AEI RUGBY 3-4 NUNEATON GRIFF: FULL REPORT & A FEW IMAGES...

Wilks Pops In Late To Nudge Griff Into the Final

AEI Rugby 3-4 Nuneaton Griff

(Coventry Evening Telegraph Cup Semi-final @ Coventry Copsewood)

This encounter between Griff from the Midland League Division 1 and AEI from the Coventry Alliance was truly a topsy-turvy affair. Three times the Alliance league leaders went ahead and even led 3-2 with moments remaining but Griff netted twice in the closing minutes to break Rugby’s hearts. The winner came from Ash Wilks, who would have probably started in centre-defence had his work commitments allowed but he arrived well into the match and sat on the bench until he was turned to. He not only netted goal four for Nuneaton, he was involved in the incident which led to AEI goalie Gavin Campbell being dismissed in the closing seconds, for a ‘professional foul’. What a silly phrase that is…

LOOKS LIKE JAMES FARROW HAS HEAD-BUTTED A LINO, WHO NURSES THE WRONG CHEEK...
SO INCONSISTENT THESE OFFICIALS...

The threat to Rugby was often the quick incisive midfield play by Griff’s Ryan Ball and skipper Brennan King, who weighed in with two very different goals. After AEI had taken an early lead through Jim Smith, King snaffled a rebound when Campbell saved but couldn’t hold a Ball shot, then he headed his team level at 3-3 in the closing stages of the second period. It was odd that two unnecessary fouls by AEI in the same spot, just outside their own 18 yard box, 22 yards out should bring about Griff’s second and third goals. Odd too that of the four Nuneaton goals, none were struck by forwards Jack Colley, Pawel Smigielski or George Brindley. Maybe AEI looked hesitant at times and became a little careless on occasions too but in Gerard McGaghy, they fielded a clever footballer, whose skills on the ball did cause some problems for the Griff defence. He was credited with the soft third AEI goal and I must apologise for the poor video of that strike, due to trying to film in darkish conditions and attempting to avoid the posts holding up the ‘grandstand’ at Copsewood. Striker Jim Smith was a menace for AEI also and he might have netted another first-half goal to add to his early opener.

GRIFF BEGIN...

Both number 8s were the skippers on the day and both number 7s were similar in build, lean and fairly tall and it was AEI’s 7, Josh Goodwin who shoved a smart pass into the right side of the penalty-box for Jim Smith to rattle past Aidan Jeynes and score first for Rugby, right at the very start.

EARLY GOAL: 1-0 TO AEI...

THE SCORER, JIM SMITH, CELEBRATES WITH A SHIN GUARD...

The lead lasted only a few minutes which perhaps affected AEI’s confidence a little and the goal came when King’s pass forward to Ball allowed him a 19 yard shot but although Campbell plunged to his left and saved the low drive, he was unable to hold onto it and King, who had sensibly continued running forward, unaccompanied, was able to convert from a few yards as Campbell struggled to recover. The AEI manager was unhappy about that…

LEE VINCE (11): UNDERUSED...

A long pass by AEI’s McGaghy to Goodwin saw him feed Lee Vince for a shot but that was blocked well by the sliding Griff right-back Ryan Aston, who would reap his own glory just after the interval. Colley fired in a free-kick from 25 yards but his thumped effort dropped far too late to trouble the target, before errors in possession and some slackness by two or three Rugby players presented Colley with another shooting opportunity which he again fired way too high. Both officials then messed up when Colley’s right-side centre was nodded goalwards at the near post by Smigielski and clearly deflected off AEI defender Stu Mitchell but a goal-kick was signalled, as Mitchell made a quick exit from where he had diverted the header.

CHRIS MITCHELL, RIGHT: IF IT MOVED, HE HUNTED IT...

