WELLS CITY 1-2 CRIBBS FC: FULL REPORT & IMAGES...

Cribbs Resort To A Corner, Following Profligate Finishing Offers Wells The Chance Of A Point…

Wells City 1-2 Cribbs FC

A long drive south to Wells City was a worthy way of spending a cold afternoon filming, commentating and also speaking into a dictaphone. However, two footballing characters featured strongly during my time there: firstly the father of Wells skipper Mark Randall, Scouser Paul, ex-Bristol Rovers (95 goals in 236 appearances over two spells) and also Stoke City. We stood near each other on a sideline during the second period and he seemed a really decent bloke… Secondly, there was the Wells ‘keeper Mike Dangerfield, who was a real presence on the pitch and without doubt was once Brian Blessed’s voice trainer and beard-inspiration. Gods, it was like sitting in a theatre being deafened by Brutus in a Shakespearean production but his commanding instructions were doubtless invaluable for team-mates, despite the fact that he could be clearly heard at Bristol City’s Ashton Gate… 

THE REFEREE CHOOSES A FINE TIME TO PERFORM A MAGIC TRICK...

Ah, the game… Cribbs fielded a Hedges, my mum’s maiden name which reminded me that on her first date with my dad, she put off a kiss on her doorstep just long enough to be called inside at 10pm by a frowning father, by refusing to tell my dad what her surname was. She insisted that he guessed, offering the clue that it was “…in the garden…” From ‘Grass’ to ‘Worms’ to ‘Plant’ to ‘Dirt’, he guessed wrongly for a good twenty minutes, although with ‘Bush’ he got quite close. Eventually, annoyed, he had to ask her what her name was, as her sullen father prepared to haul her over the threshold: “Hedges…” she exclaimed, thus avoiding a kiss… He never forgot that…

LEGGE AWAITS THE KICK-OFF.
SO DOES THE OTHER ONE...

THE BLESSED BRIAN DANGERFIELD...

Ah yes, the game… Lowly Wells struggled for much of the encounter, rarely threatening visiting ‘keeper Tom Burns but home custodian the Blessed Mike Dangerfield was in good form, denying the guests several times, although leading Cribbs goalscorer Ben Dowdell was guilty of missing the target on a number of occasions too. A scruffy start to the match was lightened slightly by the running and involvement of Cribbs’ Nathan Legge although following an early short corner routine, he wasted an angled delivery from the right. A foul on Jake Slocombe offered Cribbs a left-side free-kick which Dowdell swung across the penalty-box and the large frame of the Blessed Dangerfield was forced to flick visiting skipper Jake Hodgson’s header over his crossbar. A brief flutter by Wells led to a falling header off target by James Bayliss, before a low Slocombe delivery from the left for Cribbs drifted just too far in front of the stretching Legge (stretching leg?), who was being flagged offside anyway…

CRIBBS DENIED AGAIN...

A City corner led to a wildly high shot at goal from 18 yards by central defender Ben Warren, then a shot by Dowdell from the right at the other end was blocked to Slocombe but his drive flew straight to the Blessed Dangerfield from 15 yards. Wells’ top goalscorer Harry Davidson, often impressive, shot low to Burns but the guests went closer when influential midfielder Greg Andrews passed across the 18 yard box from the right to the unmarked Charlie Aldom but his miscued effort struck the base of the left upright and rebounded to safety for Wells. The Blessed Dangerfield reacted well when an Aldom cross from the left sliced off Randall and his glove prevented a goal, before the ‘keeper did even better to beat away a shot from Slocombe who had cut inside from the left-flank. Legge was unable to capitalise on the loose ball though, after being baulked by Warren and the Cribbs man refused the handshake offered by the City defender. I always reckon the shaking hands ritual before a game is rather false and that incident kind of added weight to my opinion…

ONE CRIBBS PLAYER WILL NOT SHOW ANY FLESH AT ALL...

SPILLER HAS SKIED A LEFT-BOOTER...

ANOTHER CRIBBS CHANCE GOES BEGGING...

A determined Davidson run past two defenders on the City offensive right came to nought, before the energetic Cribbsman Matt Spiller drove forward but his shot from 19 yards soared into the cold January air, due mainly to a bobble as he threw boot at ball. Wells then survived an almost comical scramble from a Cribbs corner, whereupon clearances were sliced and miscued around the edge of the 18 yard box by City, as Cribbs did the same with their kicks towards goal. Aldom and Legge then combined to feed Slocombe centrally, under heavy pressure but he got a shot away from 9 yards anyway which the Blessed Dangerfield plunged to save, splattering his hairy chin-display with dirt. A Dowdell effort rose well off target but Davidson began to find more room for Wells and he drove wide from the inside-right channel, before Dowdell raced towards goal from the left byeline for Cribbs but poked his shot into the side-netting. As he rose from his slide on the ground, the Blessed Dangerfield bellowed to his defence: “That was NOT good enough…” He was right and he was apparently heard in Clevedon but the half ebbed away anyway and the players disappeared to re-plug their ears… 

DUGOUT MANUFACTURED BY A JAPANESE MOTOR CYCLE FIRM?

2ND HALF ABOUT TO START...

