HIGHGATE UNITED 1-2 LONG EATON UNITED: FULL MATCH REPORT...

‘Gate Gutted As Long Eaton Earn Victory At the Tony Allden Coppice…

Highgate United 1-2 Long Eaton United

TEAMS:

HIGHGATE UNITED:

TOBY WILCOX, ORRIN PENDLEY, NATHAN PULISCIANO, JOE COLE, SCOTT TURNER, JAMES LONEY, TOM LACEY, JOSH HAWKER (CAPT), MARCO ADAGGIO, McAULEY MANNING, LEI BROWN.

SUBS:

TREV EDWARDS, DALE EDWARDS, PAUL HUNTER, ISAAC JAGROUP.

LONG EATON UNITED:

MATT COTTRELL, BRANDON GWINNUTT, DANNY BRAIN, JAK KENWORTHY, KALLUM KEANE, AARON COLE, ANDY TODD, PAOLO PILIERO (CAPT), ROMAINE GRAHAM, ALEX MARSHALL, TOM MARSHALL.

SUBS:

BLAIR ANDERSON, WILL GORDON, SCOTT STANILAND, LEWIS WALKER.

NO-ONE APPEARS TO KNOW WHOSE ARM IS WHOSE...

NEAT TAP-DANCE ROUTINE BY JAMES LONEY (6)...

THE COPPICE IN SILENCE...

Following the respectful naming of The Coppice grandstand ‘The Tony Allden Stand’, a good number of guests moved to the club-room to eat and drink, whilst I searched high and low simply to acquire a match programme. In vain… There were none left by 13.50 hours, which for a number of spectators who had actually turned up to watch the game between Highgate and Long Eaton, was galling. The folks who did venture from the clubhouse to watch the game saw a strange affair in which Long Eaton started more confidently on a difficult muddy surface and they netted early from a corner. The bizarre dismissal of ‘Gate defender Orrin Pendley, whose surging run had resulted in setting up a simple chance for Marco Adaggio to convert which the striker subsequently fluffed, saw the right-back take his frustrations out on an advertising hoarding near the end-line. He broke a hole in it with a violent kick actually, so that the referee trotted over to Pendley and waved a red card at him. 

THE UNVEILING...

ORRIN PENDLEY HAS BEEN DISMISSED TO THE CLUBHOUSE, WHERE THE FOOD AWAITS...

Long Eaton scored again moments later but in truth the Blues failed to capitalise upon their good fortune and despite having a man extra, they somehow allowed both ‘Gate full-backs, Nathan Pulisciano and Tom Lacey (filling in for Pendley) large amounts of space to work in. On closer inspection, the Eaton midfielders seemed bunched in the central areas on a number of occasions and after the interval, there was no evidence at all that ‘Gate were a man short. An own-goal by the guests (so decent of them during a Memorial Match) set up ‘Gate for a more rousing effort and left-back Nathan Pulisciano was a menace throughout that second period, as Eaton became less offensive, relying on the breaks of undaunted striker Alex Marshall and later the speed of replacement Blair Anderson. After Blues’ AARON Cole had been sent-off for a sliding, boots-first challenge on ‘Gate’s JOE Cole, prolific home forward Lei Brown headed an acceptable chance badly wide late on and the visitors were able to see out the remaining minutes, during which skipper Paolo Piliero so nearly added a killer third goal.

AARON COLE ARGUES HIS CASE.
AND FAILS...

An early Aaron Cole corner for the guests struck the home crossbar in the swirling breeze but Highgate’s two early slick moves were wrecked by clever forward McCauley Manning straying offside. A free-kick by James Loney, Trevor Edwards’ replacement in the Highgate starting eleven, led to a header away by Alex Marshall but home skipper Josh Hawker’s volley drifted too high. The opening goal stemmed from a right-side Piliero corner which Romaine Graham challenged for at the near post but the ball skidded up from the turf towards the far corner of the net, forcing Joe Cole to head it off his goal-line. Alex Marshall battled to nudge the ball forward and there was central defender Kallum Keane to shove a low shot into the net from 8 yards.

0-1: KALLUM KEANE...

