COPSEWOOD COVENTRY 7-3 JAGUAR/DAIMLER: FULL MATCH REPORT BY THE MOWDOG...

Jags Pushed Off the Road By Copsewood Mechanics Blackmore & Gormley

Copsewood Coventry 7-3 Jaguar/Daimler 

Upon arrival at Copsewood, a cricket match was progressing, which was bizarre for me, as I have only ever seen the field used for soccer before, but with a white ‘sheet’ roped to the face of the new changing facilities being used as the batting team’s sight screen, the arriving football players didn’t realise it was there and simply walked across it, stopping play on the ‘square’. This was easily remedied by people realising their error and moving but the groundsman lost his rag and charged about like an enraged bull, bellowing profanities and cordoning off the path in front of the white material. The whole scene was like a Brian Rix theatrical farce, as the cricket played on, footballers jogged out to their pitch, the groundsman huffed and thrashed about and the two cricket teams’ scorers sat at their table as if nothing was happening at all. The groundsman was a real character actually and we chatted pleasantly eventually for he recognised that I hadn’t been one of those straying, trespassing footballers.

THE SCORERS & THE GROUNDSMAN...

CRICKET ON THE HALLOWED TURF?
(I WAS A WICKETKEEPER FOR MANY YEARS...)

Anyhow, the game was a wild one, for the guests rushed into a two-goal lead, the hosts pulled a goal back before the break, after the effort was initially disallowed for offside, then Martin Gormley lashed four second-half goals as the Jags’ defence crumbled like Dorset’s cliffs and opened a crevice on their defensive left for the Copses to attack through. Visiting ‘keeper Aaron Flinn was blameless for the heavy defeat and he was also playing hurt for the final half-hour, as his defence dithered and erred and Gormley took full advantage. It was Reece Blackmore who took huge credit from the game though, for he was terrific in midfield, scoring the second ‘Wood goal and ploughing through midfield like a lusty farmer with a mission. He was the one defending too, even in the final minutes, getting back to dispossess opponents. Jaguar/Daimler battled manfully throughout and midfielder Eph Pepe displayed some silky footwork on occasions and left-winger Misbah Safi was skilled, although I was informed that he wasn’t happy heading the ball, possibly due to his perfect hairstyle, which he was forced to check on late in the game, when he nodded a corner off his goal-line. Striker Blake Kassar looked useful on occasions and took his goal well but the Copses, led by forward and skipper PJ Gordon, deserved the victory.

KNIGHT FINDS SOMETHING INSIDE A NOSTRIL, AS THE TOSS IS NEGOTIATED...

BLAKE KASSAR EVEN POSES WHILST KICKING OFF...

Apologies for any errors in distinguishing players, for the Copsewood team sheet wasn’t accurate and I hope that their number 16 WAS Gordon, although I have no idea who 13 was and I have the Jags’ Twitter account to thank for confirming that Gormley was indeed number 9. 

The Jag skipper fouled the Copse skipper early on but Gormley got beneath his near post header from Blackmore’s free-kick and the ball drifted beyond the goal-frame. Incredibly, from their first attack, as Edwin Greaves, the ex-Coventry United manager arrived on the scene, Jaguar/Daimler scored. Pepe was involved in midfield, Kevin Clamp fed Safi on the left and he slipped a one-two pass for Josh Harris to return the ball and from a central position, with Copses’ Rhys Lyons and Kevin Demulder beaten, Safi threaded a smart shot into the bottom right corner of the net, past James Costelloe. 

0-1: SAFI...

YOUR HAIR'S FINE, MISBAH...

Following a free-kick, James Harri fired a 25 yard effort straight at Jags’ goalie Flinn, then after a threatening and jinking run, Safi was unable to pick out Blake Kassar’s run at inside-right. Blackmore was beginning to show dominance in midfield for Copses and a pass from him set up Andy Lee (wearing 8) at inside-right, whose rising drive flew past the right upright. More neat ‘Wood play ended with an important touch by hefty Jag left-back Dan Bell and the ball rolled to Flinn, before his team so nearly added to their lead. Pepe, looking deceptive on the ball, fed it left to Safi, who moved cleverly past Ryan Mulholland but his low shot was stopped by the falling Costelloe and Blake Kassar could only nod the rebound way over the crossbar. Gordon and Harri set up Lee for a shot but Flinn flung himself at the player’s feet to save well. Gordon and Lee in the same team? Indeed not the Gordon Lee of Aston Villa fame, who apparently had to be taught to head the ball properly in the Trinity Road car-park in the 1950s. 

