RACING CLUB WARWICK 3-2 BROCTON: REPORT & IMAGES...

Smart Townsend Meadow Graced By Five Ugly Goals…

Racing Club Warwick 3-2 Brocton 

Next to the rails and jumps of the racecourse, Warwick’s smartened up ground hosted a keen encounter between the Racers and the Brocton Badgers which included five rather messy goals. These included one which barely crossed the goal-line, then a deflected free-kick, before a ‘time stands still’ shot trickled into the corner of a net, followed by an own-goal and finally by one which was probably rolling into the net anyway but was snaffled up by a hungry forward. Chances were rarely clear cut otherwise although the solidly built Badger ‘keeper and skipper Adam Jenkins made a decent second-half save, as did Warwick’s Tom Cross, whilst both teams cleared efforts from their goal-lines and a few shots drifted off target. Overall, the Badgers in their sett, er, dugout, weren’t very happy with some of the decisions made by the referee on the day but perhaps Warwick weren’t that impressed either… The job is tough enough without players attempting to fool the officials to gain a slight advantage however and I just wonder why referees do the job at all, often taking constant verbal abuse… 

YOU HAVE TO GUESS WHICH OF THESE HANDS HAVE BEEN SCRATCHING THEIR BALLS JUST MOMENTS BEFORE...

I remember times when linesmen watched goalkeepers punting the ball clear and made sure that they stayed within their penalty-boxes to do so but Jenkins belted one kick from more than a metre beyond the 18 yard line and the assistant was, er, nearly at the half-way line… Handling the ball outside of the penalty-area is a dismissal offence after all, yet lines-persons don’t seem to watch goalies closely these days, nor players taking throw-ins, when often the back foot of the thrower is lifted like an ice-skater’s whilst gliding around Solihull Ice Rink… Ah well, who really cares?

ADAM JENKINS HEAD-BUTTS THE REF BEFORE THE GAME HAS STARTED.
THE OFFICIALS DIDN'T NOTICE...

THE RACERS: QUICK OFF THE BLOCKS...

INTERESTING POSES BY THE RACERS...

Home skipper Alex Price began the move which brought the early and scrappy goal for his team, nudged goalwards by Adam Knight as Jenkins grasped and grabbed for the ball but in his official opinion, a linesman spotted that the ball had rolled over the goal-line before Badger defender Ellis Liggins had hacked it away. Liggins… Not a name that brings good vibes to my mind… My first dentist was a Dr Liggins in Ward End, Birmingham, who was known as ‘The Butcher’ and his brother, another Dr Liggins would eventually operate on the bunions on both of my feet. He splattered blood all over the surgery in one of the messiest procedures nurses are forced to witness. I was awake too. Sorry, Ellis, I’m really not blaming you…

1-0 & APOLOGIES TO ADAM KNIGHT FOR THINKING LUKE CHURCH HAD SCORED THE OPENER FROM MY POSITION IN THE GROUND!
AFTER CHECKING THE VIDEO CLIP IT WAS CLEARLY KNIGHT...

THE STRIKERS COMPARE BEARDS.
REMEMBER THE ANSELL'S BITTERMEN?

A BADGER IS SEEN TO BY A VET...

Adam Wood pulled back an opponent in those opening minutes but was surprisingly not cautioned but the Racers only managed a Price shot wide, a wild Liam Naven-Jones effort and a low Knight centre which Liggins beat Naven-Jones to. The Badgers, recovering from their annoyance about conceding the goal, were twice thwarted by Martin Hutchcox’s defensive partner John Blunsom who cleared a cross well then blocked the ball splendidly from a shot by Desean Martin who looked decent in possession at times for the Badgers, despite only signing for Brocton at the end of the week. Jenkins was challenged aerially by Luke Church for Blunsom’s high delivery but Price clipped the loose ball wide, before chunky Badger Leon Taylor slumped in front of Hutchcox to convince the referee to award his team a 25 yard free-kick. No blame must be attached to Taylor, for Hutchcox’s mate Josh O’Grady (of Coventry United) once told me that if he feels a slight touch from a defender within 25 yards of the goal, he’ll crumple into a heap and take the free-kick every time…   

"WHAT? ME? I BARELY TOUCHED HIM..."

Jack Edwards, who played well for Brocton, causing the hosts’ left-back Joe Carter some significant problems throughout the game, subsequently took the free-kick and the low drive deflected off a defensive boot and left Racer goalie Cross rooted on his goal-line as the ball hit the net. 

THE BADGERS CELEBRATE...

1-1: GOAL FOR JACK EDWARDS...

Jenkins collected a long shot by wiry Racer right-back Jack Taylor (named after the famous referee? Surely not…), Knight shoved a right-side delivery across the face of Jenkins’ goal and the only three incidents worthy of mention from then until half-time were a touch by Cross onto a right-wing corner by Brocton’s Alex Curtis, a second obscure goal for the Racers and a caution for complaining about it for Badger Anthony Juxon. Jack Taylor delivered a pass towards the left side of the 18 yard box, Church jumped, Liggins’ boot jumped too and Warwick probably wanted a penalty for the challenge, except that the loose ball nudged against Knight’s arm as he attempted to take control of it and Brocton probably wanted a free-kick for that but with hesitation spreading like a virus in hospital ward, Knight’s ungainly low shot rolled slowly inside the left upright from 17 yards with Jenkins unable to react.

