COALVILLE TOWN 2-1 REDDITCH UNITED: FULL MATCH REPORT...

Ravens Edge Tight Contest At Owen Street

Coalville Town 2-1 Redditch United

This close contest was scavenged by the Ravens, following a late equaliser by United’s skipper Clayton McDonald, who was hurt whilst scoring with a lower limb volley, not with a header, as reported elsewhere. In injuring himself, he was not able to defend with his usual aplomb at Town’s next corner and subsequently, no-one covered the near post run of Brad Munn, whose near post header sent his team into the next qualifying round of the FA Cup, despite a couple of late scares. Indeed, Callum Woodward, scorer of the opening goal, showed fine awareness to head a late Jazz Luckie effort from his goal-line and preserve Coalville’s narrow lead. Certainly, the Ravens had worked Redditch ‘keeper Brad Catlow harder than the Reds had fatigued Sean Bowles, the Town skipper, who had swooped to clear a Javi Roberts stab from his goal-line and had also tipped a Reece Hewitt effort over his crossbar. The tall Catlow had made fine low saves from Karl Demidh twice, Nathan Watson and Massiah McDonald to keep his team alive. The result was just about right, although Redditch will no doubt claim that their efforts deserved the reward of a replay.

THE OFFICIALS & BOWLES ARE SURROUNDED BY McDONALDS...
AREN'T WE ALL?

The rain having mostly abated, a wind caused a few problems for the players at times but the opening half really was cagey, with a few periods of strength and threat by the guests but some pressure from set-pieces by the hosts, although goalscoring attempts were at a premium. Nathan Watson, rarely given time on the ball, fired an early effort too high for the Ravens and when the skilful Watson lost, then won the ball in midfield, he freed Demidh into the penalty-area, albeit at an angle but Catlow sprang low and right to turn the effort away for a corner. This led to a trio of well defended flag-kicks by the Reds, with Clayton McDonald a solid presence but when the eager Massiah McDonald slipped a pass to Demidh on the left, the striker’s second low angled drive was again turned behind his near post for a corner by Catlow. The only other home threat was when Reds’ defender Duane Courtney lost out in midfield and Steve Towers’ 25 yard effort flew straight to Catlow.

TWO PLAYERS ARE SHOCKED TO FIND A FLYING ANT ON THE PITCH...

"...OMG, IT'S ANOTHER FLYING ANT..."

Redditch, with Danico Johnson and Luckie looking sprightly at the start of the game, gave Coalville’s makeshift defence of Danny Jenno and Lee Torr a few scares, although the only work for Bowles was to pick the ball from his net, following a low shot by an offside Johnson. Woodward blocked a Jordan Brown free-kick in a Coalville defensive wall, although I was surprised that a right-footed Red hadn’t attempted to shoot from that set-piece, although it was placed at inside-right, for the wind might just have aided any curl. Woodward had surprisingly been cautioned for a foul on the rampaging Clayton McDonald, then Hewitt, working well at times in the United midfield, was also booked for his second innocuous foul in a matter of minutes. Left-back Brown was shown a yellow card for the visitors too and the half ended with the game finely balanced.

KARL DEMIDH TAKES A CLOSE-UP IMAGE OF THE FLYING ANT...

A CAUTION: AND HEWITT KNEW IT...

THE REFEREE TELLS DUANE COURTNEY THAT NO AMOUNT OF BODY-BUILDING WILL ACHIEVE THE STATUS OF HIS SKIPPER...

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT CLAYTON? MY AUNT'S SHOULDERS ARE THIS BIG..."

The half had been tense and few players had been able to exert any real control on the game, although Demidh’s pace and two shots had been the features thus far. Little had been seen of either Alex Dean, as an attacking left full-back for the Ravens, or Eli Bako as an attacking winger for the Reds, both having stifled each other. United’s Liam Spink and Town’s Woodward and Liam Walshe had battled in a physically charged midfield but in truth, little creativity had blessed the encounter so far.

After the break, Redditch won an early corner but it was Coalville who looked the more offensive outfit, for Towers was unable to get any purchase at the far stick to a left-side centre by Walshe, then Massiah McDonald fired past the near post, following a throw on the left by Watson. Things became unpleasant when both Dean and Luckie were cautioned for squabbling in the home 18 yard box and just after Dean was unable to get any power at all behind a shot from Demidh’s feed, the hosts took a surprise lead, for on the day, it felt like neither team would actually find the net.

DEAN & LUCKIE HAVE BEEN 'ENTANGLED'...

A smart clipped pass forward from the right-flank by Watson was headed inside from the right byeline by Towers, Demidh shrugged Spink off the ball 12 yards out and laid it back for Woodward to send a low 18 yard shot into the bottom right corner of the net, past the despairing Catlow.

1-0...

LOW SHOT BY WOODWARD...

THE COACHES KEEP A FIRM GRIP ON THEIR EMOTIONS...

When Spink brushed Watson off the ball in midfield, it looked like Watson had then tripped Hewitt but as Watson, Woodward and Towers stood in a triangle round the grounded Hewitt, no whistle was heard, so the Redditch man got up and rapped a 25 yard shot at goal, which Bowles stretched up for and turned over his crossbar. However, Coalville were denied twice in quick succession by Catlow, for Walshe’s long ball bounced over the slow turning Clayton McDonald and Massiah McDonald got free, only to be denied by the advancing Catlow’s lower left paw. In the recycling movement which followed, Towers and Demidh were involved before Watson’s 12 yard drive was saved low to his right by Catlow's right front paw and the rebound struck Watson’s arm, but although the ball was eventually turned into the net, the referee had whistled.

