HIGHGATE UNITED 2-3 BURTON ALBION: FULL, INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

Burton Brew Up Late Bluster To Eliminate Highgate

Highgate United 2-3 Burton Albion

(Birmingham Senior Cup Round 2…)

A young team from Burton travelled down to Tythe Barn Lane, Solihull on a wild, windy, showery evening for this Brum Senior Cup match at The Coppice. United, in fairness, fielded a below full-strength team, missing skipper Aaron Brown, prolific striker Lei Brown, Corey Currithers, Luke Rodgers and Isaac Jagroop, plus leaving Josh ‘Magwitch’ Hawker, Scott Rickards, Connor Mooney and Duane Courtney on the bench. Both teams made light of the dreadful weather conditions to produce a lively encounter which contained four very late goals. The guests had snatched a second period lead but ‘Gate nabbed two quick and late goals to take the advantage, before lapses in defence allowed Albion to grab two even later goals and advance in the competition without the need for a penalty shootout…

COTTERILL & EDWARDS DO THE TOSSING...

I watched this match in cramped, dark, under-cover conditions, making filming with a hand-held camera rather awkward and thus my clip of United’s first goal isn’t even reasonable, for which I apologise. Anyhow, once again, prising the Highgate team from their match secretary proved nigh on impossible, once again suggesting that I should apply for a Freedom of Information injunction which might be the only route remaining to me in future. The ‘Gate website reporter allowed me to look at his list and he copied the Brewers’ team from a list on Burton’s Twitter feed. A fair deal, I would have said…

I stood with United skipper Trev Edwards’ mate, the 6 feet 5 inch James Watts, the size of a Green Bay Packers’ offensive lineman and like his historical near-namesake, he is regularly full of steam… James had been to see Villa the night before and needed some entertainment to wipe the memory of yet another Villa Park mind-number, despite a victory. He is also my son Jamie’s mate and whenever as a young kid James visited my house, I would confirm to him that I had a pet camel in the garden but oddly it was never in view when James looked out of a window… Odd that… He has been known to me as Camel-Man ever since… My son? Good footballer, as Trev knows but he was probably in rehab’ at home, shocked that Villa had beaten Sunderland…

THE BREWERS ARE HELD AT HALF-WAY...

Burton forged more first-half opportunities in this tie and striker James Harrison would have left The Coppice disappointed with his finishing. After Marco Adaggio rolled a right-footer past the left upright for the hosts, the industrious and clever Albion midfielder Charlie Dowd, who was picked out by Trevor Edwards as the best Burton player incidentally, turned and clipped a decent shot over the ‘Gate crossbar. George Curry was often outstanding in midfield for United though, using his deft skills on a poor surface to lace together the ‘Gate offense and he so nearly opened the scoring from a deep free-kick at inside-left. His curled feed for his lurking colleagues arced ahead of them but suddenly Burton’s ‘keeper Harry Campbell was scurrying and diving to turn the ball away from the foot of his left upright for a corner. The flag-kick was met first-time by home defender Rich Bryan but the effort drifted wide of the far stick.

ADAGGIO WONDERS WHERE THE FRONT HALF OF THE PANTOMIME HORSE HAS GONE...

Both young ‘Gateman Praise Anyanegbu and Harrison nodded weakly at the respective goalies, before visiting skipper Jayden Cotterill flicked a left-side offensive centre on towards the far post but forward Chris Beardsley was unable to capitalise. A poor error by United then allowed Harrison a clear shot but his 18 yard effort was way too high then another misunderstanding between home ‘keeper Brad Catlow and defender Scott Turner at their left post offered Harrison a clear shooting opportunity but with a good deal of the goal-frame to hit, his low left-booter from 12 yards flew wide of the opposite upright. Certainly, despite some neat approach play by Curry and a few mild threats from wingers James Wilcock and George Robbins, Highgate were generally rebuffed at the edge of or just inside the Albion penalty-box, where Cotterill and Max Smith looked very competent alongside Nick Fenton. 

AH, THE FRONT END OF THE HORSE...

Catlow then saved a low drive from the inside-left channel by Beardsley with a boot, a rebound strike by the hard-working Jack Hallahan was blocked by a defender but Beardsley’s poked effort from the loose ball flew straight to the ‘keeper. All that remained in the first period was a decent move by ‘Gate, instigated by Edwards, who played a one-two with Robbins but clipped his left-foot shot too high from 19 yards. Curry and Dowd had featured strongly for their teams and there was danger from Albion’s Reece Hutchinson too, along the left-flank but United’s young forward Anyanegbu, although finding the going tough, might just have benefited from the experience.

Some spectators disappeared at half-time for a hike with maps and compasses to get hold of hot drinks from the clubhouse. These once hot drinks were naturally cold by the time the return distance had been negotiated to watch the second period which opened with a superb piece of defending by ‘Gateman Rich Bryan. 

Hutchinson freed Beardsley for a run towards the 18 yard box but with Catlow creeping forward, Bryan’s fine tackle prevented a dire moment for the ’Gatemen. A shot by Edwards was deflected for Campbell to smother, Albion’s Daniel Cooke was replaced by Jake Davies and Catlow came to United’s rescue when Dowd’s clever low free-kick from the left forced the ‘Gate gloveman to save with a boot. A 25 yard shot by Wilcock for the hosts was smartly covered by Campbell, a Curry half-volley from 23 yards rose too high and Albion introduced Tristan Matthews for Harrison and suddenly, Burton looked more threatening on counter attacks. Indeed, the guests opened the scoring, following a miss by Adaggio for the hosts.

