LICHFIELD CITY 1-2 COVENTRY UNITED: neutral match report by THE MOWDOG...

Labouring Cagemen Lumber Lamenting Lichfield With Livid, Lingering Outrage…

Lichfield City 1-2 Coventry United

In the city of five spires, this was rather an uninspiring match to witness, for Lichfield struggled to make an impression, whilst Coventry toiled with little creativity. There was negligible width, for although United employed a pair of wing-backs in Pierre Moudime and Tommy Glasscoe, their sorties forward were irregular and their team often looked like it was employing a back-five, leaving Gift Mussa, skipper Chris Cox and Richard Blythe rushing about in midfield and thus isolating their strikers, the two Joshes, Blake and O’Grady, who were handed rare promising service. Moudime missed O’Grady’s tandem play on the right flank and a good many long balls were punted straight at the game’s dominant force, Gary Birch, the veteran and well-rounded City Manager, whose reading of the game, heading ability and striking of the ball were admirable throughout the proceedings. One of the best moments of the game occurred when O’Grady bounced off Birch, as if he’d collided with a vertical trampoline. Coventry’s clearances and attempted passes appeared like there were iron filings inside the balls and Birch had hidden a magnet down his shorts. The controversy during this game was one I’d not witnessed before and of course, caused mayhem in the home ranks and I believe the referee might have been rather an unwelcome guest at the post-match picnic…

"RIGHT, NOW I WANT SOMETHING UNUSUAL TO HAPPEN TODAY LADS, OK?"

Seven-ninths of the game had passed, Lichfield had managed one shot on target but Tony Clarke was offside anyway, then Tyrone Smith netted from an angle and The Cagemen slunk like stressed predators in a down-market zoo. However, it appears that what happened next could be described like this:

Lichfield’s players were ecstatic, they celebrated. They were still carousing when they dropped back into their own half, as Coventry’s O’Grady and replacement Kai Williams waited and waited to restart the game. Spotting his opportunity, O’Grady asked the official if he could kick-off, the referee consented because he deemed that the City players certainly were back in their own half of the field, so he blew his whistle, even though some City players were still not reset, which allowed O’Grady and Williams to rush forward through the middle, whereby O’Grady slipped a pass to Williams, who netted past a shocked, shaken and bemused Lichfield custodian Connor McCarthy. United celebrated, the referee waved away all the Lichfield protests, Coventry were accused of attempting to win by cheating and much aggrieved yelling was heard from the home players, substitutes and coaching staff. I was so stunned by the piece of action unfolding before me, that as I watched the scenario’s climax, I realised that my camera had remained switched off. 

Parity regained, United, through Williams again, went on to take all three points late on but the untidy, haphazard offering on show at the McDonald’s Community Stadium will otherwise fade from memory rather quickly.

MOUDIME ON THE RUN...

A GIFT OF A PASS BY MUSSA...

Early on, Blake managed a flicked header to offer Blythe a shot at goal from about 19 yards but McCarthy tumbled low and right to parry it then reclaim the ball. Jamie Coleman, one of the three United central defenders, headed out a free-kick by City’s Keena Richards and then deflected Lewis Bourne’s low shot for a corner, although the shot probably wouldn’t have troubled Coventry’s ‘keeper Rich Morris, clad all in yellow from his spring collection. Blake made more ground on the United left, Blythe was involved, as was Mussa and Moudime took on and beat Lichfield’s Joe Haines, before belting an angled drive high past the near stick. Superb midfield play by Cox, who hurtled to intercept Richards’ languid pass and then fed O’Grady, led to a fine rising drive by the artful forward from 19 yards and the ball was so hammered, that it cannoned a good way off the right upright, whilst McCarthy managed merely a half-turn in response.

BIRCH: MAGNETISED THE BALL...

Haines’ delivery ended with a shot by busy home midfielder Phil McKerdy but it was Coleman’s deflection again which took the ball way over the crossbar, before O’Grady and Blake combined again at the opposite end but the move fizzled out. O’Grady’s nuisance was then harassed by Haines but the shuffling forward remained on his feet, until Birch barged him down like an interior lineman for the Denver Broncos taking out an elusive Dallas Cowboys tailback. O’Grady then displayed his first quick thought of the day: he shot the free-kick immediately from 40 yards, beat the camera but saw his effort drop over the uncomfortable McCarthy’s crossbar. No surprise then, that O’Grady would instigate something even more effective in the 70th minute…

O'GRADY WARMS UP BY PRACTISING GETTING UP OFF THE GROUND AFTER TUMBLING...

...& HE USES THIS ABILITY WELL...

At this point, Blake was admonished by his manager in no uncertain Scouse terms, despite his lack of service but when a long Callum Burgess boot was turned on by both Blake and O’Grady, Blythe’s 12 yard shot flew upwards and much too high, possibly due to a bobble off the surface. A fine pass by Birch to nimble right-sider Jake Allen led to a low centre being cleared but with McKerdy typically foraging for his team, Bourne drove way over the crossbar. Strong Cox work led to a smart Blake head-on, releasing O’Grady to round the challenge of McCarthy but he found himself on the left byeline with few options and Bourne was on hand to hack the ball clear. Glasscoe fell inside the home 18 yard box but a hand on his forearm was not enough to fool the referee, a powerful Cox run ended with Birch blocking O’Grady and as the half wound down like an annoying, noisy clockwork tractor, Blythe scorned a chance for the visitors. Tough work by Glasscoe, a pass by Moudime to O’Grady near the right byeline, a feed inside for the supporting Blythe but an outside of right-foot shot from 10 yards was well off target, with his left boot complaining: “What about ME???”

COX DOING WHAT COX DOES...

