GRAHAM STREET PRIMS 3-1 ANSTEY NOMADS: FULL MATCH REPORT BY THE MOWDOG...

Graham Street Nullify Nomads After Primitive Start

Graham Street Prims 3-1 Anstey Nomads

Finally, finally, I managed to make a first visit to see Graham Street Prims play at home and I was welcomed by a fine chap at the entrance hut and another decent guy who secured the starting line-ups for me. The Nomads wandered into the Baytree Cars Stadium, looked nothing like unsettled drifters for the opening twenty minutes, scoring once, then they were overpowered, overhauled and overwhelmed by their hosts until a final ten minutes of too little too late offense sent Anstey on their nomadic ways again rather disappointingly beaten, with skipper and striker Daz Taylor hobbling as a passenger in attack and no replacements having been used at all. The hosts netted their first goal against the flow, consolidated with a pair of headed goals before the interval and were largely unchallenged during a poor second period of rare goalmouth action. The referee, who appeared at times to be on playground duty, attempting to becalm a bunch of lively Year 9s, took some stick from the Anstey dugout as the game wore on but in truth, had the Nomads taken their early opportunities, this match would surely have panned out so differently.    

TOSSING...

Lively and feisty Nomad Joe Hartopp caused the initial problems for the home defence and after one of his crosses from the right byeline failed to produce an attacking header, midfielder Simon Richmond swivelled but was unable to connect with a low near post Taylor cross from the same position. After Prims’ ‘keeper Adam Binks had sliced a kick at the edge of his penalty-box, Hartopp was unable to get any power behind his resulting shot from 18 yards and home right-back Ben Rushby blocked easily before Binks clutched Hartopp’s weak rebound header. Richmond then overran the ball centrally and home ‘keeper Adam Binks smothered at his feet but a goal simply had to come and it was Hartopp who slipped the ball past the advancing Binks to offer the guests a deserved lead, for Prims had mithered, dithered and pithered up to that point. Richmond got between home skipper Lee Sutton and left-back Sam Groves but couldn’t direct his far post header and Taylor shot weakly wide as the opening half ended.

0-1: HARTOPP...

Following Richmond’s header, Graham Street strutted forward on the right-flank and rapid winger Matt Adcock swung over a centre which Adam Gillott did well to control on the 18 yard line. He turned and shrugged off the attentions of Richmond and Jon Armson before firing a low shot just inside the left upright and just like that, the Prims had regained parity.

1-1...

GILLOTT THE SCORER...

Before the Nomads could recover from the shock, left-sider Jake Dodds swung over a left-booted free-kick from the right and with the Nomads watching like starstruck fans outside the stage door at a Cliff Richard concert, home midfielder Steve Dennahy leaned forth, craned his neck and headed past goalie Taylor McMillan.

2-1: DENNAHY'S HEADER...

Dodds thought he might try his luck following loose play in the trenches by Anstey but his effort ballooned too high and so he went back to what he was doing better which was delivering and assisting. He curled a left-footed corner onto Ben Rushby’s head at the near post, who had beaten Nomad midfielder Nick Reeves to the ball and the glanced effort fairly lashed into the far corner of the net, rather rapidly in fact…

3-1...

...NEAR POST HEADER...

...BY BEN RUSHBY...

When a subsequent left-side corner found Dennahy’s head beyond the far stick, a deflection offered Dodds another right-flank corner opportunity which he again arrowed onto Ben Rushby’s head at the near post but this time the defender’s glancing effort flew just wide of the far post. The break arrived and those present nodded like dogs on the rear shelves of pensioners’ Vauxhall Corsas, for they were in agreement that the fayre had been eminently watchable and that the second period would be worth sticking around for. It wasn’t, really…

SUTTON & HARTOPP: REGULAR BATTLES...

Hartopp continued to harass Prim’s proper defenders, Taylor was hurt but carried on, some unpleasantness crept into the untidy presentation on offer and there were precious few chances to alleviate the rather tetchy entertainment. A Sutton free-kick from 23 yards was deflected upwards for McMillan to catch easily, Dennahy clipped a shot wide, following work by Ben Rushby and the busy Ryan Baker, Tom Rushby’s far post downward header from Baker’s neat centre was smothered at his upright by McMillan and for the home team that was all they could muster. 8, 9 and 10 (Dennahy, Gillott and Baker) were replaced by Francisco Nsumbu, Sam Bartram and Sam Hawkins, which saddened me because the remaining substitute was Samson Cagnani and I have never reported on a Samson before. Did he play less effectively following a haircut?

FEISTY...

Nsumbu rattled the Nomads with some physical chasing and conceded a few free-kicks, even receiving a caution for running at McMillan although the ‘keeper shoved Francisco in the back too but was not punished at all. McMillan also took exception to the launching position of a Prims’ free-kick yet he wasn’t booked, although bawling defender Jon Armson did receive a caution in the same incident. The visitors rarely troubled Binks until the final minutes of the game despite an earlier Steve Armson header from a left-wing corner which fell dully against the base of the right post. A linesman decided that the limping Taylor deserved a caution for his comments and so the Headmaster, sorry, referee obliged and only a couple of late deliveries by Reeves troubled Sutton and his rapid sidekick Jack Bodill; the first seeing Olly Preston’s header deflected and the second whizzing across the goalmouth. Hartopp squandered a late chance however and after the striker had squirmed through in the inside-left channel, he chose to poke a right-footer as Binks advanced instead of placing a left-footer across the ‘keeper and the ball trickled past the near upright. 

NO LOVE LOST...

There was no lack of commitment by the two teams but once the Prims had shaken off their primitive start they certainly just about shaded the game and the Nomads had little answer to the stranglehold tightened by Tom Rushby, Sutton and Dennahy. Gillott looked smart in attack, winning aerial balls certainly but his groundwork was also decent on a number of occasions. Ash Akiens, Richmond and Reeves never stopped competing for the visitors but the well-taken Graham Street goals did damage at just the right time…

NICE COVER...

Me? I was diverted away from the A42 and ended up travelling through Breedon on the Hill, which was a pain, despite the brilliantly positioned and beautifully lit church high above the road… Solihull seemed a long way home at that point…   

TEAMS:

GRAHAM STREET PRIMS:

ADAM BINKS, BEN RUSHBY, SAM GROVES, JACK BODILL, LEE SUTTON (CAPT), TOM RUSHBY, MATT ADCOCK, STEVE DENNAHY, ADAM GILLOTT, RYAN BAKER, JAKE DODDS.

SUBS:

SAM BARTRAM, FRANCISCO NSUMBU, SAM HAWKINS, SAMSON CAGNANI.  

ANSTEY NOMADS:

TAYLOR McMILLAN, JON ARMSON, STEVE ARMSON, ELLIOTT KEJZERKO, OLLY PRESTON, SIMON RICHMOND, ASH AKIENS, NICK REEVES, DAZ TAYLOR (CAPT), JOE HARTOPP, BRAD MOLLETT.

SUBS:

JOE HARRIS, ROB HARRIS.