NEWPORT PAGNELL TOWN 4-0 SLEAFORD TOWN: FULL MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

Storm Fails To Wrestle Swans From the Top Of the League…

Newport Pagnell Town 4-0 Sleaford Town

Affected by a severe deterioration in the weather just prior to the second-half, whereby hail rattled onto the grandstand roof like bullets fired from a World War 1 machine gun, whilst heavy rain saturated the arena and then thunder and lightning were unleashed by the elements too, this game was eminently watchable. Two players on show though, Pagnell’s winger Taylor Orosz and Sleaford’s chunky number 10 Jamie McGhee must have wondered whether the Viking god Thor was displeased with them, for neither was able to score a goal, despite a number of attempts each. I wear a Thor’s hammer around my neck, so I was probably responsible for their misfortune…

AN ITCHY BACK & AN ITCHY ARM GREET THE TOSSING...

OFF WE GO IN DECENT WEATHER...

The Swans’ slow start was puzzling however and although the visitors, inspired by McGhee and Dan Worthington, made some early promising moves, two goals, a glaring miss, a good save by Sleaford ‘keeper Garry Doran and three strong shots against posts certainly put the hosts into the driving seat before the interval. Despite McGhee’s efforts, the promptings of the lean, tall Tom Curtis and the late introduction of Kevin Bastos, the guests failed to get back into the game and although the weather was unfortunately so inclement, the Swans increased their advantage through top goalscorer Tom Liversedge, whose assists had set up the first-half brace of goals and substitute Sam O’Neill. Orosz surprisingly failed to reap a personal and deserved reward of a goal.

WORTHINGTON & LIVERSEDGE...

Greg Ling and Josh Winters pulled the midfield strings for the hosts and although Sleaford fought on pluckily until the finish, their confident, in-form opponents scored when it really mattered to preserve their 100% league record.

CURTIS GETS HIGH...

Although a low Ling shot rolled wide of the right post for Pagnell, the visitors knuckled down quickly during the opening minutes, willed on by Worthington from right-back and pushed forward by the creative, industrious McGhee, whilst Curtis made a lively start also. A Curtis drive was deflected off home skipper Stuart Smeathers for a corner, as was his next shot, off Yaw Ofosu this time, following a loss of possession by the hosts. The second flag-kick by McGhee saw Alan Forwood go forward (?) but his glancing header flew across the face of goal. Finally though, the Swans began to glide and a link between Liversedge and Luke Emery allowed Orosz into a shooting position on the right but his near post effort was turned behind by the powerfully built Doran.

GUESS WHO GETS THE FLICK-ON?

The Newport corner though was cleared by Sleaford and Winters was forced to retreat, unfortunately miscuing a back-pass from the half-way line and sending Sleaford’s George Couzens racing clear on goal but his mis-control allowed home gloveman Mark Osbourne to advance and clear easily. From that point, despite the workrate of Ben Machin and Corey Newman in the trenches, Sleaford were pressured regularly almost until the break.

HAS SOMEONE BROKEN WIND HERE?

A SULLEN SLEAFORD DUGOUT...

Emery rose to head a near post cross by the marauding Winters over the left angle of bar and post, a left-side free-kick by Jordan Spruce, built more like an oak, or maybe a New York Giants linebacker, was flicked on by Liversedge for Orosz to hammer in another angled shot from the right but the effort cannoned behind for a goal-kick off the foot of the upright, before Orosz shoved a 12 yard shot disappointingly wide, following smart work by Liversedge and Winters again. A goal was imminent and was subsequently scored by the willing Emery although Liversedge’s uncovered surge into the penalty-box onto a neat Ling pass really should have brought the tall striker a goal for himself. He attempted to veer right past Doran but the ‘keeper slithered at him like an eel in river shallows and although the goalie foiled Liversedge, he was unable to grab the loose ball which permitted Emery to shoot home from a few yards out.

1-0...

CONGRATULATIONS...

...GOAL FOR EMERY...

...BUT WILL HE CELEBRATE WITH A LEAP-FROG?

NO, JUST A CASUAL ARM-BUMP WITH OFOSU...

Spruce was then penalised by the much smaller referee but refused to approach the official for displaying, ahem, some dissent; this made the referee move two-thirds of the distance between them and the unwilling Spruce reluctantly edged the other third. Still the dispute bickered between the pair and so a caution was received by the Pagnell left-back…

SPEAK NO EVIL...

SPRUCE IS CAUTIONED...

Another astute Winters pass let in Orosz again on the right but again the winger’s angled drive struck the outside of the near post, to his chagrin. However, Liversedge was the recipient of an Emery pass from Winters’ latest piece of approach work and again attempted to slink round Doran to the right but this time the ‘keeper’s lunging challenge saw the striker tumble and earn a penalty, which the strangely quiet Fazel Koriya shot low into the left corner of the net, despite Doran getting a right glove to the ball as he sprawled across his goal-line.

PENALTY AWARDED...

DORAN AIN'T HAPPY...

THE REF IS ADAMANT...

...& THE QUIET KORIYA NETS...

2-0 NOW...

...AND IT'S A LONG WAY BACK FOR SLEAFORD...