Released into the left side of the penalty area by Nathan Pulisciano, tenacious at left-back for United, Adaggio dragged his left-footer wide of the far upright and this subsequently proved costly when Albion broke up the Highgate play, a forward pass sent the voracious Dowd scurrying along the right-wing, evading a lunging Turner tackle and crossing low to Beardsley, who beat Catlow to the ball and slotted a shot from the right corner of the 6 yard box into the far side of the net.

Neat Dowd play then set up Matthews to beat Catlow at the near post but the strike was nullified by an infringement and Beardsley was replaced by Albion’s Shaun Barker. Following a ‘Gate corner, Curry’s low delivery was nudged wide of the near, left post by Turner, Bryan was replaced by Duane Courtney, whose late long throws would cause a little consternation in the visiting ranks but very soon, Catlow rescued his team again. Matthews was again the danger, finding possession near the left upright but Catlow saved with a parry and from the second phase, Dowd’s shot arced over the right angle of bar and upright from 16 yards. Immediately following the withdrawal of Anyanegbu and Robbins, their replacements, ‘Magwitch’ Hawker, who added more strength and creativity in the trenches immediately, and Mooney, who hovered behind Adaggio, oversaw parity being regained by the home team and then a lead, with two quick goals. 

1-1: TURNER FOR 'GATE...

A messy melee ended with a low ball being pushed forward at inside-left which was turned past the helpless Campbell, in traffic by the boot of Turner.

Almost straight away, the hosts forged ahead when a fine right-side cross by Wilcock was superbly met in front of his marker Cotterill by Adaggio, whose glancing header drifted across Campbell and settled in the far corner of the net.

2-1...

A FINE HEADER BY ADAGGIO...

Minutes remained but Albion failed to become desperate and two quicker goals by them turned the scenario round in their favour again. After Catlow had punched away a free-kick, Barker’s volley from 18 yards flew well over the target but soon, Matthews made a similar run on the right to the one from which Dowd had assisted in Beardsley’s earlier goal. This time however, Barker slid to get a touch on the ball 10 yards out, beating young right-back Ben Thomas to it and somehow the ball trickled off and beneath the advancing Catlow’s left thigh and although the custodian scrambled to his feet and struggled back towards his goal, the ball had crossed the white line for a soft equaliser.

GOAL FOR BURTON...

THE WINNER...

Within a moment, Burton led again. This time Courtney’s short clearance fell for the visitors and in particular Hutchinson, who ran into the penalty-box and rounded Thomas with ease, before rattling a close range angled left-footer past Catlow and inside the ‘keeper’s near post. The winner…

Naturally, with the powerful Hawker and the bright Mooney on the field, Highgate forced Burton back for the final moments and also added time but despite a couple of set pieces and shots, Albion survived, despite a caution for Matthews. First a Wilcock shot was deflected over the goal-frame, Turner nodded a left-foot, right side centre by Courtney wide of the far stick, Courtney himself headed a Hawker free-kick past the right upright and finally Hawker slipped a pass forward to Mooney but his attempted clipped shot dropped onto the roof of the net. 

LATE FREE-KICK FOR 'GATE...

The game over, I guess that most spectators (87 in total, I believe…) were pleased that they had bothered to make the effort to attend, for despite the weather, this steady match had exploded into life near the end. Certainly Adaggio, Curry, the dependable Edwards, Wilcock on occasions and Robbins a few times showed glimpses of creativity for ‘Gate, with the defence doing all right, despite erring a few times which Albion exploited cruelly.

The Brewers were well served by their defence, as already mentioned, Hallahan was effective in midfield, as was Jack Bromfield but Hutchinson showed good form, as did replacement Matthews. In truth though, Dowd was the feature Brewer…

The wind howled, more rain was hurled about the Coppice and neither team warmed down… Can’t blame them for that, for the warm-down was probably the long jaunt back to the dressing-rooms anyway… 

TEAMS:

HIGHGATE UNITED:

BRAD CATLOW, BEN THOMAS, NATHAN PULISCIANO, RICH BRYAN, SCOTT TURNER, TREV EDWARDS (CAPT), JAMES WILCOCK, GEORGE CURRY, MARCO ADAGGIO, PRAISE ANYANEGBU, GEORGE ROBBINS.

SUBS:

SCOTT RICKARDS, DUANE COURTNEY, CONNOR MOONEY, JOSH HAWKER, BRAD HAYWARD (GK).

BURTON ALBION:

HARRY CAMPBELL, JAYDEN COTTERILL (CAPT), REECE HUTCHINSON, JACK BROMFIELD, NICK FENTON, MAX SMITH, DANIEL COOKE, JACK HALLAHAN, JAMES HARRISON, CHRIS BEARDSLEY, CHARLIE DOWD.

SUBS:

SHAUN BARKER, JAKE DAVIES, TRISTAN MATTHEWS, NATHAN MORLEY, OLI FAIRBROTHER (GK).