FLASHBACK TO 2009-10, WHEN COALVILLE TOWN BEAT CRADLEY TOWN 4-2...

The Scholar, The Milksop & The Delinquent

There was the tall, quietly spoken referee: young, lean and somewhat shy, perhaps. He allowed a variety of physical challenges to go unpunished and then, of course, struggled to keep control. He was like an introverted, middle-class newly qualified teacher attempting to teach chemistry to 5C on a Friday afternoon on a rough council estate.

There was the white legged, not very athletic, bespectacled linesman: young he was, fragile and somewhat unobjectionable, perhaps. He wiped his glasses with a handkerchief when the rain affected his vision and then, of course, struggled to convince spectators. He was like a newly ordained, middle-class priest, attempting to correct the crooked paths of hooded muggers and crack addicts in an overspill ghetto.

LINESMAN...

There was the diminutive, vociferous full-back: not so young, glabrous and somewhat vituperative, perhaps. He bawled caustic phrases across the field, like: 

“Hey! What’s that for?” or 

“Hey, f…… deal with it…” or 

“Come on… F…… hell….!” 

And then, of course, he lost his composure. He was like a member of 5C on a tough housing estate, whose hoodie and crack supply lay in a dressing-room cabinet, but his oafishness remained with him.

FULL-BACK & REFEREE...

The referee had quiet words for players, the linesman attempted to explain why he had raised a flag to spectators and the full-back’s waist high challenge on Coalville’s left-winger cut the damp October air like a meat cleaver through a succulent pork chop. 

And then it rained some more… 

DURING THE RAIN...

Cradley Punished For Awry Performance. Eventually…

Coalville 4 Cradley 2

Att: 90

OWEN ST...

TYPICALLY DARK COALVILLE...

Cradley were well served by their two forwards, Ludlow and Store but otherwise were outplayed by their hosts who were plainly inconsistent but deserved to win the game easily. Several moments of indecision in the home defence caused anguish but Thompson’s second-half goal, inadvertent or not, settled the nerves. Fisher’s cameo dribbling and Louis Dodd’s contribution were invaluable for Coalville, as was Gordon’s ‘lean on, shove and scrap’ tactic- a total blessing for my evening. Loved it. Fair play to his marker, Blair, though who rarely complained but simply prepared for the next bout of physicality.

As early as the second minute, Gordon’s strength combined with a smart through pass for Dodd, inside-right channel and the clever midfielder side-footed neatly past the ‘keeper’s left hand to open the scoring. Despite the goal, Coalville didn’t really settle although Gordon had already made his intentions clear; Stuart blasted a 25 yard free-kick to Cunningham the Cradley goalie then Fisher fed Gordon, left of centre, who shrugged off his marker but toe-poked an angled shot past the far post from 16 yards or so. Cradley, typically, netted with their first meaningful attack on 16 minutes; Lee Williams threaded a pass for Ludlam, right of centre and his low 15 yard shot struck Rich Williams’ legs as the ball went between them and ricocheted into the ‘keeper’s left corner. 

When Attwood fed Thompson, the forward was instructed to hold onto the ball but instead he flicked it on for Dodd, moving inside from the right and from an angle; the player’s drive was blocked at the near post by Cunningham, rebounding for a corner off a defender, apparently. Stuart had taken a knock and was unable to get back to defend a break on his flank; fortunately, Ludlam’s effort at goal was blocked and Store fired badly wide of the left upright.

BEFORE THE RAIN...

Blair tackled Thompson well, following a pass by Gordon then left-back Clifton misjudged the flight of a long left-wing centre by Attwood but Dodd could do no more than bundle the ball over the bar at the right post. At 36 minutes, Stuart’s injury led to a second Cradley goal, when the defender struggled to get back again and this left Everitt sliding across the penalty-box to challenge Matkin, who won a penalty, which Ludlow despatched to Rich Williams’ right, with aplomb.

Coalville equalised immediately, in the 38^th minute and again Dodd was lurking in the right place when Fisher’s superb jinking run on the left took him past defenders to the bye-line and picked out Dodd for a close-range, near post finish. Right-back Lloyd had taken a wild and vicious swing at Fisher during the run but the official failed in his duty to punish the constantly complaining visitor. Oddly, Miveld was booked shortly afterwards for a foul on Ludlam but on 42 minutes, the Ravens restored their earlier lead when Gordon fastened onto a throw from the right, controlled the ball, turned and bustled and forced and shoved his way past Blair before smashing a low shot to Cunningham’s right from 12 yards. The striker was cautioned for a foul on Craddock just before the break but at least Coalville had overcome moments of defensive lapsing to regain supremacy. Dodd was always a threat but Fisher’s final pass had been awry a couple of times, yet it was good to watch a player determined to be clever and take defenders on. Ludlow was a handful for Everitt and Haynes but despite Store’s bulk, he was a willing and useful strike partner for the Cradley goalscorer. Cradley withdrew Craddock and Mears at half-time, replacing them with Boulton and Toms.

After the break, Store fastened onto approach play by Paskin and Ludlow, somehow reached the left bye-line and centred but busy midfielder Attwood cleared the danger. Fisher made another clever run, irritating Lloyd even more and following a corner, the ball was played deep to Dodd, whose chip cleared the crossbar from 28 yards. The settling goal arrived on 54 minutes and Cunningham’s error was drastic. Another corner, played back to Dodd, deep right, by Stuart, was crossed towards the six-yard box but the ‘keeper failed to gather it, under no pressure and dropped the ball behind him, where Thompson appeared to bundle it over the goal-line.

Miveld fed Dodd on the right side, Blair cleared the ensuing centre but Thompson’s volley was well off target from 8 yards then a strong run by Brown, who was to receive a nasty cut to the head, led to a 23 yard drive, which rose too high. A foul by Fisher led to a free-kick by Ludlow, which crashed off the Ravens’ crossbar from 24 yards- a lucky escape. Cunningham collected Miveld’s deflected 28 yard shot, Roberts replaced Fisher and so nearly added his name to the scoresheet, immediately. Thompson and Gordon combined neatly, Thompson broke to draw the goalie, inside-right channel but he decided to be unselfish, squaring the ball left for the unmarked Roberts to convert; unfortunately, Roberts had apparently drifted offside! 

THE COALBAGGIES...

Dodd got onto a Thompson pass but was blocked at the near post, winning a right-wing corner then Adams replaced Thompson. Another one of those deep short corners, again not covered by the visitors, led to Dodd’s 25 yard effort being deflected to Cunningham. Roberts was cautioned, Gordon, quieter after the break, volleyed across the goalmouth, right to left but Lloyd, not complaining just for a moment, cleared the ball away well. As the game ebbed away, Stuart’s lobbed volley flew wide of the left upright and Cradley looked a beaten team, rarely even drawing a yawn from Rich Williams, despite the efforts displayed by the two visiting strikers. James Dodd played a few minutes, replacing Brown and at least the defence was more settled after the half-time interval and rain lashed into the visitors' faces for short periods. Louis Dodd looked lively and the two Coalville forwards were tough for Cradley to deal with, so it must have been difficult for the visitors to take the goalkeeping mistake which presented the victory to the Ravens.