ECCLESHALL FC 0-4 AFC BLACKPOOL: FULL MATCH REPORT...

Eccleshall Bonfire Barely Burns, As Blackpool’s Flaming Balls Blister Pershall Lane

Eccleshall FC 0-4 AFC Blackpool

November 5th and AFC Blackpool, ‘The Mechanics’, found some form at the home of the Eagles and rattled in four goals to no reply. The hosts were poor, it must be said and I can recall just one low shot late on, which caused visiting ‘keeper Callum Kirkland any kind of difficulty at all, whereas home goalie Stuart Robertson saved a number of Blackpool efforts, albeit the majority of them comfortably. He was angry however, for his defenders were unable to close down their sprightly opponents, or win a number of headers just beyond their own penalty-box. When the guests moved their number 9 Aaron Fleming from the middle to the right, the Mechanics looked more potent and it was no surprise that the forward might have netted a hat-trick after the interval, not just a single goal. Home defender and skipper Kieron Ellis worked hard for his team but was unable to prevent an embarrassing defeat to a fellow struggling outfit, following their long journey from the seaside. 

THE TOSS...

From the start, the guests looked brighter than their hosts, attempting to pass the ball, with Matt Muscroft and Dean Ing taking an early grip of midfield and the lean Ryan Charnley and Stephen Betteridge winning aerial ball, although Fleming looked a little forlorn centrally. Certainly the wily Ben Duffield was a threat in attack though and his finish would open the scoring, following two smart pieces of defending by Eagle Ellis, who cut out a low Charnley cross in front of goal and then defended Fleming successfully. One strong piece of defending by Mechanic Matt Richardson, who played well throughout even when moved into midfield later in the encounter, preceded the Duffield strike. A flick-on by the head of Bettering saw Duffield get the better of home defender Rob Haynes, right side of the 18 yard box, before a low drive beat Robertson comprehensively. The ball fizzed into the net…

0-1...

DUFFIELD IS THE SCORER...

Charnley? Surely not related to Ray Charnley, who netted 193 goals in 363 appearances for Blackpool between 1957 and 1967? One England cap only, but he wasn’t playing for a London team, I guess…

For Eccleshall, central striker Jon Hancock endured a frustrating half as if the fuses on his Roman Candles wouldn’t light at all, for although he snapped a low centre across the face of goal, he was also cautioned for a foul after losing possession and his other contribution was a wasted free-kick shot which was well off target after the break, leading to an immediate substitution. His forward colleague Gabriel Chimuzinga misfired too and gained no change from the AFC central defenders James Corbett and skipper Marc Taylor. With the diminutive Jumpin’ Jack Flanaghan and Tyler Simms unable to affect the game from midfield, the Eagles’ whole offense was rather a damp squib.

THE IMPRESSIVE DUFFIELD RUNS AT DYER...

HANCOCK IS CAUTIONED...

The visitors however kept the pyrotechnics going, shoving across deliveries but the closest they came to a second goal were a curled effort from Muscroft, which maybe was touched by the diving Robertson and a dangerous centre by Betteridge following a short corner which Robertson clawed away but Muscroft couldn’t benefit from. Fleming was tigerish on the right flank and home left-back Jordan Benton knew he was in a battle but Fleming’s shooting on two occasions let him down as his 20 yarders arced over the goal-frame like two firework fountains. Other shots flew off target too: Duffield’s flicked header from Kristian Stephens’ centre plus drives too high by Duffield, Charnley on the break, after Richardson had mugged Flanaghan, then after Ing’s effort sliced wide Bettering lifted a shot too high too. Robertson fell to keep out a low Muscroft effort but in truth the AFC finishing hadn’t been booming, burning, banging, or blasting thus far. Then a second goal arrived and again it stemmed from a head-on by Betteridge 20 yards out, Duffield cleverly flicked the ball into Charnley’s path and as Robertson advanced, the forward’s gentle nudge of a shot rolled apologetically into the left corner of the net. Cue Robertson’s bellowing at his defenders and midfielders whereby he really gave them a rocket…

THE BALL HAS TRICKLED INTO THE NET LIKE A TOUCHPAPER THAT WOULDN'T FLARE...

CHARNLEY THE SCORER...

0-2 TO THE MECHANICS...

Half-time arrived and with the low sun having been in Robertson’s eyes for 45 minutes he was no doubt glad to get some respite. It was becoming really cold and the wind-chill reminded me of bonfires in my back garden as a kid in Brum… I once tied some of mum’s wool as a long fuse to a Jumping Jack and had hoped to light it so that it began to leap about and chase my mum around the lawn. I was 8 and didn’t realise that wool wasn’t a taper… Well, I’d been brought up as a Villa fan…

CHARNLEY TAKES ON HARD-WORKING HOME DEFENDER NATHAN DYER...

