SILEBY RANGERS 1-1 HOLBEACH UNITED: full match report by THE MOWDOG...

Bettles Snaffles Deserved Parity For Rangers

Sileby Rangers 1-1 Holbeach United

When Duellin’ Dalton Bettles, surely a fine name for an actor in a Western movie or the subject of an Eagles song, was forced even to fetch a wayward ball and I commented to him about having to be a ball-boy as well as defend with headers, I wasn’t to know that he would slice a trio of defensive clearances after the interval, then rise majestically to power home a fine headed equaliser for his improved team. Sileby didn’t play well before the break, little was seen of forwards Karlos Augustine and Ife Ogunbayo, and right-sider Stuart McMichael wasn’t able to affect the game as much as he would have liked. Right-back Dominic Okanu however was positive for Rangers throughout with tough defending, some strong runs forward and a positive outlook on a game which lacked excitement, in all fairness. The visitors had been the more composed team before the break, with midfielder Andy Tidswell featuring, supported by Jake Clitheroe and Ollie Gale but Sean Coughlin’s goal was taken splendidly. The puzzle during the second period was that 6 foot 9 inch home central defender Leon Simpson wasn’t picked out aerially by his colleagues, either by corners, free-kicks or from the immense throw-ins from left-back Lewis Burgess, who experienced an interesting afternoon…

KARLOS AUGUSTINE (8) WAITS FOR THE STRING PUPPET NEXT TO HIM TO BE PULLED INTO ACTION...

NIGEL MAARMAN KICKS AWAY...

An early Ogunbayo rush ended with a cross too far to enable McMichael to capitalise, then Burgess overlapped but his eventual right-booter was picked up by United goalie Ricky Drury. In a busy opening to the game, suddenly, a deep delivery from Stacy Cartwright on the Holbeach left drifted past Simpson for Coughlin to control with his right foot and lifted the ball in an instant over the advancing Rangers ‘keeper Nigel Maarman into the empty net for a fine finish. 

SEAN COUGHLIN THREATENS FOR HOLBEACH... 

0-1...

NEAT FINISH BY COUGHLIN...

...& HE LOOKS CONTENT WITH THAT...

Another driven ball by Ogunbayo from the Sileby left drifted beyond the far post but then pushing by industrious United forward Josh Ford spoilt a right side centre by Coughlin. Ford then fed Dan Worthington on the right-flank overlap for the guests and he did well to win a corner, from which Clitheroe rose to meet Tidswell’s delivery with a near post header, only for Burgess to block it with his tackle… He took a few moments for the pain to subside, poor chap. Two more brave blocks by Burgess added weight to the observation that both Sileby full-backs had started the game well and certainly Bettles and skipper Ryan Cottingham coped better with Coughlin and Ford as the match progressed.

BETTLES BATTLES...

A chance to place United in a true driver’s seat was then scorned by the lively Coughlin and it was a fine run towards the right byeline by Clitheroe, which caused the danger. His low pass beat Burgess’ challenge and rolled into the path of Coughlin, whose finish was as surprising as it was careless, unless the ball took a bobble, and the effort erupted vertically over the goal-frame from 7 yards. Tidswell’s positive run led to a shot well wide then as a Sileby trustee approached and began to speak to me, I was distracted enough not to capture Holbeach’s next attack.I saw it though and Ford beat the offside trap to move forward at an angle on the right but Maarman advanced to parry the striker’s shot away.

LONG LEON TALL? NAH...

LEON LOOKS DOWN FROM A MAISONETTE ROOF AT A WRESTLING MATCH BETWEEN MAARMAN AND WORTHINGTON...

Cartwright made a good interception for the visitors, ran at the home defence but then wasted the opportunity with a wild shot from 28 yards, which cleared the wondrous Sileby hedges, and then some… A fine one-two attempt between Worthington and Ward, as United threatened again, saw the right-back collide with Maarman and they formed a heap on the ground, as if a Denver Broncos running-back had piled into a Kansas City Chiefs linebacker at the line of scrimmage. Another untidy period of inaccurate passing, despite the usual ability of Holbeach’s Gale and Tidswell to find each other, ended with a wasteful drive from distance by Gale, not wind-aided, but there had been other options for the midfielder on that occasion.

SUNLIGHT IN SILEBY, AS AUGUSTINE CHALLENGES...

Finally, the hosts managed an attack of note and it stemmed from Okanu’s pass towards McMichael on the right but when his low pass into the penalty-box was struck first time by Augustine, visiting skipper Jamie Stevens got in an important block to concede a fruitless corner. 

The half ended and Holbeach had deserved their lead, with Ward and Coughlin often prominent on offense, their midfield patient with their passing and the two central defenders, Stevens and Nick Jackson, rarely troubled. Rangers’ Troy Johnston would get on the ball more after the interval, Brain Farrell would be more involved and McMichael would begin to cause more consternation for the visiting defence. Spectators, who had been bathed in sunshine, headed for refreshments in the superb bar at Sileby and awaited the second period.

GETTING TO GRIPS...

