HIGHGATE UNITED 3-1 REDDITCH UNITED: REPORT & IMAGES...

Kingfishers Hawked At the Coppice

Highgate United 3-1 Redditch United

Highgate’s under-13 team (?) was playing on pitch 2 when I arrived at The Coppice and impressive they were too and so it was that the ‘Gate and the Reds hurried onto the pitch some 15 minutes late due to the delayed youngsters’ match. Redditch certainly had chances to win this competitive encounter but Danico Johnson’s shooting seemed magnetised towards the legs of the two used ‘Gate ‘keepers, Jamie Cutts and Reece Wagstaff, who saved several of the powerful Reds’ forward’s efforts at goal. Highgate however were driven on by Josh Hawker from midfield, who hustled, made telling passes, pulled opponents over, took responsibility for dead-ball situations and reminded me of the scary convict Magwitch appearing from behind a gravestone in Dickens’ ‘Great Expectations’. 

JOSH HAWKER-MAGWITCH...

Hawker-Magwitch scored all three Highgate goals, a 35 yard left-boot volley, a lusty rising right-boot drive from the right corner of the 18 yard box and then in the final minute, a rolled left-foot penalty past the errant Redditch goalie who had upended a young ‘Gate substitute after losing control of the ball. Both teams made a number of substitutions obviously but the game remained tough and enjoyable and unlike at Alvechurch on Tuesday evening, the team leading didn’t attempt to kill time in the corners for the final 6 minutes. Quote of the evening came from sometime right-back and sometime central midfielder Trev Edwards of Highgate who was less than impressed with a short corner routine by his colleagues which failed during the opening half. Trev bellowed these simple words at lively winger Dale Edwards: 

“F*** the short & deliver…” 

Thanks for that Trev, we got the point…

THERE'S TREV ON THE RIGHT, BEING ELBOWED DURING THE TOSS...

Firstly an apology: I have no idea who the majority of the Redditch players were on the night, despite enquiring. I hope that Danico Johnson was number 10 but if not, I trust Redditch will forgive the errors…

HOPEFULLY DANICO...

The uneven pitch of wiry grass became a little wet following a shower of rain during the opening period in which Redditch seemed to be quicker and more deliberate, no doubt because of their higher status but ‘Gate harried and worked hard, nullifying any threats that Johnson, Redditch’s number 9 and also the number 11 could muster. Johnson wasted an early chance but then Cutts saved a low drive from him before the break and home defender Scott Turner, who gave a fine account of himself, blocked another low shot soon afterwards. 9 headed to Cutts, dragged a shot wide and wasted a great chance to feed his colleagues when he attempted a shot from the right byeline and ballooned it. After one of three slight mis-controls by Nathan Pulisciano had set the Reds breaking, a right-side centre deflected off ‘Gate defender King but Cutts dropped left to save smartly.

ISAAC: EVEN TALLER BECAUSE OF THE HAIR...

11 had a low shot stopped by Cutts too but Pulisciano did well to cut out a near post cross by 9 at the expense of a corner. Otherwise King defended stoutly alongside Turner, with the calm influence of Trev Edwards not only defending adequately but his crosses from the right were good enough to wonder why Barcelona had once preferred Dani Alves to our Trev…

DALE EDWARDS PRACTISES HIS LINE-DANCING AFTER FOULING AN OPPONENT...

‘Gate’s offense had seen Dale Edwards make a couple of chances, one for number 18 (Jamie?) who mis-kicked totally and one for himself which he drove low and wide from 22 yards. A pair of headers by influential skipper Aaron Brown, who was later to strike an angled free-kick so hard and high that a rookery nearby was threatened, and another header by Turner were collected by the Reds’ goalie and another Dale Edwards delivery was blocked. In fairness though tall forward Isaac Jagroop was a willing target and maybe deserved something for his efforts, for the powerful Redditch defenders gave no quarter at all. 

HIGHGATE MANAGER ASH PULISCIANO TAKES A PEE DURING HIS HALF-TIME TALK...

WAGSTAFF: DECENT SECOND-HALF SAVES FOR 'GATE...

Early second-half saves by ‘Gate’s replacement ‘keeper Reece Wagstaff, one from ex-Gateman Macauley Manning and a better block from Johnson were followed by a decent shot too high by the hosts’ Jagroop, before Johnson fouled Turner and shot into goal only to be whistled for the offence. After Redditch’s right-back had thumped the outside of the right post from a narrow angle, Jagroop so nearly got his reward for the hosts, flicking a clever pass from Brown goalwards, only for the ‘keeper to react and tip the ball over the goal-frame. Another set-piece by Hawker-Magwitch, this time a right-wing corner, bounced off Redditch’s 11 and his goalie was forced to save it low but then out of the blue, or red, or some other colour, Highgate grabbed the lead in spectacular fashion.

The ball fell for Hawker-Magwitch 35 yards out, the ‘keeper was off his goal-line and the midfielder’s volley sailed over the gloveman and deep into the net. Brilliant stuff…

GREAT EXPECTATIONS OF A WIN FOR MAGWITCH...

A ‘Gate error allowed Johnson another chance which he again struck hard and low but the ball again struck the goalie’s legs and Hawker-Magwitch decided to check out the form of his right instep, picking up a pass from the right I think from Jagroop and launching the ball like an arrow into the top right corner of the net from the right corner of the penalty-box. Brilliant again…

OMG, HE'S DONE IT AGAIN...

MAGWITCH FINDS A DECENT BOGEY...

Johnson managed to set up his right-back for a shot which took a slight deflection across the face of the Highgate goal, the ever willing James Wilcock saw a shot for ‘Gate saved low and finally, substitute 17 shot past Wagstaff into the bottom left corner of goal to reduce the arrears and offer some late solace for the visitors. 

ISAAC DOESN'T LOOK HAPPY TO HAVE CONCEDED A GOAL...

THE SCORER? ANON...

Subsequently though, Highgate replacement 15 fastened onto a fumble by the visiting goalie who upended the youngster, allowing Hawker-Magwitch to roll a left-footed spot-kick to the ‘keeper’s right and complete a satisfying personal trio. The custodian had dived to his left, it was 3-1 and the game quickly ended…

PENALTY WON...

PENALTY SCORED...

...& MAGWITCH SEARCHES FOR A GRAVESTONE TO JUMP OUT FROM BEHIND...

The result mattered to the Highgate players I’m sure but both sets of combatants had no doubt cleared some summer cobwebs from their physical conditions. Redditch would no doubt explain that some players were unavailable, as could Highgate though, whose strikers Marco Adaggio, Lei Brown and Ricardo Richards were absent, as was clever midfielder George Curry, plus Mooney, Edgington and Bryan, so I guess that home manager Ash Pulisciano would have been mildly pleased at the outcome. His defenders, all four of them, plus Scott Rickards who was a second-period replacement, performed with steel but in all honesty Josh Hawker-Magwitch was the key to the victory for his all round display…

JAMES WILCOCK, 10: A BUSY KIND OF EVENING...

Johnson will doubtless score a number of goals this term and Redditch’s Darren Byfield will surely put this game down simply to being beaten by two wonderful individual strikes and a sad penalty…