COVENTRY UNITED 1-1 SHAWBURY UNITED: FULL MATCH REPORT...

Cagemen Tamed By Competitive Shawbury…

Coventry United 1-1 Shawbury United

Angry youths rode their bikes crazily along the A34 in Shirley, as I drove to this highly anticipated FA Cup Preliminary Round tie at Sphinx Drive. One let out a mouthful of expletives at me, as I waited for traffic lights to change, near the M42 slip road, but in mid “…f***…” something fell out of his mouth into the road and he was quickly silenced and the last I saw of him he was scrabbling about in a gutter. Upon arrival in Coventry, therefore, to be delayed for a while by hordes of family cyclists on the Ring Road, did little for my expectant mood. Shawbury had been saddled with the task of being party poopers at Coventry’s big day but with a mixture of back-pedalling, a little road-rage and the ability to put the brakes on the home attack for much of this strangely quiet affair, they regained parity with James Askey’s second period header, to negate Josh O’Grady’s wind-assisted free-kick opener before the interval. Surprisingly, the crowd of over 200 didn’t create much real atmosphere, in truth and Coventry United in particular looked uneasy at times, were often not very incisive, or quick, whilst much of the offense stemmed from the innovative O’Grady and the experienced and smart Kevin Thornton. The wind was a factor though, blowing straight down the pitch, with the ‘keeper at the far end of the ground facing not only gusts but also a bright sun. Oddly, the goal apart, only a couple of Coventry shots worried visiting ‘keeper Ian Havard at all before the break.

STALLARD & COX TOSS...

Shawbury hung in there, long-thrower Steven Faux rattled the home crossbar in the second-half with a stunning volley but the equaliser was claimed from a corner soon afterwards, then the guests spoiled and battled but despite surviving a couple of Thornton headers, they didn’t really look like conceding again. Sadly, the officiating wasn’t at all consistent, with referee Mr Gupta mixing a couple of deserved cautions with a couple of very harsh ones, yet allowing the prevention of a goalkeeper’s clearance to go unpunished and the NFL-like taking out of O’Grady by Matt Ballard to pass without comment also. Both teams suffered from the inept controller, in all fairness and Shawbury felt that the foul which led to Coventry’s goal was more of a ‘fall’, let’s say, although it was the nearby linesman who actually signalled the foul…   

HUDSON: NOT USED ENOUGH AS AN ATTACKER...

Shawbury’s first-half saw right-back Adam Groom leave the action early, to be replaced by Jake Jones but apart from a low shot to Rich Morris in the Coventry goal by Ballard and a couple of crosses, one of which led to Morris being in some difficulty, the major mentions would have to be the cautions for skipper Marc Stallard for an apparent tug on O’Grady, then one for the streetwise Faux and finally one for Owen Lloyd, who had hooked home skipper Chris Cox to the ground. Jean Dakouri was a real forager in the Coventry midfield throughout and won a number of challenges but he also escaped tough tackles made on himself and it was his pass which Brian ‘The Messiah’ Ndlovu turned on to test Havard from 19 yards. Harvard spilled that effort but collected the loose ball and he wasn’t even needed to save a Thornton 25 yarder, nor a 35 yard O’Grady free-kick, which flew off target.

COVENTRY KICK OFF...

THE REF SPOTS THE GOD-LIKE VIKING BEARD OF KEVIN THORNTON...

ONE CAUTION...

Rob Prinzel earned a caution, before O’Grady was adjudged to have been fouled out on the right flank, his first excursion wide, interestingly. From an acute angle, the tricky forward used the strong wind’s surge and curled the ball goalwards, a trajectory which beat the clutching fingers of Havard and dropped conveniently into the far corner of the net.

1-0...

...& O'GRADY IS COVENTRY'S TOP SCORER NOW...

A simple trip by Thornton was rewarded by a yellow card from the official, which seemed over-zealous by the rather harassed referee but as the interval neared, Havard was tested a few times. He tipped away an angled delivery from the left by O’Grady, headed a bouncing back-pass out of the lurking Ndlovu’s way and beat out a Thornton right-footer, following a feed by the hardworking Dakouri. The final problem in the 45 minutes for the visitors was another curling right-wing free-kick by O’Grady, which passed just the wrong side of the far upright, as it dropped like a kestrel upon a vole.

HUDSON PASSES...

THORNTON CONTROLS...

PLAYERS DRINK...

COVENTRY BREAK...

The wind remained strong, the sun had dropped a little and Morris would be subjected to those elements after the break, albeit without any headgear…

PLAYERS STARE AT THE FAR END...

