SUTTON COLDFIELD TOWN 1-1 PAGET RANGERS: MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

Rangers Hold On At Coles Lane, The Home Of Burning Rubber…

Sutton Coldfield Town 1-1 Paget Rangers

In hot conditions at Coles Lane, Paget Rangers just about held on to a draw against their more highly ranked hosts, despite fading from the encounter as an attacking force after the interval and also following the expected multi-substitutions. They had led courtesy of a wondrous 35 yard free-kick by Dean Morris, although a quick reply from Town’s trialist number 14 ended the scoring for the day. The Royals were denied victory by some resolute Paget defending, a couple of goal-line stops, the crossbar too, but mainly by some inspired goalkeeping by Reiss Wagstaff, whose second-half showing was so very good. I have the names of some Paget players, thanks to their chairman’s efforts but Neil Tooth, the Town boss was unwilling to release any of his players’ names, describing them all as ‘Trialists’, along with four laughing, crying emojis on a direct tweet to me… Thanks for that, mate!

"SHALL WE SHAKE ON THIS?"
"ONLY IF OUR PALMS DON'T STICK TOGETHER..."

However, perhaps trialist number 4 was Palmer? I heard his colleagues calling him that… And then I recognised a guy I knew well, shrugging his shoulders, throwing a wobbly and generally doing a fine impression of Mr Grumpy from Roger Hargreaves’ Mr Men book of the same name. He was even wearing blue… It was of course Jordan Nadat, that quick, chunky goalscorer, whose other fine impression in his armoury is that of the goal celebration by Portugal’s Ronaldo. Nadat became involved in a first-half wrestle on the ground with a Rangers defender, then complained about it for some time afterwards, but then was unable to score against Paget. Yet he displayed and maintained a superb sullen expression before leaving the field via the tunnel during the second period for a shower. He did wave to me though… We likes him. A new Mr Men book might subsequently be written about him; perhaps ‘Mr Angry’…  

MR GRUMPY, LEFT...

ER, JORDAN NADAT?

WE DO LIKES HIM REALLY...

Rangers’ willing striker Nathan McBean, also their wide player wearing 11 and the busy number 5 in midfield all looked lively before the break, with the strength of Myles Brown and Warren Brooks posing physical problems for the Royals too. Before the opening goal though, only an overhead shot by Morris, fielded by the home goalie, an awry clip from distance by the number 5, following a poor clearance by the ‘keeper and finally a wasted, lifted shot by 11 from close range had caused the home defenders any real worries, in truth. Sutton, in contrast had nearly scored in the opening minute from a right-side centre by trialist 3, his team-mates claiming the ball had crossed the goal-line in a melee before trialist 14 whacked the rebounding ball way too high. 14 drove straight at Wagstaff but then Nadat was denied by Wagstaff’s foot, although Royals’ trialist 8 headed the ensuing free header way too high and then Nadat drove wide from 25 yards, before finally receiving a warning from the official about his behaviour. 

ROYAL 8 & RANGER 5 AT THE START...

ROYAL GOALSCORER... (I THINK...)

THE WRESTLE, THE FALL AND THE STANDING-UP HAVE ALL HAPPENED...

THE ARGUMENTS ENSUE...

...AND THE REF HAS A WORD WITH JORDAN...

Royal Trialist 6 fouled Morris 35 yards from goal, centrally and the ‘number 10’ decided to shoot, hammering (odd that, because his number 2 colleague was called Mallett) a superb shot into the top right corner of the net. Oh, we liked that…

GOAL! 0-1...

DEAN MORRIS THE SCORER FOR PAGET...

HOT STRIKE ON A HOT DAY...

It didn’t take long for Town to regain parity however and the move stemmed from defence, involving several trialists; 4, 10 and 11, before 15 cleverly shovelled a pass for 14 (I believe) at the edge of the 18 yard box and his low unerring shot beat Wagstaff’s vain dive and entered the net just inside the left upright. 

1-1...

JORDAN REALISES THAT HE HASN'T SCORED IT...

Trialist 15 didn’t trust his left boot in a scramble and his right boot wasn’t accurate, trialist 5 saw a header from a corner stopped on the Paget goal-line, I reckon by Wagstaff, as trialist number 3 challenged and then 5’s second header was also stopped on the goal-line by a combination of Wagstaff and the eager Ranger 5. Royal trialist 5’s third header in the attack flew to Wagstaff… There was still time for McBean to plant an unchallenged header over the home crossbar from Ranger 5’s corner which was rather a waste. 