Simms didn’t reappear for the Eagles, Harry Coles had replaced him and in a promising opening few minutes home wide-man Dan Vickers struck a low, angled cross-shot well wide of the right upright. The Mechanics however were in full command again forthwith as Eccleshall fizzled out again. Ing lifted a shot too high, Charnley turned and struck a shot which Robertson fell right for and gathered at the second attempt before Fleming, flaming in from the right flank, lit his own touch paper with a fine attempt at goal. Beating defenders he shot left-booted from 18 yards but the ball cannoned to safety off the inside of the base of the right post. Betteridge was cautioned and then Hancock’s half-hour of being substituted began. Garth Binks was the new man in.

WHERE THE TALKING TAKES PLACE...

Fleming instigated a move which Betteridge skewed badly past the left upright and a Charnley shot was fumbled but saved by Robertson before the visitors sealed victory with a third goal, scored emphatically by Fleming. A left-side centre was jumped for by Stephen Higgins who had just replaced Duffield but the ball dropped centrally for Fleming to strike low into goal from 18 yards, off that right upright he’d made his own. 

FINALLY FLEMING FLARES...

...& IT'S 0-3...

Stephens and Higgins shot straight at Robertson, Charnley was replaced by Alex Footman and Fleming, told it was his last chance on free-kicks if he messed up, saw a low 25 yard effort seemingly stopped with a glove at the foot of that right post Fleming liked so much. Perhaps he would nail his Catherine wheel to it later in the evening… To give all of his three replacements a decent time on the pitch following the long trip south, the Mechanics’ manager withdrew Muscroft and introduced Chris Thomas who ran hard in attack. The fourth goal was a cartoon effort, like a Bonfire Night rocket had tumbled as it was launched and ricocheted madly around the garden. Fleming’s cross from the right struck Ben Dawson who had replaced the Eagles’ Vickers, then hit Rob Haynes, before Ing shot at goal but the ball deflected off Higgins’ body onto Fleming’s upright, before rebounding to the alert Higgins who thumped it into the roof of the net like a party-popper exploding at a wedding, from a few yards out as Robertson flailed on the turf like Guido Fawkes attempting to avoid arrest.

0-4...

HIGGINS THE SCORER...

HANDS ON HIPS TIME FOR THE HOME SKIPPER...

A neat one-two involving Richardson and Fleming saw the former’s shot whizz for Robertson to save, Stephens’ run saw a sparkler of a shot flash wide, Ing clipped an effort which curled like a turbillion, the firework star which glitters and spirals erratically and Robertson held onto a low Higgins drive. Constant domination by the visitors had continued through the half, bar a long shot by Coles which Kirkland rolled over to his right to collect but Chimuzinga lost patience and kicked out at a Mechanic defender, earning himself a caution.

MORE THREAT BY AFC BLACKPOOL...

RARE OFFENSE BY ECCLESHALL...

This had been a poor effort by Eccleshall, despite the midfield exertions of Dan Hadley, but his team’s efforts were eclipsed by their eager guests who possessed more gunpowder in their offensive store than the hosts could muster. Taylor kept his team going, Richardson really powered through midfield in the later stages of the game and Fleming was a real banger in an enclosed space for the home defence to deal with. Eccleshall fired duds. In truth, AFC’s shooting was too often erratic but four times they succeeded in scoring and adding Duffield’s and Charnley’s contributions to those who had replaced them, this victory was as comfortable as it was deserved and pleasurable for the travelling players. 

Eccleshall had lost the plot…   

TEAMS:

ECCLESHALL FC:

STUART ROBERTSON, NATHAN DYER, JORDAN BENTON, ROB HAYNES, KIERON ELLIS (CAPT), DAN HADLEY, DAN VICKERS, TYLER SIMMS, JON HANCOCK, GABRIEL CHIMUZINGA, JACK FLANAGHAN.

SUBS:

JACK BEECH, BARTH BINKS, BEN DAWSON, HARRY COLES, ALEX BUSHE.

AFC BLACKPOOL:

CALLUM KIRKLAND, MATT RICHARDSON, KRISTIAN STEPHENS, MATT MUSCROFT, JAMES CORBETT, MARC TAYLOR (CAPT), RYAN CHARNLEY, DEAN ING, AARON FLEMING, BEN DUFFIELD, STEPHEN BETTERIDGE.

SUBS:

STEPHEN HIGGINS, ALEX FOOTMAN, CHRIS THOMAS.