KIDSGROVE ATHLETIC 0-2 COALVILLE TOWN: LIGHT-HEARTED MATCH REPORT BY THE MOWDOG...

Make A Substitution, Concede A Penalty, Then Repeat the Process & Subsequently Lose…

Kidsgrove Athletic 0-2 Coalville Town

This pre-season friendly game was competitive enough and although Coalville looked the more likely winners for much of it, there was a short period after the interval when home strikers Harry Clayton and Luke Keen might just have downed the visiting Ravens, who interestingly fielded Josh Raven in defence. There was no Callum Woodward, Jason McAteer, or even the smiling assassin Danny Jenno for the guests but their creative play was often good to watch, despite the lack of a finisher on the day. Shots flew wastefully off target and home ‘keeper Krystian Burzynski made a couple of good saves and visiting goalies Sean ‘The Bellow’ Bowles and his replacement Matt ‘The Quiet’ Coton, made only one or two stops each too. Indeed, Clayton missed the most tasty of opportunities for the hosts in the second period, fluffing a rebound, after his header had struck the crossbar. Then, two-thirds of the way through the game, the experienced Kidsgrove central defender Dave Artell was replaced and Coalville won an immediate penalty, which was converted by Alex Troke. Moments later, Ash Hodgkinson was replaced by Kidsgrove too and Coalville immediately won another penalty, which was also converted by Troke and the match had been lost and won. At the third Troke, the striker was unable to score with a late free-kick but Athletic were well beaten by then anyway.   

THE TOSSING...

SMITH CURLS A PASS...

Alex Dean made positive runs on the Coalville right throughout the first-half, pushing home left-back Danny Smith further back and left, but despite the sorties forward by Town, their finishing left a good deal to be desired. With Lee Torr also rushing forward on the Coalville left, the Ravens’ coaching staff members were constantly yelling at the adventurous pair to get back to cover breaks by Athletic but in truth, Bowles wasn’t much tested, even though a few careless early errors were made in defence. Nathan Watson, showing deft feet at times for the visitors, skied a couple of attempts at goal, following assists by Dean but his third effort was a 27 yard free-kick, expertly tipped over the goal-fame by Burzynski. Massiah McDonald, interestingly named as ‘Messiah’ on the team-sheet, which could have really upset Coventry United’s Brian Ndlovu, the REAL Messiah, struggled to make headway and his two lofted efforts during a frustrating opening half summed up his 45 minutes. He was not The Messiah, he was a very naughty boy…

LEANING TOWERS OF COALVILLE...

ARMS CAN BE SO USELESS. BEST TO FOLD THEM.
NOTICE BRAD MUNN RESTING HIS HEAD IN A COACH'S FLESH...

Dean and Liam Hurst shot low and wide, a Steve Towers curler was deflected by home midfielder Ross Davidson and a Dean cross was deflected off Towers behind for a goal-kick but Burzynski really hadn’t been severely tested by the dominant Coalville machine. Defensively, Dean Freeman and Raven looked solid enough and although Keen and Clayton, supported by Joe Woolley, Lee Pickerill and Marc Grocott were game, little in the way of chances had come their way by the break. An early flick on by Keen prompted a Coalville coach to shout to his defender, “That’s the last one you lose…” but the next jump by Keen saw Raven drag him to the turf. Freeman did clear a dangerous low cross by Pickerill, which had evaded Bowles, although an offside flag was wagging in any case. Bowles fielded a Grocott effort, following a clever Keen nudge and more foraging by Keen offered Woolley a shooting chance from inside-left but Bowles dived right to fingertip the ball wide of his upright. Artell shot wide from a short corner routine and resulting melee, in which Josh Raven was hurt, but Kidsgrove were largely kid-gloves on offense.

THIS CHAP LOOKS KEEN...

The break brought relief for the hot players and Town replaced several starters, including the influential Jared Holmes, who was very involved physically but Liam Walshe remained on and his first-half contribution had been very good, displaying typical calmness in possession and some accurate and sweeping passing. Maybe the lack of prowess in attack was due somewhat to the resolute defending by Athletic though, for Artell and skipper Ryan Austin were committed and tough. Right-back Hodgkinson had been cautioned for a challenge so late that he’s still sliding now. Interesting to note the names of the Ravens’ full-backs too: Torr(Coal)ville and Dean… Sorry, probably skating on thin ice there.

YELLOW CARD IMMINENT...

