LONG BUCKBY 3-4 ROTHWELL CORINTHIANS: MATCH REPORT...

Corinths Hold On To Edge Bucks By Odd Goal In Seven…

Long Buckby AFC 3-4 Rothwell Corinthians

My adult son is an Aston Villa season ticket holder but he harbours no real desire to watch non-league games and the only time he has accompanied me to one, was actually at Long Buckby, where he was delighted to notice that the Bucks wore claret and blue. So it came to pass that I returned for this pre-season game and the hosts wore, er, yellow and blue…

Despite several attempts to contact both teams, neither has responded to help me out with player identification for the match and goalscorers apart, I have been forced, for the most part, to use players’  numbers in my rather vague report below. I hope at least that both clubs enjoy my video clips and the images on my blog…

TOSSING...

LONG BUCKBY IN YELLOW & BLUE...

Due to a plethora of replacements and players being able to leave and return to the game at will, the second period was quite naturally lacking any real rhythm but there were goal chances and home substitute Tom Mellor snagged a couple of poached goals to make the encounter more of a contest, following a 1-3 deficit at the break for the Bucks. Mellor would be denied a hat-trick by a linesman’s flag but then the Corinths were denied a possible penalty late on too, when the home skipper blocked a shot with his wrists or hands, virtually on the goal-line.

Rothwell looked more composed in possession for much of the match and yet both teams scored and missed goals, with both ‘keepers making saves, as well as errors. The Corinths were well served throughout by goalscorers Louis O’Dell and Jordan Henson, as well as the busy number 11 and the tall midfielder wearing 4. For the Bucks, midfielder 6 and strikers Charlie Merrey and Mellor were bright and the skipper (Andy Yeates?) in central midfield was apt to attempt some decent passes, especially in the opening 45 minutes. The young visiting goalie actually made some vital saves to deny Long Buckby, whereas the Bucks’ ‘keeper was under some nervous pressure at times. 

CHARLIE MERREY TAKES EVASIVE ACTION...

Manny Salumi opened the scoring for the hosts before the Corinths had really settled, mugging the Rothwell number 10 and brushing off his attentions, before slotting a low shot into the left corner of the net. Not a great deal of Salumi was seen after that, surprisingly, bar a couple of decent deliveries from the left-flank. The equaliser, shortly afterwards was a messy affair, for the home goalie fell to grab a short, low centre from the right by Corinthian 11 but failed to gather it, allowing Rothwell’s skipper Henson to score from a few yards out. Henson would drive a cross-shot across the face of the home goal soon afterwards but in truth, the hosts might soon have retaken the lead.  

1-0...

BUCKED UP...

SALUMI (11) THE SCORER...

1-1...

HENSON, LEFT, WAS THE SCORER...

SHAMDEEN, CENTRE, LOOKS SINGULARLY UNIMPRESSED...

Salumi’s pass allowed Charlie Merrey to turn and shoot just off target, before the tall and feisty Buck 7 rose to head Salumi’s cross down against the ‘keeper’s body, who also later saved with his legs as Charlie Merrey raced clear. Despite these attempts at goal plus a wayward header by the hosts’ number 5, the guests were more clinical, scoring when the tall, lean number 9 fed O’Dell at inside-right across the 18 yard box and the wily forward had too much time to roll the ball past the exposed custodian. A lob by Henson was inaccurate, a miscue by Corinthian 9 was well wide and then the home goalie was exposed by a back-pass and hurriedly kicked the ball against Rothwell’s number 14 but the Bucks survived that scare.

CHARLIE MERREY HAS SHOT WIDE, SO HE DOES A FEW PRESS-UPS AS A FORFEIT...

1-2...

O'DELL IS CONGRATULATED...

...& AGAIN BY HIS SKIPPER...

However, Corinthian 9’s low cross from the right again escaped the home defenders and goalie for O’Dell to tap in just prior to the interval and offered the visitors a commanding lead which could have been greater but for a deflection by Buck 4 from Corinthian 14’s low cross-shot.

SHAMDEEN, EAGER FOR SERVICE...

1-3...

SET UP BY 9...

...SCORED BY O'DELL, COMPUTING THE SCORELINE AS HE RETURNS TO THE MIDDLE...

As already alluded to, the second-half was untidy because of the constant comings and goings, almost like a theatrical stage during a winter pantomime but O’Dell was denied his personal trio of goals when his angled close range shot was blocked by the home gloveman, although the forward had colleagues awaiting a feed in the 6 yard box and then the busy and effective Corinthian 3 drove too high. The hosts though reduced the arrears from a left-wing corner with Mellor sniffing out the rebound after 5’s downward header had been stopped by the ‘keeper, but the Corinths re-established their two-goal cushion courtesy of Henson, who bundled the ball over the goal-line from 12’s byeline pass, possibly with a chest, a belly, a groin, or perhaps even a scrotum…

NOT AWFULLY PRETTY...

THE BUCK STOPS HERE FOR NUMBER 7, FORTUNATE THAT NO CAUTIONS WERE AVAILABLE ON THE DAY...

2-3: GOAL FOR MELLOR, LEFT...

2-4...

HENSON AGAIN THE SCORER, SECOND FROM RIGHT...

Mellor was causing problems on the break for the Corinthian defence however and he shot low past the visiting goaltender from 12 yards to make it 3-4, before watching his fine lob drop into goal moments later but this strike was subsequently disallowed at the behest of an assistant’s waving flag. The best action was saved for the closing moments though when really, Rothwell ought to have scored again, for a vicious close-range shot by Corinthian 14 was blocked virtually on the goal-line by the home skipper and almost certainly with his forearms or wrists held in front of his nether regions, then from the second phase of attack, the home goalminder did well to stop a fine low drive from 25 yards by the rangy Corinthian midfielder wearing 4.

3-4...

A SECOND GOAL FOR MELLOR (12)...

A couple of bright runs by Buck Grace Bioku, some real effort by midfielder 6 and one or two rangy passes by the robust Ryan Merrey were notable after the break, although some of Dlovan Shamdeen’s hold-up play was slightly missed. Mellor impressed as did Charlie Merrey, who ran the channels promisingly. The visitors as already mentioned were indeed driven on by Henson, O’Dell, plus the numbers 11 and 4, with the powerful forward 14 unlucky not to nab a goal. Defender 6 was strong enough and liked to use the ball rather than smacking it and in truth there was enough on show to please both sets of coaches I guess, stuff to work on would have been noted and some promise spotted for the season ahead…