NEWENT TOWN 2-5 FAIRFORD TOWN: REPORT & IMAGES...

Daffs Beaten In Decent Workout Against Fairford…

Newent Town 2-5 Fairford Town

Newly promoted Newent fought strongly against Hellenic Premier League guests Fairford in hot weather on a baked pitch, at the same time that England were losing to Belgium in a World Cup 3rd place match. A fine welcome was afforded me and I must thank Newent for the kind hospitality shown. Both managers were brilliant too, providing me with lists of players and Fairford’s Jody Bevan even wrote his line-up out on the ground near the exit to the car-park… He actually scored the fifth goal for his team, set up by fellow coach Jamie Reid and I reckon the rest of his players won’t hear the last of that for a number of weeks…

RUST & SMITH TOSS...

Apologies for any errors in identification, in case the team-lists weren’t totally accurate… :)

SMITH PRAYS TO HIS RIGHT SHOE...

GREEN BALLS, RATHER NICE...

Newent were susceptible on their defensive right flank during the opening half especially, whereby right-sided central defender Liam Thomas found himself covering wing-back Darren Stringer, as Fairford clipped passes for the energetic Jack Beardswell to chase, which he did effectively at times. Offensively though for the hosts, an early thrust by John Thomas caused some consternation for visiting goalie James Hemming, then a lobbed shot by the same Daff-man dropped onto the roof of the goal-net. He also shoved across a weak, low, astray centre which evaded strike partner Pat Gibbs. Easy saves by Hemming from Alex Alard and Rares Micula followed but the hosts had netted twice before the interval, first equalising and then taking a 2-1 lead, before being overhauled by the Fairford Flyers.

MIDFIELD OPPONENTS...

The visitors led after a near post, left-flank Callum Preece corner was challenged for by Robbie James and home ‘keeper Alex Goode. The ball flew out to influential Flyers’ midfielder Ben Snook, who returned the ball to the unmarked Preece but he wasn’t closed down, allowing the Flyer to curl a high shot over the surprised Goode, who felt bad, and into the far corner of the net. Soon, a header by Dan Bailey for Fairford, from a deep John ‘Doctor’ Watson cross clipped the right angle of bar and upright although a Newent linesman’s flag was signalling offside anyway. Bailey was denied from an angle by the smart reactions of Goode later in the half, whilst striker and skipper Lee Smith’s movement allowed him to deliver a couple of untouched low passes across the goalmouth. 

0-1...

OVERCOME BY TEARS, SCORER PREECE DRIES HIS EYES WITH A WRIST...

The equaliser for the hosts was unexpected and it stemmed from a rush on the left by Callum Rickard onto Alard’s square pass. The wide-man wrong-footed Flyer right-back Watson before firing a low angled shot past the attempted blocks of both Glenn Gittens and Nathan Barnett and thus beyond goalie Hemming. And soon, the Daffs, wearing bright yellow of course, were ahead.

NUTTING IS WARNED, WHICH UPSETS A TEAM-MATE...

1-1: SCORER RICKARD...

Alard, Rickard and Gibbs were involved in the build-up and it was Gibbs who reached the byeline on the left, before passing for Stringer to angle a neat shot with the inside of his right boot so that it moved away from Hemming and dropped gently into the right side of the net.

2-1...

SCORER STRINGER...

Two goals by the more menacing guests changed the course of the game before the interval though and the first stemmed from a header by left-back Steve Hall, beating Stringer aerially and then a rush by Beardswell who attempted a one-two with Smith. The skipper, solid as a brick shithouse, was upended by home defender Carl Thorp however, to concede a penalty. No VAR was needed and it was awarded immediately… Smith clipped his spot-kick high into the right side of the net, after the referee had paced out the 12 yards to where the ‘spot’ should have been…  

FAIRFORD DRINKS-BREAK...

NEWENT SHADE-BREAK...

WHICH OF THESE MEN HAS JUST BROKEN WIND?

2-2 NOW...

HAVING PREVIOUSLY PRAYED TO HIS BOOT, SMITH NOW THANKS IT...

Goal three for the Flyers was deservedly netted by their playmaker, Preece, who lurked through the centre after Thorp had lost possession in the left-back position for the Daffs. I think it was Smith who crossed the ball, following a feed from the excitable, verbal Bailey and Preece ducked to nudge a header into the left corner of the net, as Goode collided with him good and proper… Preece celebrated by lying in foetal position inside the 6 yard box… 

BAILEY MOVES INSIDE LIAM THOMAS...

2-3 & GOALSCORER PREECE REFUSES MOUTH-TO-MOUTH FROM THE OFFICIAL...