FREEMAN, KEEN & RAVEN, THE WELL KNOWN FIRM OF UNDERTAKERS...

TROKE & MUNN AWAIT THEIR ORDERS...
LAGER? BEER?

The second period began with more movement from the hosts and Clayton in particular was causing substitute Joel Wolfe and Freeman a few worrying moments. Coton was wearing orange, rather a clash with Kidsgrove's red but it was a few minutes before the referee decided to deal with the situation...  Clayton snapped a shot wide, as did Woolley but when Pickerill forced his way past replacement Will Dennis to the left byeline, Clayton’s near post header bounced back to him but his right foot reacted near the left upright, instead of his left foot and his finish was wayward. That was the hosts’ best scoring opportunity, although a neat turn and 15 yard shot by Keen was flicked over his crossbar by Coton, he then headed a Hodgkinson free-kick wide and finally nodded a Woolley cross down to the ‘keeper. A smart Athletic move involving the two strikers ended with a shot to Coton by Woolley but when Artell was replaced by Taylor Attrell, then Josh Bowden replaced Hodgkinson, who had just been involved in an unpleasant clash with Raven substitute Karl Demidh, Kidsgrove conceded two penalties and thus lost the match.

BRAD MUNN DOES LIKE TO DISPLAY EVERY PART OF HIS HAIRSTYLE...

OOPS... WRONG COLOUR WORN BY COTON...

GUESS WHO TOOK THE FREE-KICK?

RATHER UNPLEASANT PLAYGROUND SCRAP...

A Troke free-kick, narrowly wide, was followed by penalty number one, after eager, slick midfield replacement Brad Munn was tripped by the harassed Smith and Troke stroked the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. An intricate Coalville attack was then broken up on the 18 yard line but Bowden sent Demidh sprawling, so that Troke, having been instructed to take the spot-kick by the bawling coaching staff, lifted his second strike a little higher than last time into the right corner of the net. As if anyone would have successfully taken the opportunity away from the burly striker anyhow…  

0-1...

PENALTY...

...BY TROKE...

0-2...

ANOTHER SPOT-KICK BY TROKE...

Demidh’s pace became another a problem, as well as Dennis’ overlapping runs, for the left side of the home defence, for he cut inside a couple of times from the right and saw one shot deflected upwards to Burzynski and then another well saved by the leaping ‘keeper, who turned the ball over the goal-frame. Coalville, with Munn looking lively in midfield threatened more in the latter stages, although Towers’ late shot was going wide before a deflection took it on for a corner, Dennis’ low effort was wide of a post and a very late Troke free-kick was held comfortably by Burzynski.

SEAN BOWLES: THE ORANGE & THE GREEN...

A number of replacements hadn’t really changed the pattern of the game much but Coalville always possessed the greater incision and creativity, although Keen and Clayton certainly had their moments. Wolfe and Luke Smithson played their second-half parts for Coalville but a clinical offense was perhaps lacking, in all honesty.

Kidsgrove’s defence looked quite solid until Artell departed and that augers well for their season ahead and with a combative midfield, Keen and Clayton could provide the spearhead for a useful attack this term. 

After being told to park sensibly in the club’s car-park when I arrived after a difficult M6 journey from the M42, there was actually no room at all and I was forced to park on a local road but the return journey home was fine, pleasingly. 

The Ravens had scavenged a victory with no goals conceded but Kidsgrove had shown enough to suggest a solid season ahead for themselves…

Lasting memory? Liam Walshe being substituted on a hot day and being told to sprint off… He smiled through gritted teeth. 

USAIN BOLT IS DITHERING IN HIS SPIKES...

Teams:

Kidsgrove Athletic:

Krystian Burzynski, Ash Hodgkinson, Danny Smith, Ryan Austin (Capt), Dave Artell, Ross Davidson, Joe Woolley, Marc Grocott, Luke Keen, Harry Clayton, Lee Pickerill. 

Subs:

Taylor Attrell, Josh Bowden, Tyler Simms, Jordan Bentham, Kevin Street.

Coalville Town:

Sean Bowles (Capt), Alex Dean, Lee Torr, Josh Raven, Dean Freeman, Liam Walshe, Jared Holmes, Steve Towers, Massiah McDonald, Nathan Watson, Liam Hurst.

Subs:

Karl Demidh, Brad Munn, Alex Troke, Luke Smithson, Will Dennis, Joel Wolfe, Matt Coton (gk).