SOCKS APPEAR TO GROW INSIDE THE HOTHOUSE...

Substitutions were naturally made at the interval, as the pervading stink of burning rubber filled one’s nose from the sun’s heat glaring on the small rubber pieces of what looked like rabbit droppings lying behind the surrounding fences. Water was taken on board by me and I prepared to cover half two, trialists and all… 

2ND HALF UNDERWAY...

Certainly Max McNulty made an impact for the hosts and in the early stages of the second period, his right-flank run assisted Nadat for a near post flick which was saved by the sprawling Wagstaff. Then with no support at all on the left, McNulty cut inside and rapped a fine curling effort against the Paget crossbeam, before trialist 4 (Palmer?) tried the same kind of shot but was denied by a flying Wagstaff save. Trialist 15 headed the resulting corner too high. After two poor attempts by Rangers, a skied shot by replacement 2 and a weak drive by replacement 7, McNulty headed a right-side centre over the visitors’ crossbar.

JORDAN DISPLAYS GLEE AFTER WINNING A CORNER...

Replacement 8 for Paget (Pat?) struck a low shot to the ‘keeper, saw another later effort blocked and drove the rebound past the right angle of crossbar and upright but those were rare attacks by Rangers, for McBean had taken a rest and substitutions had allowed Sutton to dominate the half. Trialist 7 shot too high then a McNulty drive was deflected and forced Wagstaff into a fine save, tipping the ball to safety. In another attack the ball looped off a defender just over the Paget bar, although Nadat was annoyed to discover that the referee thought it had been an overhead effort by himself and awarded a goal-kick, then the returning Royal trialist 3 shot straight at goalie Wagstaff.

WAGSTAFF...

Rangers’ final attempt at goal came from a right-side move but 7 lifted his volley from 2’s centre over the target but in truth, with more care in front of goal, the Royals would have won the match comfortably. Trialist number 2 for Sutton was constantly buzzing about and ought to have scored really when a sliced clearance by Rangers left him clear at inside-left but I was surprised that he didn’t lift the ball over the advancing Wagstaff, instead firing a low left-footer which to be fair Wagstaff made a fine save from.

AMAZING HOW TWO PEOPLE CAN TOUCH HANDS FROM SUCH A DISTANCE...

REPLACEMENT ROYALS' GOALIE...
HIS NAME?
A. TRIALIST, NATURALLY...

Wagstaff gathered an effort from trialist 17 at his near stick, but the same Royal fired a rising shot across the goalmouth from the right in the final offensive action of the hot, sultry day, eased only by the emergence of one or two clouds which offered a little respite to players, staff and spectators alike…

AT LEAST THE SURFACE WASN'T INJURIOUS...

Certainly McNulty had brought some threat to the Royals’ attack but their forwards hadn’t really clicked in front of goal, one good reason for these pre-season workouts to exist at all, I guess. Playing on that kind of 3G pitch certainly allows players to pass the ball accurately and that is a real positive outcome. Paget’s stalwart defender Josh McPherson was as solid as a concrete shed in defence and Nadat was thus heavily marked throughout but Brown and the beastly Brooks were powerful in midfield for Rangers and during the opening half, 11 and Morris looked bright, although for all his fine hold-up work, McBean was unable to trouble the home gloveman. 

GREAT SECOND-HALF...

Me? Drove home to write a story about Mr Angry…

SQUADS:

SUTTON COLDFIELD TOWN:

1 ANON. 2 ANON. 3 ANON. 4 ANON. 5 ANON. 6 ANON. 7 ANON. 8 ANON. 9 JORDAN NADAT. 10 ANON. 11 ANON. 12 MAX McNULTY. 

OTHER REPLACEMENTS: ANON., ANON., ANON., ETC, ETC, ETC…

PAGET RANGERS:

WAGSTAFF, MALLETT, BYRNE, BROWN, McPHERSON, HENNESSEY, BROOKS, McBEAN, MORRIS, GASIEWSKI, GAUNTLETT?, BURKE?, CULLEN. 

PLUS OTHERS, OF COURSE…