DROITWICH SPA 0-2 REDDITCH BOROUGH: MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

Droitwich Overcome By Redditch & All the Noise Of the Fair…

Droitwich Spa 0-2 Redditch Borough

The fairground rides boomed in the background as Borough took an early grip on this eagerly anticipated clash, partly no doubt due to a busy and inventive game plan, partly no doubt due to a stiff breeze being in their favour and partly no doubt due to their ability to confuse their hosts. The rear of the very blue Redditch shirts read: ‘The Reds’… It’s all in the mind, you know… A fine goal by Gareth Hodgetts had given the guests a deserved first-half lead but in truth few goalmouth episodes materialised worthy of mention before the break, although Borough goalie Ryan Young managed to deflect a Nick Seaborne attempt and the home defence was often under threat from the long throws and free-kicks of Redditch’s solid right-back Luke English. Indeed, both Spa full-backs Josh Szikora-Warmington (I’ll call him Szikora from now on…) were also adept at chucking long throws, so the ball was often swirling high over King George’s Fields. 

THE REF HANDS HATFIELD A RAZOR BLADE...

A couple of James Lemon headers and a Louis Bridges shot threatened briefly for the Saltmen after the interval but the Borough defence, with skipper Jamie Hatfield’s presence generally as huge as his chin growth, held out. Blue-shirted Reds’ midfielder Dean Hay made crucial defensive interventions too and when Liam Fullerton snaffled a second goal for the visitors, all was lost for Spa. Indeed, Courtney Sowe had a late shot saved by Matt Oliver also, which could have given the scoreline a more flattering look but the truth of it was that Droitwich weren’t at the races, as the Reds grabbed their victory with both hands.

THE REDS, IN, ER, BLUE...

Lemon attempted to win an early penalty for Spa however when he combined with Bridges but his ‘tumble’ failed to impress the officials. Boro’ striker Steve Joynes played well throughout this contest though and his low centre of gravity, his confidence in holding up the ball and his turning ability proved menacing for home skipper and central defender Andy Crowther, who was also displeased by his colleagues’ seeming lack of resolve during the game. Indeed, Joynes, along with team-mate Ollie Saunders, probably the shortest guys on the pitch, rose to head an English centre over the crossbar from 10 yards, as the guests began to look the livelier team during the opening exchanges. Soon though, a long Szikora throw was cleared by Redditch to Saltman Jack Allerton but his 25 yard strike rose over the Reds’, or maybe the Blues’ crossbar.

SEABOURNE & ADELEKAN: A GOOD CONTEST...

...AND AGAIN, WHILST JAMES WAITS IN LEMON BOOTS...

The opening goal for Boro’ came directly from Jamie Smith’s set-piece delivery on the right-wing for Droitwich which goalie Young got a touch to. The loose ball was cleared quickly by Hay to Fullerton, who swept the ball left to Sowe and with Hodgetts breaking unmarked on the right because Smith was still stranded on the opposite side of the pitch, Sowe weighed up his options from the left-flank. He heard a call from Hodgetts, Fullerton left the forward’s crossfield pass alone and the still uncovered Hodgetts volleyed a fine 19 yard right-booter over Oliver and into the home net via a touch onto the underside of the cross-beam. A superb strike…

SEABOURNE: TOP SCORER FOR THE SALTMEN...

ALLERTON IS LIFTED UPWARDS, STAGE LEFT...

0-1...

GOAL FOR HODGETTS...

"YEAH..."
AND WHAT A GOAL!

Another Reds’, or perhaps Blues’ set-piece saw Szikora scramble away a Hodgetts header, before Oliver collected low shots from both Fullerton and the impish Saunders, although the hosts finally made some offensive progress as the interval approached. Szikora appeared to have taken a knock in defending the latest Boro’ attack but his team was offered a goal-chance when Hatfield made his only real error, failing to clear the ball on the defensive right side of his own 18 yard box and allowing the previously ineffective Lemon to roll the ball to the unmarked Seaborne, 6 yards out. However, as the inspiring Boro’ left-back AJ Adelekan challenged, Seabourne’s low strike appeared to deflect off ‘keeper Young for a right-side corner. Another break on the right by Redditch’s Hodgetts led to no shot this time and underused home left-winger Haydn Morris nodded the ball towards goal for his team as the break neared but Boro’ cleared with little trouble. 

JOYNES REACHES THE BYELINE...

THE REDS', OR BLUES' DUGOUT...

A SALTMAN NEEDS A PEE...

SEABOURNE HAS BEEN DENIED...

SLOW TO GET UP, TOO...