Long Eaton goalie Matt Cottrell was soon caught by Brown’s boot as he slithered to collect the ball and the home striker was yellow-carded but Brown was very close to scoring moments later, as he moved away from Keane on the right flank onto Manning’s good pass. There was a murmuring from visiting fans about offside but no flag materialised and Brown reached the byeline, turned inside but his low near post shot was deflected well by the torso of Cottrell and although Adaggio retrieved the ball on the left, first Loney miscued from 20 yards and then Manning lifted his effort from a similar distance much too high.

MARCO ADAGGIO: COSTLY MISS...

GARY HAMSON WASN'T REALLY THERE.
THIS IS A WAXWORK OF HIM FROM THE LEEDS WAXWORKS MUSEUM, WHICH IS TURNED ROUND EVERY FEW MINUTES BY ONE OF THE SUBSTITUTES...
HE NEVER CHANGES FROM THIS POSE IN ANY MATCH.

Pendley was then exiled from the match, following his assault upon an innocent advertising hoarding, as a result of Adaggio scooping a good opportunity over the target following the right-back’s fine run and feed. Typically, the guests immediately stole a second goal, after Tom Marshall’s pass to his brother saw home defender Scott Turner upend Alex 20 yards from goal. Wilcox, not a tall ‘keeper, would possibly have been wary of the wind affecting Aaron Cole’s free-kick shot and he was right to, for the ball evaded the stretching ‘keeper, bounced down off the crossbar and Graham was there, even better served than on an Ibiza beach by an eager waiter, to stroke home a simple rebound. 

ORRIN: "WHY ARE YOU SENDING ME OFF, REF?"
REF: "BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE KILLED THAT ADVERTISING HOARDING, MATE..."

0-2: ROMAINE GRAHAM...

HIGHGATE IN A HOLE NOW...

ROMAINE WOULD LIKE TAP-INS LIKE THAT IN EVERY GAME...

Graham lifted a close-range left-booter way too high from Alex Marshall’s head-down of his brother’s deep, high centre but his blushes were spared by a linesman’s offside flag. Blues’ midfielder Brandon Gwinnutt, filling in for the injured Josh Raven at right-back, managed a 25 yard strike wide before the break and when the referee signalled for half-time most people trudged for another, fine-rain blown constitutional walk to the clubhouse and back again…

"GOSH, WE REALLY LIKE THE REF, DON'T WE?"
"YES, WE SURE DO..."

TREVOR EDWARDS AVOIDS KICKING THE SHIT OUT OF THE ADVERTISING HOARDING AND FETCHES A LOST BALL INSTEAD...

Highgate shrugged off the awkwardness of being a man down rather quickly in the second period and Long Eaton appeared to relinquish any control they held on the game. Hawker was effective in the home midfield, Brown was a physical handful for Keane and his new colleague at the back Jak Kenworthy, but Adaggio was generally a nuisance. He generally holds up the ball very well, spins quickly and feeds supporting colleagues smartly and after Piliero had fed Alex Marshall for a shot off target at the opposite end, Joe Cole and Brown combined for Hawker to slip a neat pass through inside-right for Adaggio to get in a shot from an angle but although the effort was going wide anyway, Cottrell gloved it for a corner. 

ALEX MARSHALL: NEVER STOPPED...

The kicking by Wilcox then came into question when receiving back-passes and following one of those, Graham passed to Tom Marshall but the midfielder’s low 18 yard shot was saved falling right by the recovered goalkeeper. A Tom Marshall corner from the left swerved unpleasantly into Wilcox’s gloves on his goal-line, before Manning was flagged offside after netting for ‘Gate and Graham was replaced by the Blues, for the introduction of the tricky Anderson. Left-back Danny Brain, always ready to support the Long Eaton attack, soon made an interception, fed a pass left to Anderson, ran to support him but instead the substitute rapped an 18 yard shot from the corner of the penalty-box into the side-netting. 

"HEY MAN, NOTICE MY CUTE SMILE?"
ROMAINE HAS A 'ME' MOMENT...

The Highgate goal when it came was an odd one, for Adaggio attacked the right side of the penalty-box and crossed low into the 6 yard area, where Gwinnutt slid goalwards, knocking the ball with his right boot inside the near post to offer Highgate hope. Most unfortunate for him… Brain was cautioned for his reaction to the goal, which saw him rather irate.   

