WLV Overhauled By Called Out Plumbers
Coventry Plumbing 3-2 WLV Sport
The Wolverhampton University team made such a fight of this game in Coventry, despite not having taken a point thus far this term. The Plumbers had been involved in 5-3 and 5-4 league wins already, plus a 5-1 Vase victory, with striker Connoll Farrell having netted 8 goals in 3 matches. Despite their two league defeats, conceding 11 goals and also a 0-2 reverse in the Les James Cup competition, WLV forward Kyle Wainwright had netted 5 times overall and he, like Farrell, would score a brace during this encounter. The visitors survived some pressure from the Plumbers before the break and netted just prior to the changeover, somewhat against the run of play, in truth. After the break though, the hosts rapped home three goals to appear comfortable, until WLV, inspired by replacement Dom Latham, a late arrival at the ground, netted again and the Plumbers were certainly made to feel rather uncomfortable during the closing stages.
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| DOBSON: "I THOUGHT YOU WERE WEARING MY NAN'S SHAWL, MAN..." |
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| FARRELL KICKS OFF FOR THE PLUMBERS... |
WLV, wearing their distinctive and rather fashionable kit, managed to create only a couple of offensive opportunities during a competitive first period. Both were headers, central defender Sam Belcher’s flying effort drifting well off target from Brad Fox’s corner and Fox’s own glanced effort following a free-kick by skipper Louis Clifton (should he not be at Nottingham Uni’?) slipping wide of the base of the right upright, worrying home goalie Dave Allen a little. Their goal was scored from another set-piece, suggesting that creativity by WLV from open play was proving a difficult obstacle to overcome against the Plumbers.
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| WE REALLY DO LIKES THE WLV KIT... |
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| CAMPBELL, SECOND LEFT, IS ABOUT TO BE CAUTIONED... |
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...THERE YOU GO...
BUT IS PLUMBER HUTCHINSON PEEING ON THE REF'S HEEL? |
A right-side flag-kick was met with a low volley at the near post by Ashford-Joseph Frost (why the nickname AJ? Surely it should be Jack…) and although Allen did well to drop left and stop the shot, the effective and willing Wainwright reacted the quickest a couple of yards from goal and converted the inviting rebound.
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| 0-1... |
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| OLD AMBER BOOTS HIMSELF, WAINWRIGHT, HAS SCORED FOR THE UNI'... |
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| KNIGHT (RIGHT) PLACES HIS HANDS ON HIS HIPS IN 'BUGGER IT' STYLE... |
Coventry had fashioned some offense from the start but feeds to quick striker Farrell had not quite connected, for the forward was twice denied by visiting goalie Connah Chalmers with rushes from his goal, with both incidents initiated by strike partner Liam Doyle. Farrell fired a couple of efforts off target too but so did Matty Lewis in the opening moments of the game, when Farrell’s pass offered him a decent 12 yard volley which was slightly miscued. Doyle hurried a couple of 15 yard shots from inside-left also, one flying well off target from Cam Knight’s long assist, when he might have moved closer before shooting and the other rapping against the left stanchion, following neat set-up play by the evergreen Oli Manoochehri and also Farrell.
However, the main wrench in the Plumbers’ ranks was the totally involved midfielder Jordan Powell, who was so influential throughout the contest. During that opening half he saw a header from a corner cleared from the Wolves’ goal-line by Clifton at the right post, he headed another corner too high then from Knight’s long throw, powered a third header goalwards but Chalmers dived right to make a smooth and decent catch. The final opening half header by Powell was remarkable, for he rose to head James Chappell’s free-kick against the foot of the right upright, from whence the ball cannoned across the goal-line and struck the base of the left post too, although during the skirmish which followed, a linesman’s flag wagged in favour of the visitors.
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| SMART BALLET FEET DISPLAYED BY RUDOLF WAINWRIGHTIEV... |
So frustration for the hosts before the turnaround but the moment of the opening half was provided by let’s say the ‘vociferous’ Plumbing skipper Jack Dobson, whose voice boomed across yonder green fields, disturbing a flock of black-headed gulls and a perched buzzard, when he felt that a challenge by a WLV player had been too rough. The comment began like he was gonna kill the perpetrator then softened out like he was gonna give him a gentle cuddle instead…
“OI… THAT’S A FUCKIN’…naughty one…”
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| THERE HE IS: DOBSON THE FOREMAN PLUMBER... |
Cue laughter and sniggering… The players retired for refreshments and WLV appeared well before their hosts to engage part two with the gusty breeze in their favour.
