Dance a low shot from 22 yards, which struck the outside of the left stick. The recycling from the attack saw Gould waste another shot at goal. 

Washbourne is hurt and Prinzel, still right, still looks worried...

Warning for Childs...

Much of Chasetown’s better attacking stemmed from the flanks, which was good to see but when creator Simon Brown and Gould combined to send Edwards to the left byeline, Wynter could only lift the full-back’s centre over the target. Gould’s next rush set up the opening goal however and it was Turton who benefited, opening up his body to strike the low delivery into the far corner of the net, stylishly.

Henry Eze sings to his fans...

Edwards covers Creaney...

1-0 & a goal for Turton...

Gould is also congratulated...

A low Turton cross from the right flashed untouched across the Daventry goalmouth, skipper Chris Slater then fed Edwards and he passed to Gould again, before the winger’s low centre was cleared by the guests to Dance, whose shot this time drifted well wide of the left upright. Oddly, this proved to be when Daventry began to find a foothold in the game and Deacon fed Champelovier for a shot, which was blocked by Slater. The first of two nutmegs by Panzo-Antonio, on Williams this time (he did the same to Dance later in the game) was followed by a booking for Daventry’s Joe Curtis but then a 25 yard free-kick opportunity for his team materialised. Deacon took it and Bateman was forced to tip it over the cross-beam but although the ensuing corner was easily dealt with by the Scholars, a fine cross-field pass by Prinzel to Panzo-Antonio on the left, ended, as had happened a few times before, with a successful tackle by Williams.

Goalie Batemen dresses Panzo-Antonio's hair...

Good jump by Edwards (3)...

Panzo-Antonio’s snap-shot flew wide of Bateman’s left post from 23 yards, a neat move by Chasetown fizzled out and Slater was cautioned for a foul on Piggon. Brown’s foul on Champelovier was worse but he received a mere warning and from the free-kick, Hill’s aerial presence caused trouble and Bateman fell at his own left post to block Prinzel’s shot. Soon, another shot by Daventry was deflected for a left-side corner, from which Hill looped a header onto the crossbar. 

The interval was reached, fans changed ends and the rain worsened, although one could only see a victory in sight for the Scholars, for Daventry would surely tire and the hosts could call on three replacements. Although Chasetown dominated the opening stages of the second-half, little in the way of goal chances were created and Daventry appeared to realise that if crosses flew in, high or low, their defenders, also Adam Creaney and Panzo-Antonio, might just continue hacking them away and the team might just stay in the game. And so they did…

Second-half net view...

A punt by Edwards allowed Wynter to turn but send a badly sliced shot from 20 yards towards the corner-flag, then another fine Williams cross was nodded back to Washbourne, whose outside of left-foot effort curled round the right upright from 19 yards. Champelovier, who had played a pivotal role for Daventry, with some sensible distribution at times, was booked for a tired foul but it was Deacon who caused some danger with a run towards the edge of the penalty-box, whereupon he was adjudged to have been fouled. Curtis drove a low free-kick at goal and again Bateman was forced to beat the ball away. Soon though, following an innocuous throw-in, a poor back-pass allowed Piggon to shoot easily past Bateman and equalise, which was such a shock that I pressed ‘Record’ too late and my camera only captured the ball entering the net… 

1-1: goal gift for Piggon...

The substitutions happened quickly for the hosts, because they could do so, and Mugisha replaced Washbourne, then after Henry Eze slipped but Piggon failed to release Panzo-Antonio, Richard Davies replaced Brown and finally, after Childs was deservedly cautioned for the visitors and Lee had headed Davies’ free-kick bravely away from goal, Francino Francis replaced Gould, the busy Chasetown left-sider. Francis was a stalwart defender at Barwell a few years ago and it was strange that I saw two of his ex-team-mates running Redditch’s team last week, Nick Green and Liam McDonald. I spoke to Francino before the game and it was good to see him in action again. Turton’s left-wing cross was struck by Mugisha but blocked well by Panzo-Antonio and then Mugisha’s pace caused more trouble as he reached the left byeline but he powered his delivery across the goalmouth.

The rain pours...

Prinzel was penalised for a good tackle as the minutes ticked away, the rain poured down and the atmosphere became edgy but the end to this game would be remarkable. Daventry broke away through Panzo-Antonio, Creaney and then Deacon on the left flank and when Deacon’s cross fell onto Panzo-Antonio’s head just 2 yards out, surely it would be a last-gasp, plundered Viking victory… But it was not to be, for somehow the ball bounced off the forward and rolled wide… Typically, the muddied Eze, a real competitor in the home defence, pushed a pass towards the centrally lurking Mugisha, who ran a few yards and drove the ball low between two defenders, Lee and Childs, and the ball flew into the bottom left corner of the net from 19 yards.

Miss by Panzo-Antonio...

Goal! 2-1...

Mugisha is there somewhere...

There he is!

Daventry will surely take some credit and pride from a punishing performance, during which they protected ‘keeper Heath so well and on a different day, they might have taken the chances they had missed. Chasetown looked really neat on offense at times but as the game wore on, Daventry’s defence looked like coming out on top, until the pace and directness of Mugisha settled the affair.

Handshakes...

Piggon can't believe it...

Me? Pleased to have seen a game… And who belonged to the magical left foot I spotted on the Chasetown sideline? Yeah, Cameron Stuart, Coalville legend… Greetings Sir!

TEAMS:

CHASETOWN:

John Batemen, Mike Williams, Danny Edwards, Chris Slater (Capt), Henry Eze, Simon Brown, George Washbourne, James Dance, Ryan Wynter, Nick Turton, Jon Gould.

SUBS:

Francino Francis, Richard Davies, Stan Mugisha, Garfield Robinson, Curtis Pond.

DAVENTRY TOWN:

Ben Heath, Dan Childs, Joe Curtis, Ricky Hill, Jason Lee (Capt), Neil Champelovier, Adam Creaney, Rob Prinzel, Mitch Piggon, Barry Deacon, Edilson Panzo-Antonio.

SUBS:

NONE AT ALL…