PEGASUS JUNIORS 3-3 WOLVERHAMPTON SPORTING: MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

Parity At Wilderland, As Both Griffiths & Westwood Baggins A Brace

Pegasus Juniors 3-3 Wolverhampton Sporting Community

This turned out to be a poor result for the visiting Wolves, as a victory would have closed the gap behind runaway league leaders Haughmond to a still barely retrievable ten points. The fact that they overcame some horrible defending three times to regain parity and then missed a glorious chance to win the game when the prodigious Dan Westwood lifted an acceptable chance over the target from 6 yards, was to be applauded but the young Pegasus outfit squandered a couple of late opportunities too. Meeting Westwood at Sporting Khalsa recently was odd, after I had just seen a Cornish forward score his fifth hat-trick in five games for Sticker AFC, because Westy had previously done much the same for Wolves and both players are now in touch via Twitter, following their incredible feats.

DAN WESTWOOD: GRABBED A BRACE...

Wilderland? Baggins? Well, the backdrop to Old School Lane was a Grey Mountains-like hilly landscape and a huge roller lay next to what looked like undulating Hobbit homes. There was no Mirkwood in either team but Wolves had a Westwood and a Northwood, plus a veritable Bilbo Baggins in winger Chris Rabone, plus a Gollum character in left-back Jamal Fuller. Not in looks I hasten to add but in his flares of temper at his fellow defenders’ lack of discipline and in response to some rather vociferous comments from his dugout residents. Not precious though… Indeed the Pegasus manager Ant Robbins patrolled the pitch like a controlling Gandalf, leading his young Hobbits with all the experience of a bow-legged veteran. And there was also Wolves’ right-back Giles Harvey, surely auditioning for the part of Shelob the spider, for his eyes whilst tackling set fear all along the Elf Path and across the Edge of the Wild…

THE MANAGER STANDS WELL CLEAR AS A COACH SNIFFS A FLAG...

Anyway, on to the action and for 15 minutes or so, it was in truth mundane, with neither team able to harness the breeze, or achieve any pattern, although a couple of runs by Wolves’ John Letford promised more than his colleagues actually achieved. Home ‘keeper Max Harris, highly rated and Hereford FC’s number three goalie, did well to grab a low cross from the right byeline by Letford before the lurking Westwood could pounce and the only other action worthy of mention on my dictaphone was firstly a lofted kick by home skipper Ben Price which didn’t reach the end-line, so that he was then able to strike an 18 yard shot straight at Wolves’ glove-wearer James Gettings and secondly, after Robbins had been cautioned for a wild challenge on visiting defender Jack Barnes, a run by Letford and a shot by Westwood which was well blocked by impressive home central defender Kyle Panniers. 

GUESS WHERE THIS FELLOW WAS STRUCK?
A PLAYER PICKS UP A DISLODGED BALL...

PANNIERS & LETFORD IN CONTACT...

GANDALF ROBBINS HAS STRUCK DOWN AN OPPONENT...

"I DIDN'T TOUCH HIM... IT WAS MERELY A TRICK..."

GANDALF IS CAUTIONED ANYWAY...

Quite unexpectedly however the hosts snatched the lead when Robbins fed a short pass to Liam Jones deep on the right and his diagonal, switched and high pass out to the free Price on the left flank exposed the frailties on the Wolves defensive right. He shoved a simple low centre onto Luke Griffiths’ right instep and the 6 yard volley easily beat Gettings. The guests looked shocked. Fuller growled a lot and expressed his dislike for the Orcs and almost immediately home forward Carlos Moreira, with such fleet feet he could have been Legolas, set up Griffiths from the left-side again but this time his shot struck Kieron Northwood. 

1-0...

GOAL FOR GRIFFITHS...

Just like that however, Wolves struck back and what had proven so difficult for them previously, suddenly looked so simple on this occasion. Poor Dimitri Dunkley (sorry mate, but on the team sheet you were ‘Dunkerley’, hence the errors on the video clips…) had been shepherded on the WSC right by three defenders too often and nothing had been achieved on that flank but another thrusting run by the Aragorn-like Letford saw the ball pushed aside for Rabone to cleverly thread into the left side of the penalty-box, where Westwood had anticipated the pass would arrive and the striker wasted no time in slipping a fine finish out of Harris’ reach and just inside the right upright.

PANNIERS & LETFORD: STILL FRIENDS I SEE...

AWAITING A WOLVES CORNER...

1-1...

WESTWOOD HAS POACHED ONE...

SET UP BY BILBO RABONE...

An instant reply by Pegasus nearly brought a second goal but Glen Segust’s low shot rolled past the left post, before an overhead effort by the totally unmarked Price (as opposed to the ‘marked Price’?)  was well off target. Cue more Gollum scowls from Fuller, who was no doubt my Character of the Match… Left-back Lewis Fletcher was the second Junior to be cautioned, for tugging back Rabone, who had embarrassed him cleverly and it seemed that perhaps the guests were beginning to yawn and stretch like huge Ents. Rabone and Dunkley had switched wings and suddenly, by cutting inside from the left, the latter looked more dangerous and less crowded but it was the hosts who struck again. From the left again and this time the space afforded was like no man’s land at the Somme…

2-1...

GOAL FOR FLETCHER...

...& TOO EASY...

Gettings had caught a Pegasus free-kick smartly but threw the ball out straight to Fletcher, who shoved the ball to Moreira; he in turn just pushed a pass to the overlapping but hardly rushing Fletcher and the defender was untouched as he reached almost to the byeline and gently side-footed the ball across the 6 yard box, a delivery which somehow eluded Gettings and rolled into the far corner of the net. Cue Gollumesque rantings, scowls and growls from Fuller and who could blame him?

