INKBERROW 0-6 BOLDMERE S&S FALCONS: REPORT & IMAGES...

Gibson’s Right-Boot Fires Birthday Message To Inkberrow & Alcester…

Inkberrow 0-6 Boldmere S&S Falcons

Reece Gibson’s birthday evening was spent at Inkberrow’s ground, where his three emphatic finishes, plus a brace from Mike Williams and a deserved goal for tricky winger James Clarke clobbered the hosts, who had recently beaten champions GNP Sports on this ground. There were cars everywhere, belonging to people involved in this match, plus in another adjacent game and also to parents of kids playing on smaller pitches nearby. I parked on the lane, hoping that was OK. The evening was pleasant, maybe how May should be but it turned out to be far from pleasant for the Inkspots, who were rather outgunned, despite the fine efforts of Kieran Madden, Jordan Harrison, George Thomas and striker Nathan Davies, who missed two decent left-foot chances on the night. 

GIBSON HAS A TOSS ON HIS BIRTHDAY...

In truth, little was seen of the home attack, as the guests began in offensive mood and an early corner by Oli Timmis from the left was so nearly knocked into goal by the lurking Haddon Deeming. A long Deeming delivery from deep saw Timmis’ cross cleared poorly by the Inkspots but Yousef Semlali’s shot bounced wide of the right upright. The opening goal came from a nudge forward by Danny Lewis to Gibson at inside-left and he relished the opportunity, beating the advancing goalie Dan Dawson with a low side-footer with his right boot inside the far upright.

THE INKIES KICK OFF...

0-1...

GIBSON THE SCORER...

Semlali set up Gibson again but no power was in his shot this time which Dawson collectedly easily. Finally the Inkies managed an attack when a left-side centre was rather well headed away from his own goal by of all people, Lewis but the subsequent corner came to nought. Timmis was struggling with a hamstring problem apparently and thus his game was cut short, for the introduction of the clever and delightfully unpredictable Clarke and he was soon in the action, feeding Gibson from the right but the forward’s shot was again not hard hit and Dawson picked it up before Semlali could pounce. Another long clearance by Deeming sent Gibson scurrying clear at inside-right but with Lewis supporting to his left, the striker checked and blazed a rising shot well over the target from 18 yards. The final pass or delivery was lacking somewhat from the Falcons in those early stages but after a low Madden shot had been collected like letters from his doorstep by Falcons’ ‘keeper Matt Gough and another period of Falcon danger had come to nothing, Gibson struck again. 

CALLUM DAVIES & REECE GIBSON...

THE FALCONERS...

He slipped a pass for Williams to reach near the right byeline, whose cross was challenged for aerially by Lewis but the ball fell from Billy Coughlin’s head for Gibson to lash on the bounce into the left corner of the net from 16 yards, with Dawson barely able to get a glove to the effort as it reared up and seared past him.

0-2...

SCORED BY FALCON PREDATOR...

...GIBSON AGAIN...

To make matters worse, Inky’s Brad Hands was cautioned for a high foot, not as his name suggests, a raised hand, before a long centre from the Falcon left by Sam Fitzgerald was stretched for and toe-volleyed by Semlali only for the ball to lift into the grateful gloves of Dawson. Tom Emblem crashed into Clarke to concede a free-kick but soon, a long delivery-cum-pass-cum-clearance by the energetic Falcon defender Alex O’Connor drifted from left of centre over everyone in the penalty-box except Clarke, rushing in from the right and his first-time 12 yard shot bounced beyond Dawson’s dive and into the right corner of the net. Clinical? I should say so, for it was rather like Inkberrow having three teeth extracted successively with no recourse to say: “We don’t want the buggers out…” 

HANDS, BOOKED FOR A FOOT UP...

0-3...

CLARKE THIS TIME...

Gibson assisted Clarke for a low drive which Dawson saved, spilled and snatched again as Lewis hovered for carrion then a long clearance by Fitzgerald led to Clarke breaking right but Nick Gregson-Jones smothered any chance of a shot, or even a square pass to Gibson by the mercurial winger and another chance was scorned. Gibson then slipped on a counter attack by Boldmere, thus failing to assist Lewis for a shot and the half ended with the visitors rather well in command.

2ND HALF...

The referee took the players off to the facilities for a Cornish pasty and a steaming mug of hot chocolate (no, not really) but although the players recognised the need to reappear quickly because of the impending dusk, the officials took their full quarter-hour in their little room, possibly playing a quick game of Happy Families… (No, not really…) And of course, the final minutes were played in progressively darkening conditions… (Yes, really…)

NATHAN DAVIES (9) HAS JUST SHOT TOO HIGH...

Me? No refreshment, just entertainment from, in tennis-speak, the ‘non-playing Captain’ Falcon Danny Fleming, whose influence in midfield was missed, although to be fair, Williams and the drafted in Chad Duggan, who dug in, were generally too effective for the home midfielders. Danny Fleming was given a rest but that didn’t include his vocal cords which plundered on ten to the dozen, encouraging his troops and being, er, well, Captain Fleming. Surely he will end up as a coach in the MFL?

JAMES CLARKE: EFFECTIVE...

