Bewdley Take Smedley Crooke Cup After ‘Severn’ Penalty Shootout Kicks
Bewdley Town 1-1 Coton Green
(Bewdley won 4-1 in a penalty shootout…)
This keenly contested match alongside the River Severn was a decent spectacle for a noisy assembly with both teams gaining ascendancy at different points but in truth, home striker Lewis Pountney might have won the Final on his own with better finishing. He was really close to scoring a few times during the proceedings, although left-flanker Chris Seekings was the main protagonist on offense for the hosts, even though Calum Martin was largely on the fringe of things in attack. Home ‘keeper Marc Wright would prove to be the hero for Town however because apart from making two crucial penalty-shootout saves, he also made particularly important stops from Coton’s Josh Sherrington twice and also from replacement Alex Potts, after advancing a long way.
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| "I'M ALL HEART..." ADMITS THE REF... |
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| GOOD FUN SPOTTING NUMBERS 3, 5, 6, 8 & 9... |
Luke Williams drove Bewdley on, defender Sam Prescot made some telling challenges for his team and skipper Rob Orme marauded in midfield like a battle-worn infantryman but with the brick-shithouse built Andrew Millan leading the visitors’ attack, Luke Williams and Will Ward knew they had been in a scrap. Millan scored with a fine header but was unable to add to that, despite the work ethic of midfielders Tom Archer and Alex Gough, the calm control at times of Adam Goodby and the tricky wing-play of the unfortunate Sherrington. Rob Hopkins at right-back was often involved in a great tussle with Seekings but Dave Yonwin was a little quiet out wide for the guests.
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| SEEKINGS, GOODBY & MARTIN... |
A bunch of non-playing Coton Green squad members gave great support to their team and a good deal of stick to the home defenders too, which caused the Town players to celebrate their victory all the more vociferously in front of the Coton Green crew after the penalty shootout. The three home replacements were instrumental in the success, for Matt Kerby netted the all important equaliser, Liam Williams netted the first shootout penalty and Corey Jay Rudd slotted the decisive spot-kick as calmly as stroking a neighbour’s cat.
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| POUNTNEY: AN ATTACKING PRESENCE... |
An early Sherrington shot was deflected by the home defence for a corner which was taken by Yonwin but Goodby’s near post header was off target. However, when Bewdley created something, Coton were fortunate to survive. A fine left-side centre by Seekings was struck on the right side of the 6 yard box by Pountney, goalie Mark Bowen threw himself in front of the big striker and made a fine block but Pountney lifted a most acceptable rebound over the crossbar from 3 yards. A deep free-kick by Coton’s Michael Hicks was nudged past the left post by Goodby, I reckon, jumping behind the bulk of Millan and then at the opposite end, Pountney also nodded a free-kick wide for Bewdley.
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| "OMG, I DON'T WANT TO WATCH THIS..." |
The skirmishing Sherrington then won possession from Luke Williams, drove forward and smacked a fine hip-high shot at goal from 27 yards but Wright dived, er, right to turn the effort away for a corner. Martin fed Pountney who mis-controlled the ball in a dangerous position but Pountney then fed a pass to Tom Ferguson and he squared for Seekings to volley from 15 yards but Green defender Nathan Boyce blocked the effort well. Soon though, Seekings’ right flank free-kick saw Goodby nudge a header away from Pountney but it was the visitors who struck first with a goal from a right-wing flag-kick.
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| GOALIE WRIGHT: BANTER WITH THE COTON FOLLOWERS... |
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| REF: "I'LL BEAT YOU TO THE CENTRE-CIRCLE..." |
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"MY SHAVE WAS CLOSER THAN YOURS..."
"NAH, NO WAY, REF..." |
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| THE REFEREE COUNTS THE GROUNDED PLAYER OUT... |
The trajectory from Hicks was fine, Millan rose majestically over Ward and his far post header beat Wright and glanced off the skull of the leaping Pountney defending his own goal-line and the ball crashed into the roof of the net.