2-1: A SOFT GOAL FOR KNIGHT & ARGUMENTS FROM THE BADGERS...

SO, THREE UNUSUAL GOALS THUS FAR...

The opening period had hardly been flowing and exciting, for defences were more effective than offences, despite the craft of Martin Slevin, Henry Leaver and Price in the Warwick midfield and the efforts of Juxon, Martin and Curtis for the Badgers but both teams would introduce replacements during the second period which was certainly more watchable and definitely more tense. Dildale Linton, Ryan Billington and Michael Ellis would replace Racers Church, Naven Jones and Price, whilst Josh Stack, Shaan Stuart and Robbie Thelwell would substitute for Badgers Curtis, Kenny Devoir and Juxon. Devoir and Juxon had both received cautions, interestingly…

CROSS: BARELY TESTED BEFORE THE INTERVAL...

LIGGINS WATCHES THE SECOND-HALF BEGIN...

An early second-half long throw from the right by Price was nodded on by Church for Warwick but Devoir launched his head at the ball, facing his own goal and succeeded only in scoring past Jenkins, to the horror of the Badger defence. 3-1 and in truth, the Racers ought really to have locked the back door and taken confidence from the two-goal cushion they held but the Badgers made life difficult immediately. Cross was challenged by Wood at the far post for a free-kick and Jack Taylor was forced to deny the impish and lively Joe Hartshorne in front of his goal. Hartshorne had busied himself in the first-half without too much penetration but he certainly became more of a problem for Warwick as the match wore on. 

3-1...

CHURCH (10) HAS SEEN HIS GLANCING HEADER NODDED INTO HIS OWN NET BY DEVOIR...

Curtis smashed a wild shot but Edwards was alone on the right, hands held high in frustration, before Warwick threatened following Church’s initial cross, when Naven-Jones’ centre from the left was nodded down by Badger defender Jamie Evans to Racer Leaver but his shot lacked power and was scrambled from the goal-line by Devoir. The Badgers then attacked on the right, Harsthorne feeding the dangerous Edwards but a slight deflection on the wide-player’s low return pass to Hartshorne led to a falling down and a scuffed shot past the near post by the nippy forward. Martin and Hartshorne then combined neatly and Edwards’ low cross-shot was kicked from the goal-line by the astute and remarkably laid-back Hutchcox and moments later Wood headed a Curtis corner wide of the far stick.

PRESSURED RACERS...

JACK TAYLOR HAS DEFENDED WELL BUT SIFFERS FOR IT...

LEAVER HAS DUMPED A DECENT CHANCE WIDE...

Minutes later Church’s neat flick saw Jenkins make a fine save from Knight’s low shot but Leaver drove the 12 yard rebound wide of the left upright with the Badgers’ defence not sett at all… A Slevin pass, a Church cross and Knight’s attempted volley flew vertically, before both Knight and Devoir were booked for a scuffle and then from the next attacking move on the Brocton right, the goal they doubtless deserved arrived. Edwards, again the provider of danger on the right-flank, slipped a pass for Liggins to run onto and his low delivery across the goalmouth was converted from a yard out by the eager Leon Taylor, who was being adjudged offside by the Racers but not by the flag-man. 

KNIGHT HAS SHOT OFF TARGET...

TROUBLE AT THE RACECOURSE...

LEON TAYLOR HAS BROKEN CLEAR FROM A LOOSE RUCK...

...& SCORES A FINE TRY...
NO, HANG ON, HE'S NETTED BROCTON'S SECOND GOAL, ACTUALLY...

A smart chip from 30 yards by Edwards was touched over Cross’s bar by the gloveman, Knight swiped at a long Cross punt as it came from behind him but his miscue proved harmless. Liggins defended a byline Linton cross well and then Hartshorne dispossessed Price only for his spectacular 25 yard drive to dip just over the target, as the Badgers sensed parity. Two late corners which Jenkins went forward for came to nothing, despite the fact that Leon Taylor might have capitalised upon the second flag-kick and the Racers had held on to a very hard fought victory…  

A KNIGHTMARE FINISH THIS TIME...

JACK EDWARDS: A DANGEROUS BADGER...

A couple of neat runs by the effervescent Stack had brightened the latter stages for the Badgers but in all fairness, Hartshorne and Edwards were the feature players for the guests. Knight netted a brace and his work ethic for the Racers could not have been faulted, nor Church’s, but Leaver and Slevin alongside skipper Price in midfield and Jack Taylor, Blunsom and Hutchcox in defence really formed the foundation for this home victory… 

So the Racers scrambled over the final fence and rumbled to the finish line with the Badgers barking despairingly at their hooves… We likes the Badgers though…