A pass across the home penalty-box however which Coughlin was unable to reach, looked ominous for Sileby after the restart and when a long Burgess throw was cleared by the guests, Bettles’ sliced kick towards Okanu’s area only set Ford running but his delivery from an angle flew past the far upright, with Drury helpless. A Ford volley then saw Coughlin run towards goal but the Drury was out quickly and managed a 19 yard kick on the ball as he flattened the United striker in spectacular fashion. No foul, no warning but it begs the question whether an outfielder doing that might have been penalised? But again, the Drury’s out on that one, too… This marked a change in fortunes for the teams and the hosts really did begin to push on.

Worthington was hurt and replaced by Matt Warfield, which appeared to unbalance the Holbeach defence somewhat and when Johnston’s corner was cleared by the guests, Augustine fed McMichael on the left, his cross caused mayhem and the ball eventually fell to Johnston, 15 yards out, inside-right channel but his shot failed to match his initial control and the ball rose over the crossbar. Ogunbayo was replaced by Dean Murray for the hosts and he was soon tackled well by Tidswell but Rangers then won a right-side corner, which the left boot of the replacement struck. Murray’s mint delivery was leapt for by Bettles and his 5 yard near post header crashed into the top left corner of the net past a helpless Drury.

1-1 & DOM OKANU, RED SHIRT, LOOKS PLEASED ABOUT IT...

DUELLIN' DALTON LOOKS REALLY PLEASED ABOUT IT...

PROVIDER MURRAY & SCORER BETTLES...

Farrell was cautioned for a late niggle on an opponent, which brings to mind ‘Life of Brian’ and Brian being a ‘very naughty boy’, before the home team’s quick clearance from the resulting free-kick set McMichael and two colleagues breaking three on two but McMichael dallied somewhat and only a corner was won, which came to nought this time. Another right-side corner led to the more involved Johnston feeding McMichael for a shot, which was easily saved but then Johnston’s foul on Warfield was awful and he was not only cautioned, but then replaced by Luke Baker. Surely Baker should have worn 13, not 15? A Baker’s dozen would have been more apt…

"I'M NOT THE MESSIAH, I'M JUST A VERY NAUGHTY BOY..."

A contentious moment arrived when Farrell, looking peeved already, ran powerfully into the left side of the United penalty-box, only to go down under Stevens’ challenge. No penalty was awarded but one has seen them given for incidents like those… Farrell was hurt and he too, was substituted and the new combatant was Alex Patrick. Burgess conceded a corner but from this Stevens could find no power in a shot but despite the urging and pushing by Sileby, the closing moments brought more liveliness from Holbeach, whose play had been nullified considerably after half-time. Tidswell and Clitheroe, sounding like twinned northern towns, had quietened and Gale was more like a breeze, although it took an interesting long Burgess throw to end the hosts’ offensive lot. The left-sided Chris Ward was always likely to find an angled pass for the guests, however.

JAMIE SAYS: "HELLO BRIAN..."
BRIAN REPLIES: "OH, DO GO AWAY, YOUNG FELLOW..."
I THINK THAT'S WHAT HE SAID, ANYWAY...

JOHNSTON HAS LEFT WARFIELD STREWN MORE LIKE A BATTLEFIELD...

The throw, aimed towards Simpson at the near upright, who waved his arms like a Cornish wind machine, well above the height of the crossbar, was lethal, but Drury, unnoticeable behind the basketballer-tall home defender and also his own skipper at the near post, somehow combined with Stevens to knock the ball away and then Augustine was unable to turn the rebound into goal at the right stick. Some attacking by Holbeach followed, with Tidswell again prominent but the home defence held firm, even when Tidswell was offered an added-time free-kick opportunity from 25 yard, inside-left channel but the effort flew straight into Maarman’s midriff and the game ended tamely… 

I guess a draw was about right in the end, although both teams needed a win more, for different reasons. It was odd that Holbeach’s ascendancy seemed to wither away after the break and Worthington’s exit but fair play to the hosts for battling back into the encounter…

LOVELY GROUND, LOVELY DAY...
THANKS, SILEBY...

Me? Due to Coventry traffic, then avoiding joining the M1 from the M45, where there had been an accident, I hadn’t arrived at Fernie Fields until quite late for me. Even then, I couldn’t find a way in and was redirected to the main entrance by a kind chap on his drive. I was back in Solihull by 6pm and then watched Barcelona’s limp offensive effort against Real Madrid on TV. The chicken pie was good though…  

TEAMS:

SILEBY RANGERS:

Nigel Maarman, Dominic Okanu, Lewis Burgess, Leon Simpson, Dalton Bettles, Ryan Cottingham (Capt), Troy Johnston, Karlos Augustine, Stuart McMichael, Ife Ogunbayo, Brian Farrell.

SUBS:

Dean Murray, Delroy Gordon, Luke Baker, Alex Patrick.

HOLBEACH UNITED:

Ricky Drury, Dan Worthington, Nick Jackson, Ollie Gale, Stacy Cartwright, Jamie Stevens (Capt), Sean Coughlin, Andy Tidswell, Josh Ford, Jake Clitheroe, Chris Ward.

SUBS:

Matt Warfield, Paul Newcombe, Callum Davis, Luke Russon, Tom Roberts.