COUNTRY DANCING, OR WHAT?

More smart footwork by the touchline hugging Safi saw him cut across the field but he was upended, only for Ross Knight’s free-kick shot to deflect off the bearded Mulholland for a corner. A neat centre from the left by ‘Wood’s Brad Taylor (wearing 11) found Lee but although his shot struck a post, he had been flagged offside. Rob Jones of Jaguar/Daimler found himself in trouble but only a wild effort at goal by Harri followed, before a low Gordon effort took a slight deflection for a corner, which Blackmore took on the right. His near post flag-kick was met by Gormley, who had lost Bell around the near post area, his shot went goalwards but Flinn threw up a hand to deflect the ball into the air and then he claimed it. Flinn then palmed aside another Gormley shot but it was the visitors who found the net for a second time.  

Clamp knocked a pass towards Knight on the left side, whose low centre was slid for by home midfielder Taylor but the ball miscued from his boot perfectly for Josh Harris at the right post, who could not miss. 0-2 became 1-2 soon afterwards but only after a lengthy communication between the referee and an assistant.

0-2: HARRIS...

HE SNEAKED IN AT THE FAR POST...

A right-side cross took a touch off huge home defender Kevin Demulder’s head for Harri to drive goalwards and although two home players were offside, lurking near the goal-line, the ball appeared to deflect off Jones into the net. An offside flag had been raised, the goal was disallowed but ‘Wood complained, the officials huddled and a goal was awarded. It perhaps appeared that the linesman thought that the ball had deflected off a home player, not Jones. I have watched the video clip a few times and it appears that the goal should have stood but I might be terribly mistaken. 

PEPE: GOOD ON THE BALL...

THE REFEREE DECIDES IT IS A GOAL & 1-2, AFTER TALKING WITH A TWO-HEADED LINESMAN...

The interval was reached, breezy rain had irritated everyone, the cricketers had been forced off their field for a while, my camera lens was splattered with rain-spots and Edwin Greaves told me his shorts were already packed in a suitcase…. It’s what he does.

Substitute 12 was on for Copses after the break and I will go with the team sheet and call him Sam Hewitt, but I apologise if that is incorrect. Immediately, Jags’ lead was wiped out by the Copses, when Blackmore won a tussle with visiting skipper Scott Dunnachie, who fell with a knock, but the home midfielder fired a low shot into the bottom right corner of the net from 19 yards.

2-2: GOAL BY BLACKMORE, WHO DANCES WITH QUIRKE (7)...

Harri drove a cross-shot across the guests’ penalty-area, before a clever Jags move nearly saw them retake the lead. A ‘rabona’ in midfield by Harris saw the ball fly left to Knight and his release saw Jag Blake Kassar running at goal but the striker’s low shot struck the advancing Costelloe’s feet and the chance went begging. Flinn took a knock when he ran left to smother at Gordon’s feet, at the expense of a corner, which Hewitt headed wide of the far post, then Blackmore and Gordon set up Harri for a shot, but he was unable to deliver. Then the game rushed from one end to the other and the hosts took the lead for the first time. 

JAGS FIGHT BACK...

Harris fed Knight, who reached the right byeline but the ball was cleared and away went Copsewood. Right-back Rhys Lyons fed Gormley, he passed to Harri, who slipped it right to Lyons again and he turned inside Dunnachie, whereby his delivery was turned in by Gormley at the near post, who hadn’t stopped running. 

3-2: GORMLEY...

CONGRATULATIONS FROM THE SKIPPER...

Carl O’Shea replaced the tiring Jones for the visitors, a right-wing run by Gormley led to Seb Kassar’s touch helping Flinn out in front of goal, before Clamp knocked the ball forward and there was Blake Kassar to beat Mulholland and lob a confident equalising goal over the stranded Costelloe.

3-3...