Crowther was clearly unhappy with his team’s showing, with Redditch looking much more effective than their hosts moving forward. Sowe, Fullerton and the splendid Joynes were the dangers, with Saunders nipping in to intercept on occasions and full-backs English and Adelekan always prominent. The Saltmen certainly needed peppering up somewhat. Hay was the destructive force for the visitors and without any fuss he went about his business successfully and in a committed fashion. Smith and Matt Hunt had looked decent for the hosts and Bridges had seen a lot of the ball but subsequently the hosts had failed to impress offensively.

MORE RED THREAT, IN BLUE...

Szikora failed to reappear after the pause, during which the fairground screams and beat laboured on and I learned that Bromsgrove Sporting were losing 1-0 in their FA Vase semi-final second-leg at Cleethorpes, a scoreline which sadly wouldn’t alter. Adam Granger replaced the right-back and played in centre-defence, allowing Crowther to move into the wide-right defensive slot. Adelekan defended Lemon’s central run with aplomb, before the hosts came so close to equalising when a right-side attack led to Crowther crossing dangerously. Lemon rose well but his sweet back header dropped against the same underside section of the crossbar which had aided Hodgetts’ shot earlier in the match. Lemon soured as the ball bounced down and was cleared by the visitors.

OLIVER OUT FOR MORE...

ADELEKAN: STRONG RUNNER...

LEMON: FEELING THE STRAIN AFTER HEADING TOO HIGH...

MORRIS: QUIET GAME...

"DON'T LOOK DOWN BUT ANSWER THIS, GARETH... HOW ARE OUR BOOTS DIFFERENT?"

THE REF FINDS A SIMPLE 'BOUNCE-UP' JUST ISN'T SIMPLE AT ALL...

THE REF IS SPEAKING TO HODGETTS AND HATFIELD.
HODGETTS SHOWS HOW HE FEELS WITH THE POSITIONING OF HIS RIGHT HAND...

Lemon nodded a Smith free-kick too high and it looked more promising at this point for the hosts, especially when both Smith and Bridges launched set-piece crosses, two of which were splendidly cleared by the battling Hay. Against the elements, with rain adding to the strong breeze as the half wore on, Joynes managed a low near post shot which Oliver clung onto, before Morris was replaced by Brad Burgess for the hosts. A right-side throw by the Saltmen was flicked on by the useful heading ability of Seabourne, right onto the volleying right boot of Bridges, 12 yards out but it was Hay who blocked the ball again and this proved to be the real turning point in the outcome of the match. After Hodgetts headed an English corner well wide, a mistake in the home defence allowed Fullerton to take full advantage and run forward before shooting low past the advancing Oliver.

0-2...

FULLERTON THE SCORER...

Allerton drove too high from 25 yards, Lemon lifted a shot wastefully too high and the guests made a couple of substitutions, one either side of a shot by Sowe, who had been fed by Joynes’ smart right-to-left pass, only for Oliver to save with a foot. George Westwood replaced the excellent Hay, Robert the Bruce (really?) replaced Fullerton and at the death, Westwood received the only caution of a reasonably sporting contest….

SMITH: GOOD GAME FOR THE SALTMEN...

Hay had done his job well for Boro’ and Hatfield led his team well, but that keen commitment by the Reds, or even the Blues had left the Saltmen looking a fair bit disorganised. Lemon had apparently played once since December and he did well to last the ninety minutes but danger-forward Seabourne was well marshalled by the guests’ defence. Morris and Graeme Pardoe struggled to affect the game offensively but certainly Smith and Hunt, along with Crowther, fought until the end. 

Boro’ looked the brighter team on offense and held their form to earn a fine three points against the current league leaders…

Me? Glad to leave the fairground but grateful to the club for the fine mug of tea when I arrived!

TEAMS:

DROITWICH SPA:

MATT OLIVER, JOSH SZIKORA-WARMINGTON, JAMIE SMITH, MATT HUNT, ANDY CROWTHER (CAPT), GRAEME PARDOE, NICK SEABOURNE, JACK ALLERTON, JAMES LEMON, LOUIS BRIDGES, HAYDN MORRIS.

SUBS:

BRAD BURGESS, MACAULEY FINCH, ADAM GRANGER, JOE MAYO-BRAIDEN, BESAR CELAJ.

REDDITCH BOROUGH:

RYAN YOUNG, LUKE ENGLISH, AJ ADELEKAN, DEAN HAY, JAMIE HATFIELD (CAPT), GARETH HODGETTS, CRAIG MAILINS, LIAM FULLERTON, STEVE JOYNES, OLLIE SAUNDERS, COURTNEY SOWE.

SUBS:

CALLUM HALL, GEORGE WESTWOOD, AARON ADDIS, ALEX BIRCH, ROB BRUCE.