FAIRFIELD VILLA 4-2 GNP SPORTS: MATCH REPORT...

Collins Spoils the Cook But Sweetens the Fairfield Broth

Fairfield Villa 4-2 GNP Sports

GNP Sports from Coventry, warming up for their first season in Midland League 3 began with an early goal at Fairfield, lost their way somewhat and found themselves a couple of goals adrift by the interval but after a number of substitutions were made by both teams and having conceded a sloppy fourth goal, realistically GNP could even have won the match. Charlie Cook, ex-Coventry United of course, might have clinched the game on his own but was thwarted by home ‘keeper Aaron Collins on four occasions; he struck the crossbar with a superb curling effort but also missed a gift of a chance before the break, missing an open target from a slight angle. Both teams possessed threats wide on their right-flanks, Ryan Molesworth for Villa and Leigh Phillips for GNP, who were both rapid and dangerous but in truth Villa moved the ball better in midfield at times, often through James McEon and in Dan Wilkes they also boasted a dangerous left-flanker.

THE REF SAYS TO THE GNP SKIPPER: "I LIKE YOUR HAIR..."

Wilkes was offered far too much space by GNP right-back Aaron Konkon before the break and much of the Fairfield danger would stem from the winger who also netted a brace of goals. Stuart Hall was the home forward who took the brunt of the service throughout the game and he netted a spot-kick, whilst ex-Rousler central defender Scott Smith headed another goal from a corner for the hosts. I always used to like the fact that Bromsgrove Sporting’s central defenders were Smith and Jones, reminding me of one of my favourite all-time Western series, ‘Alias Smith and Jones’…   

THE COACHES TAKE IT ALL IN...

Scott Smith was the defender present when Villa conceded the opening goal, for he shielded the ball for ‘keeper Collins to approach and deal with but Corey Brooke saw a glimmer of a hope and reached out a long leg to poke the ball between the Villains, before toe-poking it into the empty net. Before Cook’s fine one-two with Brooke on the right and the forward’s delivery which flew so close to the front of the goal-frame, Wilkes had begun to terrorise Konkon, who was being drawn towards the middle, leaving the winger open. A centre across the face of goal by Wilkes was followed by a pass from Wilkes to left-back Oli Booth, whose cross was met with a flicked Hall header but the ball bounced harmlessly wide. Soon though, the hosts rapped two goals which affected GNP’s previous composure, such as it was.

MATTY PHILLIPS LEANS IN FOR GNP...

0-1 & A GOAL FOR BROOKE...

BOOTH CLIPS A PASS...

A strange penalty incident happened when loose defending by Sports saw fast Villa winger Molesworth tripped at full stretch by centre-half Callum Rai, right in front of a linesman who barely moved, offering no assistance to the main official at all. The assistant had seemingly erred twice earlier too and so it was that the referee was forced to award this spot-kick from 30 yards upfield. Hall shot the penalty high to Paul Lawrence’s left. Soon a Molesworth corner on the right was watched, leapt alone for and headed downwards by Scott Smith, whose effort bounced up past a despairing Curtis Breeze and high into the right corner of the net. 

RUGBY LINE-OUT?

1-1...

HALL'S PENALTY...

HALL OF HAPPINESS...

2-1...

SCOTT SMITH'S HEADER HAS BOUNCED IN & HE HOLDS OUT A HAND FOR A TIP...

THE SKIPPER HAS POUNCED...

Cook was then involved heavily for the visitors and really ought to have regained parity for GNP. Another error in defence by Villa, this time by Booth, allowed Cook to nip in and go past Collins but from a few yards out, slightly wide of the right upright, Cook’s finish rolled into the side-netting. His next contribution was excellent though, running from half-way and firing a hard low drive against Collins’ legs, resulting in the ‘keeper punching away the subsequent corner. Those two Collins interventions actually assisted in preparing the ground for his team’s third vital goal, for a surging run along the right by Molesworth led to Rai being beaten and a centre which flew dangerously across the 6 yard box and although Hall couldn’t reach it, Wilkes took possession beyond the far upright, turned inside both Cook and Konkon, before rapping a low shot inside the post, leaving the helpless Lawrence wishing he was in Arabia… 

LAWRENCE RETRIEVES ANOTHER BALL FROM THE VALLEY BELOW...

WILKES: CONSTANT THREAT FOR VILLA...

COOK: GOOD FEET...

NOT THE BEST OF FINISHES HERE THOUGH...

3-1...

NO SURPRISE THAT WILKES WAS THE SCORER...