AEI skipper James Farrow, never seemingly hurried in his central midfield role repeated what Colley had done earlier for Griff and lifted a 25 yard free-kick much too high, before McGaghy fed Jim Smith on the right but his delivery was too far ahead of the supporting Goodwin. Then Rugby so nearly scored a spectacular goal and it stemmed from a pass by Goodwin to McGaghy on the right. His fine centre took ‘keeper Jeynes out of the equation but Jim Smith’s sliding, lunging effort at the far stick saw his connection fly just over the angle of crossbar and upright. At the other end, a free-kick by Ball, right-footed, 25 yards out curled intriguingly towards the top right corner of goal but Campbell caught the effort without too much bother.

A RUGBY PLAYER ATTEMPTS TO CLIMB INSIDE THE REFEREE'S SHORTS.
NOT A GOOD IDEA FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS...

Stu Mitchell unsurprisingly won an aerial duel from a right-side free-kick for AEI but Mitch Boe was unable to get his subsequent effort on target, although to be fair he was baulked by a defender and they both fell to the damp turf, like they’d drunk too much at a barbecue. And then Vince sparked into action like a restored flintlock pistol on the left for Rugby. His dribble towards the left byeline ended with a pass inside for Mitchell, who did well to get in a low centre and the Griff defence was probably wrong-footed, so that Goodwin was free to smack a low shot into the left corner of the net from 12 yards.

"YOU'VE ALREADY HEAD-BUTTED MY ASSISTANT, SO WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY BEARD?"

An error in clearing by Carl Peake in the AEI defence allowed the busy Griffman Chris Mitchell to nod the ball forward and Ball fastened onto it, shooting from distance. Campbell maybe lost his footing slightly, like he’d slipped on a recently mopped hall floor and thus his flailing save going right with a thrown up left hand, looked awkward but it was effective, despite the concession of a fruitless corner. The half waned and all that was left to report upon was a leaning King header from a Chris Mitchell centre from the right which rose well over the target. Chris Mitchell had thundered about thus far, had challenged for every loose ball he could get to and tackling ferociously like he really didn’t like anybody who wore dark blue. I hid my scarf…

THE SECOND PERIOD IS IMMINENT, AS A PLAYER FINDS THE NEED TO PEE ON THE PITCH...

After the interval, it didn’t take long for AEI to concede a free-kick just about 23 yards from goal in the attacking inside-right channel. Their manager was even more incensed by that than he had been previously, working himself into abject annoyance over the concession and he would have cause to be angry. Colley’s ensuing free-kick actually struck Rugby’s defensive wall but before Vince could clear, Aston nicked the ball and rapped a low 16 yard shot at goal which appeared to bounce in front of, then over the stricken body of Campbell on its way into the bottom left corner of goal. 2-2 and all to play for, although it did look as though Griff were beginning to dominate more.

2-2: RYAN ASTON...

Campbell’s poor kick led to Boe having to block a Ball shot, Smigielski was replaced by Griffman Ryan Smith and he soon set up Brindley for a left-footer from 17 yards which didn’t miss the left angle of bar and upright by much at all. A left-footer by Colley took a deflection as it moved from the right-side of the penalty-area to the left and by this juncture, Griff did look the likelier team to score. But they didn’t and AEI did…

A Farrow free-kick from 30 yards dropped over the crossbar but when the next delivery was made from left to right to McGaghy, calls were heard that he had used an arm to control the ball but he moved towards the right byeline and his low centre somehow squeezed between Jeynes and his near post. So AEI had taken the lead for the third time and really, Griff had to knuckle down and niggle away at their opponents who were looking a trifle tired maybe.

3-2 TO AEI NOW...

Jim Smith, maybe hurt, made way for Dale Linton as Rugby tried to dig in and Ross Irvine, the strong AEI right-back was booked but their defence blocked a shot, Campbell caught a powerful header by impressive home defender Jai Rowe from a free-kick, Colley surged past Josh Banton and Stu Mitchell but his rising 10 yard shot was also gloved safely by Campbell, then Brindley’s low centre bounced nastily in front of the ‘keeper, who held onto it like his pet rabbit was attempting to escape from its enclosure. Farrow had already been booked for a late kick at an opponent, Jordan Gardiner replaced Griffman Brindley, before it seemed that Ryan Millerchip, the cornerstone of the Nuneaton defence was booked too but Vince’s resulting free-kick cannoned into the Griff defensive wall and McGaghy could get no real power in his rebound shot which was easily blocked.  