ROBERTS CAN BARELY BELIEVE THAT HE HAS SHOT OVER THE CROSSBAR...

Lively right-back Jordan Jones and left-sider Reece Hales were replaced by Redditch, with Roberts and David McDermott taking their places and soon, some danger vexed the Ravens. Woodward was mugged in midfield, Johnson was put away on the right by Luckie and his fine cross was met by Roberts, just 10 yards out with Bowles at his mercy but the winger’s effort rose wastefully high. Cameron Young replaced the injured Brown and United had changed formation to a back-three, it appeared, before Demidh was replaced by Munn for the home team and then suddenly, Redditch grabbed the lifeline they were flailing for. A low cross from the right was slid for by Roberts and somehow, Bowles slithered across towards his right upright to keep the ball out of goal but behind for a left-wing corner. Jenno attempted to manhandle Clayton McDonald in the penalty-box but it was like a young deer attempting to halt the progress of a bull and the Redditch skipper met the ball with an awkward falling right-foot volley from 8 yards which ripped high into the Coalville net. 

1-1...

NOT THE MOST EXCITING OF CELEBRATIONS, AS CLAYTON McDONALD LIES HURT...

Immediately though, Clayton McDonald was treated for some pain after scoring and although he soon re-entered the clash, Coalville won a left-side flag-kick, which Watson would swing towards the near post. Clayton McDonald was struggling, that much was clear, standing bending with hands on thighs and Munn was unmarked. The Raven replacement made an unchallenged run to the near upright, McDermott was too far away from him and the resulting deft header flew into the net off Catlow’s gloves. Munn had stolen in like a Victorian cutpurse in Covent Garden, reaping the spoils from unsuspecting strangers.

THE WINNER...

YES, MR BROOKBANKS, THAT'S EMOTION...

A LITTLE RELIEF IS SHOWING?

CONGRATULATIONS FOR MUNN...

THANKS, NAT...

NICE ONE...

Munn was later denied at the far post by a combination of Catlow and a defender, from Watson’s left-side centre, but then came the best substitution of the season so far: Holmes for Watson… You couldn’t make that up. Jared Holmes, not Sherlock, replaced Nat, not Doctor Watson but it was Redditch, with Catlow adding his height to the offense, who so nearly earned a dramatic replay at the death.

KINGFISHER? OR RAVEN?

CATLOW CREEPS UP FOR A CORNER...

Clayton McDonald was plainly still suffering but when a set-piece was cleared not too well by Coalville, Spink swung over a right-side centre, which Catlow nodded downwards for Luckie to strike, albeit not too powerfully but with Bowles beaten, the alert Woodward had spotted the danger and dived to knock the bouncing ball away from his goal-line, with Roberts lurking behind him. No Luckie strike there, then…

THE END...

Game over, there was relief for the Ravens but abject disappointment for the Reds, whose badge displays a kingfisher; so the scavenger had come out on top against the predator…

THE MATCH-WINNER...

Watson had been the engineer behind Coalville’s best offensive play, despite not lighting up the game with his fine dribbling skills but Demidh and Massiah McDonald were useful in the home attack, despite neither Dean, nor Josh Raven being able to get forward as much as I’m sure they would have liked. Darren Byfield’s Reds looked formidable in defence, with Courtney being a good foil for the immovable object, Clayton McDonald. Catlow was in fine form on the day and almost assisted for a late equaliser but Woodward had saved his team, as well as doing the rough stuff in midfield alongside Walshe and Towers, and indeed, opening the scoring, which is no doubt why the MVP of the match was announced as Woodward…

THE CLUB'S MAN OF THE MATCH...

I had chatted to Darren Byfield before the start about the fact that I had played in goals for his brother’s 5-a-side team at one time and he seemed a decent, level-headed manager, in these days of bellowing, tempestuous blokes, who yell obscenity after obscenity from a rectangle of grass in front of a trembling group of bench-men inside a dugout…

DARREN BYFIELD: A DECENT CHAP...

It’s what they do…

TEAMS:

COALVILLE TOWN:

SEAN BOWLES (CAPT), JOSH RAVEN, ALEX DEAN, DANNY JENNO, LEE TORR, LIAM WALSHE, CALLUM WOODWARD, STEVE TOWERS, MASSIAH McDONALD, NAT WATSON, KARL DEMIDH.

SUBS:

BRAD MUNN, LIAM HURST, WILL DENNIS, JARED HOLMES, ALEX TROKE, ZAK ADAMS, MATT COTON (GK).

REDDITCH UNITED:

BRAD CATLOW, JORDAN JONES, JORDAN BROWN, LIAM SPINK, CLAYTON McDONALD (CAPT), DUANE COURTNEY, ELI BAKO, REECE HEWITT, JAZZ LUCKIE, DANICO JOHNSON, REECE HALES.

SUBS:

TROUARN THOMPSON, JASON COWLEY, DAVID McDERMOTT, MAX LOVERIDGE, JAVI ROBERTS, CAMERON YOUNG.