The second-half was more of an even contest, although Coventry were closer to scoring than their opponents, bar the one strike by Askey. Keanu Cooper had actually side-footed a deep free-kick past the left post early in the half, although a flag was waving in a linesman’s hand, possibly for offside. Faux had sliced a long shot well off target, before Cooper made way for Matt Elesmore and a poor square defensive header by Coventry was smashed goalwards on the volley by Faux from 25 yards, Morris simply watched it arc and then drop to cannon away off the crossbar, from whence The Cagemen conceded a corner on their defensive right. Askey rose superbly beyond the far stick, with both Prinzel and fellow defender Elliot Palmer misjudging the flight of the ball in front of him. The Shawbury defender thus lobbed a fine header over the straining Morris, whose slight touch fooled Glasscoe, who had moved from covering the far post in an attempt no doubt to hack the effort away and the header thus dropped deep into the unguarded left corner of the net and parity had been achieved by the guests. 

GLASSCOE HURTS...

1-1...

ASKEY HAS HEADED HIS TEAM LEVEL...

Morris struggled with one punched clearance, Ballard launched into and over the back of O’Grady, like a Detroit Lions cornerback attempting a flying catch over a Miami Dolphins wide receiver on a sideline but he wasn't cautioned for the misdemeanour, although he was apparently winded in the act. Then a header flew to Morris, although a foul had already been signalled and lively striker Kieran Dovey held out a foot to prevent Morris from clearing the ball. Bookable? I believe so, but because Mr Gupta failed to brandish a card, trouble broke out between some of the players, as the referee did a fine impression of an insubstantial fumbling science teacher attempting to sort out a Year 11 playground brawl by doing absolutely nothing but wave his arms about like a semaphore code signaller who had had his flags nicked and hope that tempers calmed. A poor 25 yard free-kick by Elesmore, which rose way over the crossbar was all the guests could manage with the elements in their favour but although Coventry laboured, they still managed to cause a couple of scares for the excellent Shawbury defence.

ELESMORE THREATENS...

MORRIS LETS OFF STEAM...
THE REF STAYS OUT OF IT.

NO CARDS HERE THEN...

A cross by Thornton and a free-kick by O’Grady brought just a little concern to Stallard and Askey, an angled effort by O’Grady flew over the goal-frame, after neat feet had left Ballard behind and a brilliant left-foot centre by O’Grady again was headed downwards by Thornton, only for Havard to react well, arch and tip the rising ball over his cross-beam. Kai Williams replaced the willing Ndlovu and then Thornton nodded another O’Grady cross over the target at the near post, before Askey saved his team with a magnificent tackle on the sprinting Williams. Palmer shot wide and Glasscoe shot low and weakly straight at Havard, following a pass by Williams but really, the hosts were struggling to cause any sustained threat. 

DAKOURI PONDERS WHICH SOCKS NOT TO WEAR AFTER THE GAME...

The spirited Liam Armstrong was cautioned for a rough foul on Cox, Jamie Coleman was shown a yellow card too, for his comments made about the incident and from a late O’Grady free-kick, a falling Cox drive was well blocked, I think by Stallard. In a last ditch attack from a free-kick, Prinzel unwisely shoved an opponent and Shawbury saw the final seconds out. 

O'GRADY REALISES THAT WEDNESDAY MEANS A LONG, LONG JOURNEY FOR A REPLAY...

A strong team performance by plucky Shawbury had given Coventry United a reality check and it seemed that if O’Grady or Thornton weren’t on the ball, very little offense was evident. Dakouri’s attitude was good, Coleman defended resolutely and Prinzel’s clearances often boomed forward. Maybe Lewis Hudson’s left-side space wasn’t utilised enough but it often seemed that Ndlovu was slightly isolated in attack and was forced merely to chase lost causes, bar one fine run at the start of the second-half, which came to nought.

Faux was a real nuisance to Coventry, his throws were dangerous and one left-wing run was mazy but the Shawbury central defenders were dogged and truly effective. Harvard made the saves he needed to make and all appears set for a tasty replay in Shropshire on Wednesday…

A LATE DAKOURI RUN...

Me? I shook off the vaping odours from Coventry Secretary Graham Wood’s mouthpiece, which drifted, wafted and hung in the wind from my right throughout the match, got into my car sun-warmed and drove looking for an angry cyclist to annoy on the way back to Solihull…

It’s not what I usually do…  

NEAT PROGRAMME, BUT WHO CHOSE THE FONT FOR THE TEAM-LISTS???

TEAMS:

COVENTRY UNITED:

RICH MORRIS, TOMMY GLASSCOE, LEWIS HUDSON, ROB PRINZEL, ELLIOT PALMER, JAMIE COLEMAN, KEVIN THORNTON, CHRIS COX (CAPT), BRIAN NDLOVU, JOSH O’GRADY, JEAN DAKOURI.

SUBS:

GARY MORAN, JACK TREGARTHA, PIERRE MOUDIME, GIFT MUSSA, KAI WILLIAMS, ANTONIO WILLIAMS.  

SHAWBURY UNITED:

IAN HAVARD, ADAM GROOM, MATT BALLARD, MARC STALLARD (CAPT), JAMES ASKEY, LIAM BRANT, KEANU COOPER, OWEN LLOYD, KIERAN DOVEY, STEVEN FAUX, LIAM ARMSTRONG.

SUBS:

NIC HAYNES, ANDY HAYNES, JAKE JONES, MATT ELESMORE, DUANE UPTON.