Ash Wilks then replaced Rhys Lyons, the combative Griff left-back but the substitute would play as a striker. He needed to, for Nuneaton were in urgent need of a third equaliser. A flurry of free-kicks were then gained by AEI and struck from deep by Banton, who took eternities to take them but no-one could blame him for that. None were able to breach the Griff defence however but then Nuneaton broke forward and Peake slid so late into an opponent that not only were Griff awarded a free-kick, 23 yards out again, in the inside-right channel again but Peake was cautioned too. Only a few minutes remained and the AEI manager’s worsening frustration and anger at the concession of another free-kick would render him verbally apoplectic, for Nuneaton scored to regain parity for the third time.

A simple clipped free-kick by Ryan Smith saw the effective King beat Peake and head the delivery hard into the near corner of goal, leaving Campbell unable to react. So Peake had given away the free-kick, been cautioned for his misdemeanour and had then been beaten by a smaller midfielder to concede the goal.

Immediately, Goodwin stabbed an 18 yard effort just over the Griff goal but in effect, that was all AEI were able to muster for the remaining time. Griff however, pummelled away at their Alliance foe, winning two corners. The first was cleared back to the taker, I think Aston, on the right and his next delivery was Kung-Fu kicked at goal at the near post by Colley, forcing Campbell into a superb leaping save, turning the ball over his cross-beam. The second corner was nodded wide of the left upright by Millerchip. But with only moments remaining, a poor goal-kick by Campbell was half-volleyed forward by Ryan Smith into the path of Wilks at inside-right, the AEI defence was caught napping and the replacement ran on to rap a low shot past Campbell, who seemed rooted to the lawn.

The Rugby manager’s irritation had reached a crescendo but any chance his team had of equalising themselves ended when Wilks broke clear on the right again, leaving AEI defenders stranded upfield, so that Campbell ran to the left edge of the 18 yard box to deal with the situation. All he managed to do though was to take out Wilks and naturally, he was red-carded. Goodwin took the goalie’s jersey but he had nothing to do as the free-kick was clipped left so that Griff could see the time out near the corner flag.

CAMPBELL GETS HIS MARCHING ORDERS...

An amazing finish to a watchable match but certainly with so little time left, even the Griff faithful must have felt that it wasn’t going to be their evening. After Wilks had scored, AEI KNEW it wasn’t to be theirs…

McGaghy, Goodwin, Jim Smith, Stu Mitchell, Irvine and Boe did fine for Rugby, Vince wasn’t brought into the action enough but in midfield, Ball, King and Chris Mitchell certainly had the edge for Griff, with Colley’s runs being dangerous sometimes. Aston and Lyons were active at full-back for Nuneaton and although AEI might not agree, perhaps, just maybe, Griff did enough overall to earn a place in the Final… Just about…

TEAMS:

AEI RUGBY:

GAVIN CAMPBELL, ROSS IRVINE, STU MITCHELL, MITCH BOE, CARL PEAKE, GERARD McGAGHY, JOSH GOODWIN, JAMES FARROW (CAPT), JIM SMITH, JOSH BANTON, LEE VINCE.

SUBS:

ATOL HINDS, DALE LINTON, MIKE GLOVER.

NUNEATON GRIFF:

AIDAN JEYNES, RYAN ASTON, RHYS LYONS, JAI ROWE, RYAN MILLERCHIP, CHRIS MITCHELL, JACK COLLEY, BRENNAN KING (CAPT), PAWEL SMIGIELSKI, RYAN BALL, GEORGE BRINDLEY.

SUBS:

RYAN SMITH, JORDAN GARDINER, CHANDA MULENGA, BOBBY ROBINSON, ASH WILKES.