NUNEATON GRIFF 4-0 BROMSGROVE SPORTING: full report by THE MOWDOG...

Griff Hold Firm As Bromsgrove Topple At The Pingles…

Nuneaton Griff 4-0 Bromsgrove Sporting

Probably due to the expanse of the running track, the field event areas and the distance spectators must stand or sit from the action at the Pingles Stadium, this tense and eagerly awaited encounter seemed to be surrounded by a muted atmosphere for long periods, as if the players were taking their GCSE Physics exams and weren’t enjoying having to concentrate so much. Even the physical side of the match didn’t really rear its head until the latter stages, when a number of players were cautioned. Neither team impressed at all during the cagey first period, although Sporting went close with an early header, but then Griff snaffled a goal from a corner. Nuneaton then proceeded to hit the Rouslers with two goals near the beginning of the second-half, so that in truth, Bromsgrove were left with it all to do but indeed lacked any real threat or incision to get back into the match, despite having a goal disallowed for a baulk on home ‘keeper George Woodward. A dismissal for the second of his two cautions left the Rouslers without Jake Willcox for a while and the hosts really did rub salt into the Sporting wounds when home replacement Danny Edmond lobbed a fourth goal over Chris Jay. Danny Ruff was tricky on the home left-flank throughout but prolific goalscorer Luke Shorthouse will wonder how on earth he didn’t add to his huge total for the season.

SPORTING MANAGER SMUDGER SMITH WONDERS WHY HE IS CARRYING THE BAGS...

THE ROUSLERS BEGIN THE GAME...

A flaccid start to the game, whereby the two teams were cagey and seemingly too concerned about each other to take matters into their own hands, finally saw an opportunity for an effort at goal when Rousler Sam Wills committed a foul and Griff’s Ruff made a sortie along the left flank, beat Will Tibbetts and delivered a looped cross, which Alex Naughton headed off target. The tension was still excruciatingly tight and another run by Ruff led to a cross and a Bromsgrove clearance. Soon though, Sporting won a right-side corner and Wills’ in-swinger was nodded behind at the near post by the predatory Sean Brain. Wills was then involved in a playground scuffle in midfield but it was Rousler Liam Spink and Griff’s Kyle Baxter who were admonished by the rather tall referee.

COLLINS & BRAIN SEEK SOME SERVICE...

SCUFFLING...

Simon Fitter’s free-kick from inside his own half was caught by Woodward, Wills tried a 27 yard shot, which was blocked by the mandatory forest of legs around the 18 yard line and then Reece Hewitt set off on one of his customary mazy runs but he, too, was stopped at 18 yards. Bromsgrove were having more of the ball at this stage, but only just and it was still a while before two or three Nuneaton crosses brought a little pressure on Craig ‘Boxer’ Jones, the Sporting pugilist and skipper and his nattering sidekick, Simon ‘Bluenose’ Fitter. However, one low centre by Dave Barnett was smothered away from Shorthouse at the near post by the slithering Bromsgrove ‘keeper, Chris Jay. A quite sudden right-footed effort by Wills from 18 yards flew into the side-rigging but in truth, the spectacle was rather uninteresting and lacking any real creativity.

DETERMINED DEFENDING BY GRIFF.
IT DIDN'T CHANGE...

HEWITT BROUGHT TO HIS KNEES...

BRAIN TAKING ORDERS...

Shorthouse rose for one right-side centre and won a corner off a defender but this proved to be the source of the opening goal, which might just have ignited the match, but, er, didn’t. Shorthouse leapt, beat Jones in the air and his header saw Jay swoop left and parry the ball towards the far post, only for the unmarked Barnett to side-foot the ball into the net with ease.

1-0...

...BARNETT...

Sporting responded with a run by the rather quiet Tibbetts, who shot low, whereby the presence of Brain in a scramble at the right upright caused momentary mayhem for the otherwise competent Griff defence. Danny Harris was carrying a knock though and the Griff right-back was unable to carry on, so that he was replaced by Ashley Wilkes. Crucially, Willcox was cautioned just before the interval and the opening half ended without the game being ignited at all…

FITTER FITS UP A FREE-KICK...

HARRIS LEAVES THE FIELD HURT...

Rousler Connor Collins, whose first-half had not been too successful, due mainly to the type of service he was afforded and the fact that home defenders Darren Eggleton and Ryan Millerchip were so dominant and focussed, was replaced at the break by Josh Westwood but after Barnett threatened briefly for the hosts, they took a 2-0 lead. Ruff knocked the ball forward for Naughton to break onto at inside-left and he smashed a rising left-footer past the advancing Jay and high into the roof of the Sporting net from 17 yards, leaving Jones grounded. A fine strike by Naughton and Bromsgrove were now floundering.

2-0...

...NAUGHTON HAS SCORED...

...JONES IS LEFT GROUNDED...

...& GRIFF LOOK DELIGHTED...