A superb shot by Winters, caught on the volley from 25 yards, following a clearance by the bearded Liam Hargrave smashed against the outside of the left stick and what a fine goal that would have been… Sleaford did respond near half-time however and a cross by Jack Wilkinson was headed, diving, by Couzens but straight at Osbourne, then McGhee fed Curtis for another deflected shot which Osbourne touched over his goal-frame and finally a run on the left by the effervescent McGhee resulted in his low centre bouncing off Hargrave’s boot and striking Osbourne, possibly around the face, before Hargrave was then adjudged offside during the second phase of that attack.  

WINTERS' FINE DRIVE HAS JUST RAPPED AN UPRIGHT...

The players left the field as the weather worsened and they reappeared to wet, desperately unpleasant conditions but it was Pagnell who settled the quicker, Koriya latching onto an Orosz header but he was unable to get any accuracy or purchase on his attempted volley. Doran then slipped as he made to go for a right side centre by the hardworking Emery which Liversedge was unable to reach either but then Ling and Emery combined for Liversedge to enter the left side of the 18 yard box and he slipped a low left-booter past the advancing goalkeeper and into the bottom right corner of goal.

3-0...

LIVERSEDGE, RIGHT, HAS NOTICED THE UMBRELLA...

...& TRIES OUT ONE OF HIS OWN...

The game was probably won by that stage but Smeathers drove too high from a good, if offside position and Worthington did well to deflect a Liversedge drive for a corner. A break though by Sleaford, after Machin had blocked an Orosz shot led to Curtis sending Wilkinson away at inside-left but he was foiled by the outrushing Osbourne’s left foot and the danger was averted. Kevin Bastos replaced Wilkinson soon afterwards and Marius Alexandru replaced Newport's Ofosu and it was Alexandru who soon deflected a Bastos shot for a right-flank corner. Spruce was fortunate to escape a second yellow card for impeding an opponent, a McGhee shot was deflected, Koriya and Liversedge made way for George Shrieves and O’Neill and Spruce fell to make a telling block in front of goal from yet another decent McGhee shot.

THESE GUYS DON'T WANNA GET WET...

...NOR DO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE SLEAFORD DUGOUT...

Orosz must have rued his next shot, a loose volley way too high, before Ryan Parnell, to the cheers of two young women in the grandstand, replaced the effective Curtis. A superb 40 yard shot by McGhee drifted just off target, Orosz fed Alexandru who curled a left-foot shot from 25 yards which the leaping Doran palmed aside and Jamie Shaw replaced Sleaford’s injured but heroic McGhee. The fourth goal was probably cruel on the guests, although after the three earlier shots which had rattled the goal-frame, I guess there would have been few complaints.

McGHEE IS ABOUT TO DEPART HURT...

ALEXANDRU IS CAUTIONED...

Alexandru’s long feed allowed O’Neill to set up Emery one-on-one with Doran, who did well to deny the home striker, only for the ball to deflect right, straight to O’Neill and he side-stepped the challenge of Alex Bowkett before left-footing a simple goal past the recovering Doran. 

4-0 NOW...

O'NEILL THE SCORER...

It remained only for Doran to tip a rising Emery drive over the cross-beam, although Orosz was probably hoping for a pass on that occasion and finally, to compound Sleaford’s miserable afternoon, Shaw sent Bastos scurrying away at inside-left but with only the advancing Osbourne to beat, the substitute attempted to shoot with the outside of his right boot and the ensuing miscue rolled abjectly into the side-netting…   

BASTOS: MISSING IS A LONELY GAME...

The game finished, Orosz stood and looked on in disbelief at both the weather and the fact that he hadn’t registered a goal. Bowkett, his marker had worked manfully all afternoon and would probably have been glad the examination was over. Winters and Ling would probably be satisfied with their afternoon’s work and Emery would surely have been pleased with his goal. Right-back Adam Pryke was steady for the hosts, as was Worthington for the guests, along with Curtis, Newman and Machin, all of whom backed up the fine play of McGhee whenever possible. 

WE LIKES THE SKY...

The front page of the programme declared that Pagnell were top of the league and they remain there now, with a game in hand over Leicester Nirvana…

As I left the ground I wondered about Sleaford’s Alan Forwood not being backward about going forward and that replacement goalie Regan Start didn’t actually start at all… 

BOWKETT, LEFT, IS RELIEVED THAT OROSZ, RIGHT, HASN'T SCORED...
OROSZ STANDS IN A POSE WHICH SAYS:
"I'M WET, I'M PIGGED OFF & I DESERVE A GOAL..."

Then I drove back to Solihull and watched Barcelona struggle at Getafe on TV… 

It’s what I do…  

TEAMS:

NEWPORT PAGNELL TOWN:

MARK OSBOURNE, ADAM PRYKE, JORDAN SPRUCE, STUART SMEATHERS (CAPT), YAW OFOSU, JOSH WINTERS, TAYLOR OROSZ, GREG LING, TOMLIVERSEDGE, LUKE EMERY, FAZEL KORIYA.

SUBS:

GEORGE SHRIEVES, MARIUS ALEXANDRU, SAM O’NEILL.

SLEAFORD TOWN:

GARRY DORAN, DAN WORTHINGTON, ALEX BOWKETT, COREY NEWMAN, ALAN FORWOOD (CAPT), LIAM HARGRAVE, TOM CURTIS, BEN MACHIN, GEORGE COUZENS, JAMIE McGHEE, JACK WILKINSON.

SUBS:

KEVIN BASTOS, RYAN PARNELL, JAMIE SHAW, REGAN START (GK).