AEI RUGBY 1-1 WOODLANDS WMC: HONEST REPORT BY THE MOWDOG...

Woodlands Spoil AEI’s Party, As Folly Lane Take Title

AEI Rugby 1-1 Woodlands WMC

(played at Brown’s Lane, Daventry…)

For the second season running a non-playing team watched a draw between two other teams hand them the Coventry Alliance League title and it was ironic that Folly Lane had been one of the two teams which battled it out in 2014-15 but couldn’t beat Whitnash on the final day, so that, ironically again, AEI won the title… This season of course, Folly Lane failed to beat AEI last week in a very drab clash, meaning that if Rugby won their remaining matches, they would be crowned Champions. They needed one more win, against Woodlands, they started well enough, netted early through Kane Finney but at the start of the second period, Woodlands’ Gavin Harding slipped in an equaliser and his team refused to lie down, retaining parity until the end. Both teams ended the game with ten players, after Lee Vince and Ben Thackeray were dismissed following an unseemly incident and a challenge by Vince on the effective Woodlands goalie Steve Brook. Neither team was able to test the opposing goalkeeper enough however and maybe fatigue had finally affected AEI, for the visitors gave as much as they received in an encounter which was always interesting, often lusty and with the dismissals, also a little feisty. An unpleasant ending to the game, caused by an ‘onlooker’ filming a ‘conversation’ between a substituted Woodlands player and a linesman was very unfortunate and really unnecessary. Spectators finally strolled away from Brown’s Lane, Daventry in some shock, in truth, as if the ending of a looked forward to film at the cinema had disappointed them badly.

THE TOSS...

Rugby threatened early when Halim Halim, in for Gerard McGahey, fed a pass to Jimmy Smith at inside-right but his low shot was saved at the near post by the diving Brook, at the expense of a corner, from which the hosts took that early lead. Skipper Sean Castleton rose beyond the far post to head the ball back into the goalmouth and Finney leapt to head the ball high into the right side of the net, despite the fingers of Brook and the hair of Chris Edwards on the goal-line. 

1-0...

JOY FOR AEI...

...& FINNEY...

Woodlands responded but a kind of over-shoulder effort by Harding was well off target, before their left-back Chris Sockett, who battled manfully all evening against Finney, rapped a low shot off colleague Dave Warner’s heel for home goalie Lubomir Sabol to pick up, then the elusive and often impressive Woodlands forward Tyson Knight raced away on the right but when Warner struck a low shot at goal from his colleague’s pass, Matt Izzard blocked it, conceding a corner, taken by Ben Twigger and caught well under his crossbar by Sabol. Brook found himself running left along his byeline to thwart Vince, who had been booked early for something he said when Finney got himself into some trouble with the rather harassed referee, before Smith wasted a good chance, after being fed by Darren Wood, whereby the striker pulled a disappointing effort well wide of the left upright from 18 yards.

CASTLETON: RESOLUTE IN THE AEI DEFENCE...

When Sockett grabbed Finney around the waist to stop him running, the ball fell to Vince, whose low cross from the right byeline was picked up by Brook but the point here surely was that Sockett needed to be cautioned. The referee failed even to wave a warning finger at the defender. The closest AEI came to a second goal was when they won another corner, this time on their left. Castleton was again the recipient, heading the ball back across goal for Smith to head goalwards but Ato Stephens, guarding a post, appeared to nod the ball into Harding’s eye as he cleared the ball from the goal-line. Knight, causing problems with his running all evening for the hosts, raced away on the right, was challenged by the advanced Sabol, wasn’t awarded a corner, complained and earned a yellow card, before Halim was unable to control a Finney delivery from the right, as Rugby pushed forward again.

VINCE IS CAUTIONED BUT REACTS LIKE THE REF IS GOING TO THROW THE YELLOW CARD AT HIM...

Finney made a positive run but shot into a crowd, although he had support to his right, then right defensive back Mitch Boe swung a boot following a throw-in but his shovelled shot bounced wide of the left post, with Brook untroubled, just prior to the interval, which had arrived with AEI in command of their own destiny. Immediately after the short break however, the guests really spoiled the party by scoring what would prove to be the title-winning goal for Folly Lane, who couldn’t score a goal of their own at the same venue last week. 

AEI AT THE BREAK...

WOODLANDS CHEW THINGS OVER...