Callum Cook and Craig Clarke replaced Hands and home skipper Callum Davies at the interval, leaving us with only one Davies to contend with but now two Clarkes. Thanks for that… Madden moved to the right of defence/midfield, Walker and Coughlin did the right and central defensive stuff and Gregson-Jones played a role towards the left. And the remaining Davies so nearly reduced the deficit for the Inkmen at the start of the second-half. Cook fought hard on the left flank and although his low centre looked anything but dangerous, George Thomas dummied the ball and that wrong-footed two Falcons so that it rolled to Davies just 12 yards out but his unchallenged left-booter rose over the crossbar to his dismay. Lewis and Gibson combined smartly for the guests but Clarke’s shot was more like an ‘up and under’, yet quickly, the visitors scored another clinical, classy, killer goal.

THE QUIETER FLEMING...

Semlali knocked a short pass back from half-way to the quieter of the two Flemings, Mike, but he was hurried to striking the ball quickly out to the left flank. Lewis took possession and passed neatly to Gibson, left of centre, inside the penalty-area and he swivelled to deliver a low pass across the danger area and there was Dandy, er, Bunty, er, Topper, no Beano, that’s it, Beano Williams to rifle an angled drive low into the far corner of the net. Now THAT was a fine strike…

ANOTHER GOAL TO CELEBRATE FOR THE FALCONS...

Gregson-Jones fouled the threatening James Clarke, who shot the 23 yard free-kick himself which was tipped over his goal-frame by the alert Dawson but Gregson-Jones, now skipper, had taken a yellow card for his troubles. Mark Roe replaced Lewis for the guests and was soon involved, slipping a pass inside to Williams who sent Gibson running right and his cross took a deflection off Gregson-Jones and dropped inches wide of the far stick. And then it became 0-5…

NATHAN DAVIES IS ABOUT TO BE HECKLED BY SOME FALCONS...

A left-side corner was met at the far post by the industrious Duggan’s head, the ball flew across the goalmouth, was cleared by an Inky head but James Clarke’s rebound nudged off the unlucky Madden and there was Beezer, er, Hotspur, or perhaps Victor? No, it was Beano Wlliams again, who turned to poke the ball off Dawson’s legs high into the net from close range. A new comic character was on the verge of being born: ‘Wilful Williams, Hat-trick hero…’ OK, maybe not.

SKY-HIGH: HOW BEANO MUST HAVE FELT...

Davies was then slipped into a decent position by the still ever so lively Thomas at the other end but this time his left footer from near the left byeline fizzed just wide of the far post with Gough looking relieved. Cue a few comments to Davies from the Boldmere sideline about the striker having scored 37 goals this season and giving him stick. Hmm… Dean Reilly, Deano, not Beano, replaced Fleming for Boldmere, Emblem drove well off target for the Inkspots and on his birthday, wouldn’t you just know it, Gibson completed his hat-trick…

YES, REF, WE APPEAR TO BE DARKENING...

Williams fed Clarke, now on the left flank and he fed the ball towards the edge of the 18 yard box where Gibson leaned right as if to move into the penalty-area but then cleverly nudged it behind him with the inside of his right heel before spinning on it, leaving his marker flailing and then curling a superb drive into the right corner of the net with his right boot. Another splendid goal…

TRIO FOR GIBSON...

Semlali had his shirt pulled outrageously by an opponent but the close-by referee seemingly ignored it, Harrison, who had worked so hard for Inkie, was cautioned for a bad foul and in the gloom, a fracas ensued in which O’Connor was seen to shove an opponent, although I was informed that he had also been, er, ‘shoved’ too. Whatever the truth, O’Connor was booked also. And then the match ended, with Boldmere elated and then overjoyed, for they heard that rivals Alcester had succumbed 1-2 at home to AFC Solihull… 

SCHOOLYARD SCRAP...

Alcester host Boldmere on Saturday in a match which might well decide the second promotion slot from the MFL Division 3… 

The Inkies worked hard in this encounter, with Thomas often quick and Davies usually smart and dangerous, backed up by Harrison’s workrate, Emblem’s strength but particularly Madden’s generally excellent play. However, the hosts could not quell the hold-up play, the unlikely pace, or the finishing ability of Gibson, a chap in fine form for his team. Time and again, the home defence was caught napping and played the Falcons onside, one main reason for their downfall. James Clarke was deceptively speedy too and his clever footwork was a constant worry for the home team. With Judy, sorry, Buster, no, I mean Beano battling alongside Duggan and the nippy Semlali in midfield and the twin-threat of Lewis and Clarke wide, Boldmere were formidable opponents. Deeming made a couple of fine late interceptions, after moving into centre defence and Fitzgerald was quietly efficient throughout.

Goalie Gough? He had time to read the Beano…

TEAMS:

INKBERROW:

DAN DAWSON, JOSH WALKER, KIERN MADDEN, NICK GREGSON-JONES, CALLUM DAVIES (CAPT), BILLY COUGHLIN, TOM EMBLEM, JORDAN HARRISON, NATHAN DAVIES, GEORGE THOMAS, BRAD HANDS.

SUBS:

CALLUM COOK, CERI THOMAS, CRAIG CLARKE.

BOLDMERE S&S FALCONS:

MATT GOUGH, HADDON DEEMING, SAM FITZGERALD, MIKE FLEMING, ALEX O’CONNOR, MIKE ‘BEANO’ WILLIAMS, OLI TIMMIS, CHAD DUGGAN, REECE GIBSON, YOUSEF SEMLALI, MATT LEWIS.

SUBS:

DANNY FLEMING, JAMES CLARKE, MARK ROE, DEAN REILLY.