Certainly Oli Wooland had defended stoutly for the hosts thus far, supported by Warren and skipper Randall was often free on the left, if ever his team managed a counter-attack. Bayliss had not shirked his responsibilities but strikers Ben Coles and Liam Davies had found Cribbs’ central defenders Hodgson and Chris Kite (obviously good aerially…) tough opponents. Lewis Hedges and Andrews had been consistent in midfield for the guests and both full-backs, Spiller and Dan Dyke, were not shy in supporting Aldom and Dowdell. Legge and Slocombe were threats, no doubt, but fair play to the Blessed Dangerfield, for his antics, voice and fine saves had kept the score at 0-0 for 45 minutes. 

The second period began with a trio of opportunities, two of those for the visitors. Slocombe made ground to the right byeline and served a chance for Dowdell on a plate but despite moving in front of a defender smartly, Dowdell lifted his near post shot well over the cross-beam. Decent work by Davidson again led to a volley by Bayliss being blocked by Cribbs but then the guests pushed forward again and a rush by Spiller culminated with him tumbling and Slocombe’s resulting 16 yard drive rose just too high. Toby Jones, not on the team-sheet at all, soon replaced the hurt Davies for Wells. Interestingly, the corner which led to the opening goal was disputed by Wells, for when a harsh shot by Spiller from 25 yards was fisted aside by the Blessed Dangerfield, Slocombe challenged and the goalkeeper truly believed that the ball had gone for a goal-kick off the Cribbs forward but the referee decided it would be a flag-kick. Subsequently, Slocombe benefited…

The left-side corner was challenged for by Kite and the ball then ricocheted off Slocombe’s thigh but Randall’s clearance was only achieved after the ball had crossed the plane of the goal-line, according to a flagging linesman. 0-1, at last…

0-1...

SCORER: THE THIGH OF SLOCOMBE...

Sam Iles replaced Dyke for Cribbs, Slocombe was unable to head in a left-side corner by Dowdell, before Slocombe again looked shifty, setting up goal two for his team with a fine pass to Aldom. He turned at inside-left and curled a right-foot assist to the slim forward, who controlled the ball neatly and shot low past the Blessed Dangerfield from 10 yards. 

0-2: ALDOM...

Slocombe took a break and was replaced by Harry Walton for Cribbs, Hodgson nodded a Dowdell set-piece straight at the Blessed Dangerfield and suddenly, despite Cribbs looking comfortable, the hosts shook them by netting a surprise goal and how well taken it was. Randall fed the ball to Coles, who turned and swivelled past three defenders into the left side of the penalty-box and rolled a cross-shot beyond Burns into the far corner of the net.

1-2...

SCORER IS COLES, RIGHT...

Solomon Wanjau-Smith replaced the one Legge with his two and was quickly involved, passing to Dowdell on the break but the forward, after cutting inside from the left, struck a low drive well wide of the right stump from 22 yards. Coles then robbed Iles and tried to scoop a 23 yard effort at goal but Burns palmed the ball upwards to collect at the second attempt. A mugging of Randall by Aldom led to a low drive from 15 yards by Wanjau-Smith which was well saved by the falling Blessed Dangerfield, although a second phase shot by Iles was badly sliced. A second left-booted shot by Spiller was again more akin to a point-after-touchdown attempt by the Green Bay Packers’ kicker.

HEDGES FELLED BY AN AGRICULTURAL CHALLENGE...

A Dowdell 25 yarder dropped way too late and thus soared well too high, Wanja-Smith fed Aldom, whose low shot was saved well by the slithering Blessed Dangerfield and a Hedges shot was deflected for a corner but following those offensive sorties by the visitors, certainly the hosts challenged near the end and a trio of connected headers by Randall, Jones and Bayliss caused disruption in Burns’ goalmouth. The visitors kept the ball in the offensive left corner for the added-time which Cribbs were forced to endure but in truth, that tactic should never have been necessary.  

GRINNING CRIBBSMEN...

The Blessed Dangerfield excelled both physically and verbally for Wells, Randall was a decent skipper, Davidson was generally a creative factor, along with Bayliss and substitute Jones but in fairness, Andrews and Hedges were always strong, combative, superior and often creative in the Cribbs trenches. Legge tired a little but the contributions of Slocombe, Aldom and Dowdell, despite his wayward finishing on the day, were ultimately major parts of the winning formula for Cribbs.

EVEN MORE HANDSHAKES?

Wanjau-Smith and Walton looked sprightly from the bench for the guests but to be fair, Kite and Hodgson were rarely troubled in the Cribbs defence.

Me? Drove back via the Bridgwater M5 junction, where I could still hear the Blessed Dangerfield talking quietly over a drink in Wells…

TEAMS: 

WELLS CITY:

MIKE ‘THE BLESSED’ DANGERFIELD, GEORGE CAREY, MARK RANDALL (CAPT), OLLIE WOOLAND, BEN WARREN, LEE BEBBINGTON, HARRY DAVIDSON, JAMES BAYLISS, LIAM DAVIES, BEN COLES, KYLE PORTER.

SUBS:

JAMIE COOMBES, PAUL COMLEY, TOBY JONES.

CRIBBS FC:

TOM BURNS, MATT SPILLER, DAN DYKE, GREG ANDREWS, CHRIS KITE, JAKE HODGSON (CAPT), BEN DOWDELL, LEWIS HEDGES, JAKE SLOCOMBE, NATHAN LEGGE, CHARLIE ALDOM.

SUBS:

SAM ILES, SOLOMON WANJAU-SMITH, HARRY WALTON, TONY BEECHAM, JIM WILLIAMS.