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| GOAL! |
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| 0-1 TO COTON GREEN... |
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| MILLAN THE SCORER... |
Boyce maybe got a near post touch to a low centre by Seekings from the left byeline and the ball flew across the Coton goalmouth. Seekings then miscued his shot from Martin’s assist and a header by Orme nestled in Bowen’s arms, as the hosts attempted to regain parity. Ellis Stubbins was replaced for Town by Judd, Green’s Millan shot straight to Wright, Sherrington nearly got clear but was baulked by Luke Williams and the Coton forward was subsequently cautioned for his apparently frustrated swipe at the defender’s feet with a loose boot. Luke Williams was soon to follow Sherrington into the referee’s notebook for some kind of dissent, then before the half-time whistle sounded, a punch-out by Wright led to a Sherrington shot being deflected over the home crossbar.
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| LUKE WILLIAMS REALLY DID NOT WANT TO APPROACH THE REFEREE... |
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| IT'S THE BOLEHILL BROOKSY... |
A busy half then, a lively crowd, martins and swallows flying overhead, a man with a flare in his pocket and Bolehall Swifts’ Brooksy being “…honoured…” to have his photo taken with my badger… It’s what you do…
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| THEY RECKONED THERE WOULD BE A PITCH INVASION IF POTTS SCORED... |
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| MANAGERIAL FRUSTRATION... |
A wasted 28 yard free-kick effort by Luke Williams began the second period, followed by one from inside his own half which bounced high and Bowen decided to glove-tip the falling ball over the goal-frame to safety. The resulting near post corner was flicked behind for another corner by the defending Goodby, before a fine Seekings cross seeking Pountney was chested, headed then volleyed by the forward but Bowen caught the lobbed effort under his horizontal beam.
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| SHERRINGTON'S FACE SAYS IT ALL... |
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| WRIGHT HAS MADE THE SAVE... |
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| PRESCOT: EYES ON SHERRINGTON... |
Kerby replaced Ferguson for the hosts, a long Luke Williams free-kick glanced off Pountney’s head but past the left upright and Orme hooked a right-side throw too hurriedly past the near stick. After this early period of forcing the issue, the hosts were then placed on defensive alert for Sherrington began to threaten on the left for Coton. First his run to the byeline led to a low cross skidding across the goal-face then he showed fine skill to beat Ward twice but Wright got down quickly to save the ensuing low drive well then hang on as the ball spilled from his grasp. Then after beating Prescot on another jinking run to the byeline, Sherrington’s low centre again flew across goal, before Liam Williams replaced Orme, Boyce was booked for Coton Green and surprisingly the currently dangerous Sherrington was substituted, with Potts taking over.
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| "THE MORE CAUTIONS I MAKE, THE MORE I APPEAR IN MATCH REPORTS. COOL, HUH?" |
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| PRESCOT & MILLAN... |
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| IN ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE HIS JERSEY, SHERRINGTON HAS FORGOTTEN TO GRAB HOLD OF IT... |
Immediately though, Kerby fastened onto the ball on the left for the hosts and cut inside to drive a shot against the brave leap of Jones but the rebound fell sweetly for Kerby to fire a low shot past Bowen from 10 yards to equalise.
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| 1-1: KERBY... |
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| MARTIN (10) MAKES SPACE... |
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| MILLAN: HE'S A BIG BUGGER... |
A great incident followed soon afterwards when Martin dived at the near post to get his head to a right-side corner but Hopkins raised a cool thigh to deflect the ball from the goal-line and Pountney’s headed rebound was too high. To compound Pountney’s day he was then cautioned…
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| LIAM WILLIAMS: EAGER, BUT CAUTIONED... |
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HICKS WILL BE CAUTIONED TOO, THEN MISS A PENALTY...