WHAT GOES ON...

MAX HARRIS: PROMISING 'KEEPER...

Price shot a lofted free-kick too high for the Juniors and then, right on the 45 minute mark, the guests equalised again. Dunkley took a pass from Westwood on the left, cut inside like Bilbo’s sword Sting, through flesh, only to see his powerful drive superbly turned aside by Harris but Rabone Bagginsed the rebound and the score was tied at the interval.

BILBO RABONE (11) HAS MADE IT 2-2...

More goals arrived at the start of the second period but then no more were scored at all, although the game kept up its watchability. Barnes and fellow Wolves defender Matt Vaughan, whose understanding wasn’t always compatible on the day, looked vulnerable as Moreira’s dancing feet cut inside from the left and squared a pass to Segust, 20 yards from goal and his left-foot shot struck Barnes, the ball rebounded to an unmarked Griffiths and his low shot rolled inside the left upright from 15 yards… Fuller? He hadn’t lost his magic ring this time, more like his temper…

3-2...

GRIFFITHS AGAIN...

Dunkley was to prove a tough opponent for home right-back Carl Horton in the second period and one run by the winger to the byeline saw Harris’ legs intervene at the near stick, as the hovering Westwood sensed a chance. It didn’t take long for the third equaliser to arrive however and the left boot of Westwood provided it but much credit must go to Rabone whose burst past Robbins in midfield led to a clever pass right to Westwood who had drifted away from Fletcher and the forward wasted no time from just beyond the side of the penalty-box in clipping a fine first-timer round the helpless Harris and into the far corner of the net. Good stuff… Rabone had secured a goal and two assists: real Bilbo Baggins exploits…

CHRIS RABONE: CREATIVE...

Another deep centre by Rabone saw Dunkley head down for Westwood but the effort struck Harris, before the heavily involved Wolves midfielder Mitch Clarke made a fine defensive challenge to deny the constantly dangerous Moreira. The miss by Westwood which might have secured the victory for WSC owed a little to Mirkwood magic, a little to the size of his shin pads apparently and also a little to the famous footballers’ ‘bobble’. Maybe he was leaning back a little too and squandered the opportunity? Anyway, Dunkley reached the left-byeline (no complaints at all from Fuller: “We likes that… Preciousssss…” we almost heard him whisper…) and passed for Westwood to score. Only he didn’t. His shot looped over the crossbeam.

JONES THREATENS...

Harvey was booked for a launched assault upon Price and paid the price, Northwood did really well to nod a dangerous Jones cross over his own crossbar and then I guess that the substitutions made affected the flow of the game somewhat although one of them, Ash Lear, nearly won the match for Juniors. He replaced goalscorer Griffiths, after Jones was replaced by Lewis Clarke. Phil McKerdy had arrived in place of the influential Rabone for Wolves but after Price had run onto another defensive error by the visitors and his falling outside-of-right-boot effort from the left had drifted past the near post, Pegasus thought they had taken the lead for the fourth time. Fine lead-up play once again from the lively Moreira set up Lear, 15 yards out at inside-right but somehow Gettings got a touch on the shot and although it looked like the ball would hit the net, it missed the target and a corner only was secured.

GREAT SKY...

JAMES GETTINGS: FINE SAVE AT THE END...

McKerdy and Dunkley were denied by home defender Jay Richmond as Wolves broke out then Price and Moreira combined for Pegasus but Price dragged a weak 15 yard shot from a fine position well off target. In the closing moments Moreira, so tired after a hardworking performance, overran the ball to Gettings and at the other end Harris dropped onto a near post cross by McKerdy, as Westwood lurked once more.

PEGASUS RUE ANOTHER MISS...

I guess that on chances alone, parity at Mirkwood was fair enough and both teams contributed to decent entertainment on a day when a number of fixtures were postponed due to adverse weather conditions. Pegasus, well served indeed by Richmond and especially Panniers in defence, could point to some neat work by Jones and Price but also the inventiveness displayed by the effervescent Moreira. Wolves were iffy at the back, no doubt about that at all and subsequently their three away goals amounted to only a single point. Westwood was a predator, Rabone the architect and Clarke and Northwood the workhorses in midfield. Harvey and Fuller attempted to quell the defensive inadequacies of the team but maybe they were not supported by their wingers on occasions… 

Vaughan’s loud voice and pained expressions had reminded me of Gothmog, a fiery JRR Tolkien Orc but in the end there was peace in Mirkwood and we all returned home to dream of Hobbits in Old School Lane… 

HAVING A QUIET MOMENT...

Precioussssssss… 

JAMAL: I USED TO PLAY THE PART OF GOLLUM AT BRUM'S SAREHOLE MILL...
I LOOK THE SAME NOW.

TEAMS:

PEGASUS JUNIORS:

MAX HARRIS, CARL HORTON, LEWIS FLETCHER, JAY RICHMOND, KYLE PANNIERS, ANT ROBBINS, BEN PRICE (CAPT), LUKE GRIFFITHS, GLEN SEGUST, CARLOS MOREIRA, LIAM JONES.

SUBS:

LEWIS CLARKE, WILF MUNN, ASH LEAR, ELLIOT PAYNE, SAM PEARSON.

WOLVERHAMPTON SPORTING COMMUNITY:

JAMES GETTINGS, GILES HARVEY, JAMAL FULLER, MITCH CLARKE, JACK BARNES, MATT VAUGHAN, DIMITRI DUNKLEY, KIERON NORTHWOOD, DAN WESTWOOD, JOHN LETFORD, CHRIS RABONE.

SUBS:

PHIL McKERDY, NICK HAYNES, ALEX MOORE, SCOTT COOPER, KYLE DELANEY.