BLAKE KASSAR'S LOB HAS REGAINED PARITY...

Almost immediately, Safi, who had been quiet thus far after half-time, was baulked by the ever-hassling Blackmore and Sean Quirke. He was dispossessed and Harri rushed along the right flank again, his near post centre being nudged into the net by the long legged boot of Gordon, as Flinn added to his hurt by colliding with Seb Kassar.

GORDON HAS SCORED...

4-3 TO THE COPSES...

Gordon shot casually at Flinn, as Gormley and Dunnachie lay hurt but was he really stopping the game to allow attention, as his raised arm suggested? Hmm… 4-3 became 5-3 when a throw on the Copsewood right led to a cross, which saw Gormley’s header glance off the back of Seb Kassar’s neck, out of reach of goalie Flinn and the ball bounced gently inside the far post.

5-3...

GORMLEY AGAIN...

The Jags fought back and Knight and Clamp set up Safi for a run into the left side of the penalty-box but his low shot rebounded from the near post. Pepe was also quieter during this period but when he was dumped to the ground, Knight had another shooting chance from the free-kick, which he messed up from 24 yards. Another Jag attack was defended well by the hosts and Blackmore and Quirke smuggled their team onto offense, whereby Mulholland’s long ball led to Gormley and Seb Kassar tussling but Gormley got away, as Kassar slipped. The striker’s first shot was palmed down by the sliding Flinn but he was astute enough to lift the ball over the prostrate ‘keeper and lift the ball again into the vacant roof of the net. 6-3 and game over…

GORMLEY AGAIN...

6-3 NOW...

Straight from the restart, Knight just ran. And ran. And ran. He hauled a defender out of the way but his low centre from the byeline struck Mulholland’s back, no foul was given, merely a corner… At the other end, a left-wing Blackmore corner swung in towards the far post, where Safi was guarding the space and sadly for him, he was forced to head the ball away. I smiled when I saw the video clip, for he was intent on settling his hair-gel immediately afterwards… I liked that.

TAYLOR & PEPE...

BLAKE KASSAR RUNS BACK...

A Blackmore shot was blocked, Gordon smashed an effort way too high and Flinn, really struggling by this time, palmed a Gormley shot from an angle away for a corner on the right, which Elliott again headed wide of the far stick, although he was adjudged to have pushed an opponent. Sadly, it was an error by Pepe, who was mugged by Gormley, which set up goal seven; Gormley slipped a pass to Gordon, who lifted the ball over a defender for Gormley to fasten onto, nudge over the distraught Flinn and complete the scoring. The final action was a run by Pepe, which caused a foul and a free-kick, which Pepe himself rolled into the penalty-area from 25 yards but Quirke cleared the ball as the final whistle sounded.

7-3...

...& FOUR FOR GORMLEY...

Blackmore ran the game, Lyons and Taylor did well at full-back but with Quirke and Harri lively throughout, Gordon and Gormley rampaged on a weakening and slowing Jags defence after the interval, when injuries probably added to their demise. Certainly Pepe was clever, Safi too, on a few occasions, Knight was busy but in all fairness, Blake Kassar regularly had to survive on titbits. Clamp was a worker and goalie Flinn should really hold his head high. His defensive left-side really did suffer however…

PEPE'S QUICK FEET...

LATE FREE-KICK FOR THE JAGS...

GAME OVER...

Me? Ignored the cricket and went home for bacon, eggs, etc… Watched the German Cup Final, which ached for a goal… I’d seen ten.

It’s what I do…

TEAMS:

COPSEWOOD COVENTRY:

James Costelloe, Rhys Lyons, Kevin Demulder, Ryan Mulholland, Reece Blackmore, Sean Quirke, Andy Lee, Martin Gormley, James Harri, Brad Taylor, PJ Gordon (Capt).

SUBS:

Sam Hewitt, Ross Bryce, Danny Fraser.  

JAGUAR/DAIMLER:

Aaron Flynn, Seb Kassar, Dan Bell, Kevin Clamp, Rob Jones, Scott Dunnachie (Capt), Josh Harris, Eph Pepe, Blake Kassar, Ross Knight, Misbah Safi.

SUBS:

Carl O’Shea, Camron Barrett.