A really frustrating half to watch had ended, the weather remained bright, some Coventry officials’ heads had been shaking and they would continue to do so after the interval, as their team’s offense stalled time and again. Width was missing, pace was missing, subtlety was usually absent.

A Cox run came to nought at the start of the second period, O’Grady was challenged and fell, winning a free-kick, the first of several after the break, which were all contested by the vexed home defence but although this one led to nothing, the next one set up one of the few classy incidents in the game. Richards was cautioned for his comments made, after O’Grady had slithered to the grass, right side, outside the penalty-box. O’Grady’s delivery was superb, left-booted towards the near post, where a prodigious leap by Blake sent a header flashing towards the roof of the net, until McCarthy’s leap saw him turn the ball over the goal-frame. McKerdy responded with a rush from midfield and a skied 23 yard shot, yet another O’Grady free-kick saw Birch head away but Moudime’s second phase cross drifted behind the net and all Lichfield could manage in reply was Clarke’s low shot from close in which struck either Burgess’ leg, or the falling Morris’ limb. He was offside, however.

Glasscoe drove too high, Blake was withdrawn for the introduction of Williams and this provided pace in attack, although I had wondered whether a defender would be dispensed with when a change was made and O’Grady moved wide perhaps, to link up with Moudime and offer width, with Blake retained also to add balance on offense. However, after Martin Cranford replaced Bourne, Williams raced onto a Blythe pass and only quick thinking by the advancing McCarthy prevented a calamity, which looked a crucial save when the hosts immediately took a lead which really, hadn’t looked like coming. Allen shoved the ball towards McKerdy, who found himself on the right byeline, he fed the ball a yard or so inside to Smith and his low, narrow-angled shot beat Morris and flew into the far corner of the net to ignite the huge celebrations, which would prove to be City’s downfall, as already described.

SMITH HAS SCORED...

1-0!

Josh Leaver replaced McKerdy for the hosts, Prinzel’s hard kick led to a wild shot by O’Grady and when Cox’s flicked header allowed O’Grady to move infield from the right, his low drive from 19 yards whipped just wide of the left upright. O’Grady was then replaced by Matt Brown, to a-grumbling, a-griping and a-grudging by the shuffling forward but he soon forgot his anger and even encroached onto the pitch to celebrate with team-mates, when the winning goal arrived. Moudime’s free-kick on the right, following a foul on Brown, perhaps harshly awarded, was headed by Prinzel, a defender’s reactive header sent the ball back onto Prinzel’s forehead and his nod across the 6 yard box was chested down by the alert Williams and dispatched low and hard past McCarthy into the bottom left corner of the net. O’Grady was apparently cautioned for his involvement in the goal fun and Lichfield seethed…

WILLIAMS: AFTER HIS GOAL...

Mussa made a long run but fell at a vital moment, Williams fed Moudime for a right-side centre, which Brown miscued rather badly, only for Robinson to shove out a boot and nearly deflect the ball past a horrified McCarthy, who speedily dropped onto the errant touch and following a late City set-piece, Prinzel boomed a clearance, Brown set Williams running on the right but he stumbled on the ball and chance was lost. Attempts to keep the ball in the corner, against a team which had hardly threatened, were not easy to witness but the official ended the game soon afterwards and Brian ‘The Messiah’ Ndlovu, an unused replacement for Coventry, beamed at Williams… It’s what he does…

KAI WILLIAMS SCORES AGAIN...

1-2 NOW...

HARRY BARNES SIMPLY HAS TO GET IN ON THE IMAGE...

"DID I REALLY DO THAT?"

Mussa’s effort, Cox’s sheer will to win, O’Grady’s switched-on moment and Williams’ introduction won a poor game for the new league leaders and they now move on to play two midweek away games, at Pilks and Pelsall… Lichfield must have thought their breakaway goal had won the game, but they would surely have accepted one point then to lose it so late would have irritated them even more…

MATT BROWN: GOES ON, GETS FOULED, TAKES BALLS INTO CORNERS... 

LITTLE JACK HORNER,
COX IN THE CORNER...

Fair play to Birch, he was like a Centurion, a ghostly apparition from nearby Letocetum Roman Fort, managing his troops but not quite able to command a victory on this occasion…  

GIFT SAYS TO JAKE: "ARE YOU IN YEAR 9 TOO?"

"GO AWAY, BRIAN, YOU'RE A VERY NAUGHTY BOY..."

THE GOALSCORERS & O'GRADY HUG... 

Me? Ate a meal at the ‘Crown’ in Alrewas, at table with ex-Chester manager Steve Burr, before Ian Taylor, the ex-Villa player and fan walked in laughing. Villa were relegated on the day… So why was he laughing? Maybe Villa will go and play in Northampton for a year to annoy their fans even more and then we’ll see the rise of Holte United, to be managed by, er, let’s see… Edwin Greaves?

TEAMS:

LICHFIELD CITY:

Connor McCarthy, Rich Robinson, Joe Haines, Keena Richards, Peter Folkes (Capt), Phil McKerdy, Jake Allen, Lewis Bourne, Tony Clarke, Gary Birch, Tyrone Smith.

SUBS:

Martin Cranford, Dave Yonwin, Connor Downey, Josh Leaver, Jon Clough (gk).

COVENTRY UNITED:

Rich Morris, Pierre Moudime, Tommy Glasscoe, Rob Prinzel, Callum Burgess, Jamie Coleman, Rich Blythe, Chris Cox (Capt), Josh Blake, Josh O’Grady, Gift Mussa.

SUBS:

Matt Brown, Brian Ndlovu, Kai Williams, Wendel Moyo, Dave Allen (gk).