"COME ON MATE, YOU SCORED... SMILE!"

PREECE LOOKS RELIEVED AS THE REFEREE REPLACES HIS TEETH...

Certainly Newent had looked slightly nervous at the back, often on their right-flank as already alluded to but their general play was robust and they did attempt to pass the ball about on the uneven surface. Jacob Nutting wanted to be creative when possible but he would be dropped back into centre defence later in the game. The visitors had been busy throughout the half and James was a calming influence, despite his youth, alongside Barnett in defence. Bailey and Smith were willing forwards and Beardswell’s runs along the left-wing were menacing on occasion. 

GIBBS ADJUSTS HIS PATELLAS AT THE START OF PERIOD 2...

JAMES, RIGHT: A FINE MATCH FOR FAIRFORD...

The second period saw some substitutions of course, but really, Hemming in the Fairford goal was rarely troubled, despite home skipper and left-back Hayden Rust showing his mettle and driving his colleagues on. Gloveman Hemming palmed down number 8’s angled effort following a pass by Bailey and soon raced from goal to kick the ball clear at 18 yards but no Daff was on hand to retrieve it 30 yards out. He was fortunate though that Rares Micula sliced a fine chance wide of the near post from 6 yards, inside-left channel when the score was still 2-3. The Fairford number 8 (no name on the teamsheet, but possibly Cosmin Micula?) buzzed about, Watson made a superb tackle on the one opponent wearing a blank shirt, Rares Micula continued to harass Fairford without reward but in fairness the guests’ sheer strength and resolve would win out by the end of the afternoon.

JAMES OVER GIBBS...

A pair of Barnett headers from corners flew wide of the home goal, one of which landed in someone’s garden I reckon, Gittens managed a header which was deflected but in truth, Snook’s midfield efforts were becoming integral to his team’s victory. Smith headed a fine right-side centre by Snook back across the face of goal, which he will surely rue, the Daffs then survived a melee, Beardswell was cautioned for complaining that he should have been awarded a penalty but two late goals subsequently gave the Flyers a more comfortable victory.

PREECE TAKES A BREAK...

Bailey fed Snook, whose smart pass released Smith centrally but moving right and although the forward attempted to lift his angled shot over the outrushing Goode, the ‘keeper saved it. Smith retrieved the ball but his lobbed effort from an even tighter angle bounced off the upper reaches of the far stick and only quick reactions from Bailey allowed him to rap the loose ball into the roof of the net from about 12 inches out, rather than watch what happened to his skipper’s attempt. 

2-4 & VICTORY IN SIGHT...

BAILEY, LEFT, HAS HIS GOAL AT LAST...

And then it became ‘kindness to pensioners hour’, for although sadly I wasn’t allowed to replace one of the Flyers for the final 5 minutes, the much older Fairford gaffer Bevan was and he rose from his mobility scooter in his tartan slippers, shrugged broken ends of grey hair from his shoulders and was helped onto the pitch by two carers. His first involvement was to nod on a throw-in. His second touch was to create a goal for himself, assisted by Reid, whose right-side centre was collected by Bevan in front of Nutting. The manager turned, not on a sixpence, but on a discus throwing circle, then he miscued, sorry, he cleverly poked a low left-slipper shot into the bottom right corner of the net past Newent’s outfield replacement for goalie Goode.

2-5...

BEVAN IS AMUSED BECAUSE HE NOW KNOWS THAT HIS PLAYERS WON'T HEAR THE LAST OF THIS...

And thus the end was signalled as Bevan attempted to retrieve his bus-pass, cardigan and snuff-box from the obliging referee.

Both teams had worked so hard and why wouldn’t they? Pre-season it may be currently but football games of any sort are there to be won. Ask any player, or coach…

Me? M50, M5, M42… 

Eggs and chips.

It’s what I do…

SQUADS:

NEWENT TOWN:

ALEX GOODE, DARREN STRINGER, HAYDEN RUST (CAPT), CARL THORP, LIAM THOMAS, ALEX ALARD, HARRISON JONES, JACOB NUTTING, PAT GIBBS, RARES MICULA, PAVEL ORDACE, JOHN THOMAS, CALLUM RICKARD, COSMIN MICULA.

FAIRFORD TOWN:

JAMES HEMMING, JOHN WATSON, STEVE HALL, ROBBIE JAMES, NATHAN BARNETT, CALLUM PREECE, GLENN GITTENS, BEN SNOOK, LEE SMITH (CAPT), JACK BEARDSWELL, DAN BAILEY, JAMIE REID, JODY BEVAN.