GNP must have felt sickened, for the interval soon arrived and there had been little evidence thus far, Cook and Leigh Phillips apart, plus the odd advances by Brooke, that Sports could recover from a two-goal deficit but in fact enough chances were created and missed during the second period to suggest that their regular season in League 3 could be very interesting indeed.  

COOK IS ABOUT TO FIRE IN A 35 YARD FREE-KICK...

Cook drove a superb 35 yard free-kick which smacked into Collins’ chest but replacement Aaron Cheshire ballooned the rebound effort way off target and although Villa had been caught napping twice in defence before the break, they responded by accepting their fourth goal from similar defensive hesitancy by their opponents and it was Wilkes who benefited. He raced onto skipper Scott Smith’s fine diagonal pass and nodded the ball past rampaging goalie Lawrence, before having the composure to knock the loose ball into the empty GNP net, whilst fending off Manny Dhesi. 

4-1: WILKES AGAIN...

Replacements certainly weakened the hosts but at least GNP substitute Paul Winn had been posted on the defensive right to mark Wilkes more closely and indeed, the winger subsequently dropped into midfield after new bodies had relieved tiring ones for Fairfield. He engineered much of the better Villa play after the break, alongside James McEon but with so many interruptions, naturally the game failed to flow and apart from a penalty shout for Villa and a free-kick from 23 yards by Wilkes which deflected wide off a visiting defender, it was the home goal which was threatened on a few occasions. 

OOOOPS, A STOUTE CHALLENGE ON COLLINS...

COREY BROOKE (RIGHT): WORKED HARD FOR GNP...

VILLA'S COACHES WONDER HOW TO ADDRESS A 1-4 DEFICIT...

A WATCHFUL VILLA MANAGER...

True Leigh Phillips fired off target three times and Brooke clipped a Leigh Phillips near post centre wide of the goal frame but Cook really did cause problems working from the left flank and then cutting inside, for the central presence of Nathan Stoute had begun to offer more clout in attack for the visitors. First Cook’s low drive was saved by Collins, then after Winn missed with a high volley from a throw-in, Cook didn’t connect properly at the left upright when Leigh Phillips’ left-booted, right-wing centre dropped for him and Collins was able to throw out a gloved palm to keep the ball out of his net. 

GNP WERE REALLY HAVING A GO NEAR THE END...

After Jin Dhalival’s header for Sports was well diverted by the skull of Finn, leaping salmon-like over his own crossbar, Scott Lindley’s smart left-foot, left-flank cross found Brooke lurking, 12 yards out and his second-attempt shot was pushed aside by Collins for Cook to finally convert from 7 yards and the guests set about hustling their hosts…

4-2...

...& COOK FINALLY GETS THE GOAL HE DESERVED...

No further goals would come for GNP however as Smith and Finn held firm for Villa but Cook fired a splendid right-boot curler against the right angle of crossbar and upright in the final moments just to prove that his goal apart, this slightly drizzly afternoon wasn’t to be his day after all… 

THE VILLA COACHES...

THE SPORTS COACHES...

Reuben Wilson, who delighted in informing Cook that he was 61, er, sorry, 38 and had a tournament to play in on the following day, was always lively at right-back for Villa, Scott Holiday grafted in midfield, as did Pete Jenvey but Molesworth and Wilkes were the most effective offensive architects for Fairfield. GNP found creativity tough to achieve, despite the thrusts of Brooke and the sheer busy performance of skipper Matty Phillips. Leigh Phillips was a force on the right but Cook was always the danger and although his finishing wasn’t quite as he would have liked on the day, his promise was there for all to witness…

The result mattered little but both managers would have learned something useful about their units and that is what pre-season matches are all about, I guess…

Thanks to both clubs for providing the names and numbers of their players to enable me to write the above report. Any mistakes I apologise for…

SQUADS:

FAIRFIELD VILLA:

AARON COLLINS, REUBEN WILSON, OLI BOOTH, JAMES FINN, SCOTT SMITH (CAPT), SCOTT HOLIDAY, RYAN MOLESWORTH, JAMES McEON, PETE JENVEY, STUART HALL, DAN WILKES, JOE BUSST, MAX BEAVIS, DAN PRICE, BRAD SMITH, JORDAN ALLMARK.

GNP SPORTS:

PAUL LAWRENCE, AARON KONKON, CURTIS BREEZE, COREY BROOKE, CALLUM RAI, JIN DHALIVAL, LEIGH PHILLIPS, MATTY PHILLIPS (CAPT), CHARLIE COOK, CAZ SAMRA, JASON EVANS, SCOTT LINDLEY, PAUL WINN, NATHAN STOUTE, AARON CHESHIRE, MANNY DHESI.