Anton Astley, steady at left-back for the home team, committed a foul and was cautioned, then Hewitt, I think, clipped a shot beyond the right post for the guests, before a Wills free-kick was headed into the net by Brain, only for the referee to whistle and disallow the goal for some backing into Woodward by Tibbetts, I believe. Tibbetts was soon replaced by Kyle Turner for Sporting but Nuneaton countered with a killer third goal.

NAUGHTON ATTACKS...

RUFF NIGHT FOR WILLCOX...

Ruff did the groundwork on the left byeline, after Shorthouse had passed from the right flank; Ruff feinted left and right to deceive Willcox and passed the ball to Baxter, 12 yards out and as Spink challenged, the ball was struck by the Griff-man and it sprang just inside the left upright, with the helpless Jay rooted to the turf. 

3-0...

...BAXTER...

GRIFF JOY...

Aaron Roberts was cautioned, after the referee had spoken to Jones the Boxter and Kyle the Baxter, as things became a little untidy, unpleasant and unsavoury. Shorthouse rose well again for a right-side delivery but his glancing header flew just wide of the left stick and still Bromsgrove seemed bewitched in their offensive efforts, despite the spurts of Brain. Unusual hesitation in their penalty-area by Nuneaton allowed Wills a miscued shot and Westwood a low strike wide and to typify the Rouslers’ day, Wills slipped as he took a 26 yard free-kick and the ball eventually rolled from a colleague straight to the incredibly well protected Woodward. Spink earned a caution, Willcox hacked down Astley and saw yellow, then red, leaving him to walk a long way to the dressing-room area, abandoning his team to fight a losing cause shorthanded.

WILLCOX IS EXILED...

The hosts had just missed another scoring chance too, following a Bromsgrove free-kick, which was gifted to Shorthouse but with Jay desperately back-peddling, the striker drove his 25 yarder well over the crossbar. Umit Eminoglu replaced Spink for the visitors, Ruff was cautioned for a foul on Wills, Baxter was booked too and the hosts missed another chance to bury Bromsgrove further. Naughton, still full of running for Griff, slipped Ruff towards the left byeline, where there was no Bromsgrove cover and he flicked the ball towards goal but Jay flew to push the ball across the 6 yard box straight onto the instep of Shorthouse, who, with Roberts sprawling in front of him, volleyed down into the ground, forcing the ball upwards and amazingly, over the crossbar.

IN THE LEFT CORNER: JONES...

...BUT IN THE RIGHT CORNER: THE WINNER...

The frustrated Jones was cautioned for a wild foul, before errors by both Wills and then Fitter led to Shorthouse cutting in from the right but his weak shot rolled well wide of the near post. A quick free-kick by the hosts led to a sliced shot by Naughton, before he was replaced by Danny Edmond, who marked his arrival by fastening onto a header forward, onside because Roberts was slow to advance upfield and he lobbed the distraught Jay to add goal four for the ever-so-chuffed Griff-men.

4-0...

...EDMOND'S LOB...

...HAS SEALED IT FOR GRIFF...

Aden Moore, possibly with a chesty cough, replaced Shorthouse for the hosts, Barnett was booked for kicking the ball away, after being penalised and then Sporting’s Westwood’s unsporting dissent earned him a yellow card too and the game petered out into a bad defeat for Bromsgrove but a solid and deserved victory for Nuneaton. 

For Nuneaton, the game couldn’t have panned out better, for they nullified Rouslers Hewitt and Brain for most of the contest and their skipper, Mark Williams, commanded the trenches, where Baxter galloped about like a trooper at the Somme. Bromsgrove looked a little jaded maybe and really didn’t get going, although to be fair, neither ‘keeper was particularly called upon to make direct saves. Sporting might have scored early in the game but chances were rare, in all honesty… 

Both teams will go again at the weekend and nothing has been decided yet, by a long chalk. Griff still have to go to Coventry United whose form has been inconsistent of late and the intrigue will no doubt go on until 30th April…

Me? Chatted to Danny Edmond, who had lobbed the fourth goal, then drove back to Solihull for apple pie… It’s what I do.

TEAMS:

NUNEATON GRIFF:

George Woodward, Danny Harris, Anton Astley, Darren Eggleton, Ryan Millerchip, Mark Williams (Capt), Dave Barnett, Kyle Baxter, Luke Shorthouse, Alex Naughton, Josh Ruff.

SUBS:

George Brindley, Nic Gilks, Ash Wilkes, Danny Edmond, Aden Moore.  

BROMSGROVE SPORTING:

Chris Jay, Aaron Roberts, Jake Willcox, Liam Spink, Craig Jones (Capt), Simon Fitter, Will Tibbetts, Reece Hewitt, Connor Collins, Sam Wills, Sean Brain.

SUBS:

Brendan Kelly, Daniel Morris, Umit Eminoglu, Kyle Turner, Josh Westwood.