1-2: BRANDON GWINNUTT (LEFT) HAS SCORED AN OWN-GOAL...

Andy Todd, not too heavily involved for the visitors did combine with Gwinnutt but neither appeared to want to shoot and only a corner was won then the referee decided that when Anderson had controlled a bouncing ball just two feet off the ground, with an opponent safely behind him, it constituted dangerous play and a free-kick was awarded. More refereeing inconsistency… Cottrell fell upon a Brown shot, Anderson fired the ball across the Highgate 6 yard box, then the Coles clashed. Aaron nudged the ball past Trev Edwards, recently having joined the fray for ‘Gate but in his need to reach the ball, he slid carelessly into Joe, offering the referee an opportunity to level the numbers on the pitch, whilst also halving the Coles…

BROWN, BRAIN & PILIERO: A FIRM OF ACCOUNTANTS IN REGENT STREET, LONDON...

BLAIR & TREVOR...

TOM MARSHALL (11) HAS SEEN AARON COLE'S RED CARD...

Edwards flicked a pass to Pulisciano on the left touchline and his cross saw Brown totally unmarked just 6 yards from the Long Eaton goal, despite the fact that there were six blue shirts milling about. Brown though appeared launch himself at the ball and got it wrong, heading well wide of the left upright. Will Gordon replaced Gwinnutt for the Blues, Pulisciano was booked for arguing, Scott Staniland replaced Tom Marshall and after a Wilcox clearance struck Anderson and forced ‘Gate to clear hastily, Piliero so nearly scored for the surviving visitors. He was fed by a very neat pass from Anderson and took on the goalie near the left upright; he seemed to lose his chance but typical of Piliero, his clever control saw him twist towards the byeline and shoot, only for the ball to be saved by Wilcox’s right boot. 

TARDY TREVOR: ARRIVED LATE, GOT ON THE PITCH LATE...

Long Eaton, through winning a defensive free-kick and then a couple of offensive corners, were able to see out the added time played and took away the three points, which Highgate could so easily have denied them. Adaggio and Brown had missed two very tasty chances but I guess that any team which has grafted hard on another team’s special day, when they themselves are merely makeweights, would relish a victory on the road.

SOME INTERESTING REACTIONS TO PENDLEY'S DISMISSAL...

Kenworthy and Keane did well for Long Eaton in defence and ‘keeper Cottrell slithered to grab a few low loose balls in the second-half but the work ethic of both Marshalls was exemplary throughout the match, along with Graham’s tireless efforts in attack. A few smart Aaron Cole passes caught the eye, as did a good deal of Gwinnutt’s play and most of Brain’s. Piliero used his quick feet to avoid challenges in defensive midfield situations but on many occasions the Blues sorely lacked width.

JAK KENWORTHY (4): SLOTTED IN WELL FOR LONG EATON...

Pulisciano was good on offense for the hosts, Lacey’s left foot from right-back gave his team interesting trajectories at times, whilst Joe Cole and especially Hawker looked decent in midfield. Brown and Adaggio will threaten any defence at this level but on this occasion, the accuracy wasn’t quite there…

I’ll leave the match by offering my tribute to Tony Allden: 

Tony Allden: 50 Years On…

Beyond a canal, over a humped bridge,

Tythe BarnLane lay in wait

For a rain-soaked FA Amateur Cup quarter-final

And Enfield FC were visiting The Gate…

Maybe 2000 spectators packed into The Coppice

But beyond the fields and woods a storm thundered;

Highgate’s underdogs scrapped from the start

But an early goal by Enfield was plundered…

Suddenly though in the 27th minute,

The storm wielded its frightening power:

Lightning struck the centre-circle area

And some players fell, some would cower…

Those affected soon began to recover

But then it became shockingly clear

That prone Highgate defender Tony Allden was hurt

And the horror turned to abject fear…

Allden was rushed to Solihull Hospital

But consciousness was never regained

And he died the following lunchtime,

Martyred by lightning that fate had ordained…

Pete Ray

February 2017

The abandoned game was replayed at Villa Park, a match I attended, as illustrated by the images of my match programme. Enfield won 6-0 and progressed to the Final, in which they beat Skelmersdale United 3-0 at Manchester City’s old ground, Maine Road, following a 0-0 draw at Wembley…