A free-kick was awarded to the visitors, wide right, which Edwards delivered low towards the near post, where the ball appeared to strike the heel of Stuart Paget, who was being shadowed by Wood but the ball rolled on for Harding to poke into the net from close range, having reached the ball before Finney. Goal, shock, game very much on…

HARDING IS CONGRATULATED...

...& IT'S PARITY...

A short free-kick by the ever more influential Twigger for Woodlands, set up Sockett for a shot, which brought a right-flank corner and when this was missed by all and sundry, Paget so nearly converted at the far post byeline. Finney threatened briefly for AEI, then Smith, maybe or maybe not offside, won a corner, which Vince curled over the crossbar, before Knight was defended well by Matt Izzard, who once again, alongside Castleton, formed a formidable partnership in the centre of the home defence. A fine run forward by Wood saw Finney have to check back for the eventual pass, which lost momentum for this Rugby attack, then only a fine, stretching interception by one of the excellent central defenders for Woodlands, Thackeray, prevented a right-side centre from reaching the prowling Smith.

STEPHENS: KNUCKLED DOWN IN DEFENCE LATE ON...

AEI attempted to turn up the pressure on the guests and Smith nodded Finney’s cross into the path of Halim but his volley flew well over the target and the forward was quickly replaced by McGahey. Then came the flashpoint. Vince followed in a low push by Wood, a Woodlands defender allowed his calling ‘keeper to rush out and gather but Vince tried to intervene, his legs catching the prone Brook, who flicked out a protective boot. Thackeray however took exception to the ‘challenge’ and his forehead rubbed against Vince’s, which ultimately led to both players being shown red cards. It all seemed over-dramatic, but officials have to make a call, especially when players reacted as they did here.

TROUBLE FLARES...

BOTH THACKERAY &...

...VINCE ARE DISMISSED...

Ollie Chater replaced Wood for the hosts, Sabol took a hike along his left byeline and became entangled with Knight, although he got away with it without losing possession, Brook, whose kicking on the night was superb, especially from dead-balls, caught a well struck Finney volley, before Knight’s left-boot volley flew over the home crossbar. Danny O’Toole replaced Luke Pritchard for Rugby and O’Toole’s left-foot cross led to Brook running from goal and colliding with Finney, who stroked the ball into goal but the referee’s whistle signalled a free-kick to Woodlands instead. AEI missed their best chance soon afterwards, as the tension mounted and Woodlands defended with aplomb. The ball was swung from right to left by Chater, McGahey, totally unmarked, slipped the ball into James Farrow’s path, 12 yards out but his left-footer was too high, bringing gasps from home supporters, players and staff alike.

STEPHENS MOVES AWAY WITH THE BALL...

Twigger, the bit between his teeth, shot at Sabol, Castleton’s glancing header from Farrow’s free-kick was wide of the mark, Adam Mullen replaced Lee Greenway for the visitors and Warner was cautioned for preventing AEI from taking a free-kick. Izzard tumbled in the Woodlands penalty-box, a poor Sabol kick led to a speculative 60 yard shot by Twigger, who pulled the trigger but Sabol caught the ball near his left upright, although the effort would have gone just wide anyway and finally, in a slightly rousing finish, Farrow fell inside the 18 yard box and was subsequently cautioned for diving and attempting to win a penalty.

FARROW, WITH FURROWED BROW, RECEIVES A CAUTION...

Woodlands were so well served by Paget in defence but fair play to wide-man Stephens and also Knight, who tucked in, along with Harding at the end and helped their defence not to be breached. Striker Warner was a nuisance all evening and Twigger rampaged about for the final half-hour, as AEI laboured in attack. Rugby must have been disappointed not to have created quite enough on the evening but once again the performances of the officials had affected a really important match, causing some real animosity on the sidelines. 

WOOD & KNIGHT...

KNIGHT SMILES BUT IZZARD'S POSE SUGGESTS THAT THINGS ARE NOT GOING AEI'S WAY...

LEE VINCE...

TEAMS:

AEI RUGBY:

Lubomir Sabol, Mitch Boe, Darren Wood, Kane Finney, Matt Izzard, Sean Castleton (Capt), James Farren, Luke Pritchard, Lee Vince, Jimmy Smith, Halim Halim.

SUBS:

Gerard McGahey, Ollie Chater, Dan O’Toole.

WOODLANDS WMC:

Steve Brook, Lee Greenway, Chris Sockett, Chris Edwards, David Warner, Stuart Paget (Capt), Ben Thackeray, Ato Stephens, Gavin Harding, Ben Twigger, Tyson Knight.  

SUB:

Adam Mullen.