SO WOULD JONES (5), BOTH LEFT-FOOTERS TOO... |
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| GOODBY: OFTEN INFLUENTIAL... |
Incredibly, the hard working Archer slipped a good pass into Potts’ path and the substitute was on a clear run to goal; he saw Wright rushing out of the 18 yard box and tried to poke a low shot past the goalie from 23 yards but the ball took a touch off the goalie and rolled wide before Potts could reach it and turn it into an open net. A Seekings centre was miscued by a visiting defender as the game became open and more exciting, a Hopkins centre was glanced on by home left-back Aaron Stubbins but the falling Millan could get no power behind his shot which rolled past the right upright and Bowen dived low to claim a low centre from the right by Pountney.
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| MARTIN KNEELS & DID WELL TO LAST UNTIL THE END... |
Town’s Liam Williams was cautioned along with Green’s Hicks, but in fairness it must be said that the Tamworth visitors finished as the stronger team and might have snatched a winner. Hopkins’ run into the right side of the penalty-box was halted when Wright dived at his feet and the Coton man went a-tumbling but the generally efficient official was unimpressed by loud penalty claims, as his nearby linesman stood waif-like as if he was terrified that the main official would ask for his opinion. A Yonwin corner was headed down by Millan and Potts almost capitalised but the excellent Prescot cleared the danger. Another Yonwin cross saw Millan’s header cleared by Martin and after Prescot did well to cut out a near post centre by the effervescent Gough, a final left-side corner by Yonwin was barely punched by Wright onto the onrushing Hicks just beyond the far upright but to the left-back’s dismay the ball rolled behind for goal-kick as the referee signalled for full-time.
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| PENALTIES AHEAD... |
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| TOWN PREPARE... |
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| SEEKINGS SEEKING AN ADVANTAGE... |
No extra-time, simply a penalty-shootout followed and after beating Bromsgrove Sporting on spot-kicks in their semi-final tie, maybe Coton Green would be the confident outfit. Er, no…
After Liam Williams beat Bowen with a low kick into the right corner of the net for Town, Wright dived left to easily save Jones’ left-booter for Coton. 1-0 after two kicks.
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| 1-0 IN THE SHOOTOUT... |
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| STILL 1-0... |
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| JONES THE SAD... |
Seekings shot well into the middle of the net for Bewdley and the smart Goodby drove his shot into the right side of the net for Coton. 2-1 after four kicks.
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| 2-0... |
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| 2-1... |
Luke Williams rapped a rising penalty to the goalie’s right for Town, whereas Wright made a similar save to his earlier one and beat out another left-footer, this time from the even more dismayed Hicks. 3-1 after six kicks.
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| 3-1... |
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| STILL 3-1, AFTER HICKS MISSES... |
This meant Rudd needed to score to win the Cup for Bewdley which he duly did with a calm finish into the bottom right corner of the net…
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| RUDD WINS IT... |
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| 4-1 ON PENALTIES TO BEWDLEY... |
4-1 after seven kicks and no way for Coton Green to rescue their nightmarish shootout performance…
Well done to the hosts, who soaked up the applause and were rampant in their joy…
The guests? Sad for them and Sherrington must have wondered what might have been…
TEAMS:
BEWDLEY TOWN:
MARC WRIGHT, SAM PRESCOT, AARON STUBBINS, WILL WARD, LUKE WILLIAMS, ROB ORME (CAPT), TOM FERGUSON, ELLIS STUBBINS, LEWIS POUNTNEY, CALUM MARTIN, CHRIS SEEKINGS.
SUBS:
MATT KERBY, COREY JAY RUDD, TOM APPERALL, LIAM WILLIAMS.
COTON GREEN:
MARK BOWEN, RICH HOPKINS, MICHAEL HICKS, TOM ARCHER, SAM JONES, NATHAN BOYCE, ADAM GOODBY (CAPT), ALEX GOUGH, ANDREW MILLAN, JOSH SHERRINGTON, DAVE YONWIN.
SUBS:
MATT GREEN, ALEX POTTS, TOBY BARNES, FRAZER MULLIS, ? HAYDEN.