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| DAVE ALLEN FLATTENED: MAY HIS GOD GO WITH HIM... |
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| FOX SLYLY RECEIVES A CAUTION... |
Once again Powell proved to be dangerous when set-pieces by Lewis and Chappell were delivered and he caused something of a melee on one occasion but would nod another cross well wide later in the game. The speed of Farrell was the attacking feature for the Plumbers though as the encounter wore on. He was released centrally by Lewis to out-pace the beleaguered WLV defence and score with a low shot past the advancing Chalmers and when Powell clipped a smart pass along the right flank, Farrell ran from a central position to fasten onto it. What was good about his decision making was that Farrell, essentially left-booted, did NOT cut inside onto his trusty left extremity but took on a couple of defenders to the outside, crossing low towards the near post where the joyful Lewis tucked the ball past a helpless Chalmers.
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| 1-1... |
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OMG... IS FARRELL CELEBRATING HIS GOAL COUNTRY DANCING?
OR IS IT A FOXTROT? (BRAD FOX, NUMBER 10, GET IT?) |
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| 2-1... |
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LEWIS, LEFT, CELEBRATES HIS GOAL BY MIMING CLEANING HIS TEETH WITH AN ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH
THIS COULD CATCH ON... |
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| ...BUT THE GAME ISN'T OVER YET... |
Chalmers did well to kick away an angled shot from the left by Doyle but was beaten by Farrell again soon afterwards. This time, a left-wing cross by Chappell was controlled, it appeared, on the striker’s thigh and he swung a near post volley, a close range effort which was slightly mis-hit but beat Chalmers as he fell against his upright. Farrell would also fire a shot wide and be foiled by a good save from the advancing Chalmers late in the match, preventing a hat-trick for the rapid striker.
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| POSING FOR THE CAMERA? SURELY NOT... |
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| 3-1... |
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| SAD FOR CHALMERS... |
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| ...BUT PLEASURE FOR FARRELL... |
The guests battled on but perhaps a couple of free-kicks from promising positions were overhit and the lively replacement Latham drove two rising shots too high. Adding to Tevon Campbell’s first-half caution, Fox was booked too after half-time for misrepresenting his name and barging Allen to the ground like he should have been named Bear instead. Winger Adeola Diya did have a low drive superbly blocked by Powell, whose influence didn’t only extend to offense but also to add effectiveness to his team’s defence. Wainwright slipped a low shot close past the left upright before an enterprising rush on the right by Latham ended with a fine centre, Knight stayed with Diya at the far side of the penalty-box but both home central defenders Darren Hutchinson and George Swain moved towards Latham, leaving Wainwright alone to head an easy goal without even having to jump. 3-2 and that meant some minutes to survive for the Plumbers which they managed without too much ado.
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| 3-2: BUT WAINWRIGHT STEALS THE BALL... |
Overall, Powell starred for the hosts, Dobson roared like a seal on St Clement’s Island off Mousehole in Cornwall and Knight reminded me of ‘Sharpe’ from the TV series and Bernard Cornwell’s books: battered but aggressive. Manoochehri and Doyle were not involved over much but clearly the pace and ability to find the net at this level is Farrell’s penchant. For WLV, Chalmers was decent between the sticks, full-backs Aurimas Brazauskas (apologies for pronouncing his name incorrectly during the commentary) and Lee Hardwick performed with uncompromising concentration and despite the pace of Farrell to deal with, central defenders Belcher and Hardeep Sanghera worked hard. Clifton was fortunate not to have been yellow-carded for yanking back Plumber replacement Cam Pringle-Andrews but the referee had allowed play to continue on that occasion and the skipper escaped punishment…
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| A GENUINE HANDSHAKE... |
So, another goal-blast involving Plumbing and surely that result was a relief for their coaching staff but certainly WLV must take heart from this performance which now needs building on to enable a clambering up the league table…
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BRILLIANT STUFF, PLUMBERS!
A PROGRAMME AT STEP 8... |
A word of repair praise for one of the linesman too: he was forced not only to fix the detachment of his own flag during the game, but also the detachment of a corner-flag too…
Linos: it’s what they do…
TEAMS:
COVENTRY PLUMBING:
DAVE ALLEN, CAM KNIGHT, JAMES CHAPPELL, JACK DOBSON (CAPT), DARREN HUTCHINSON, GEORGE SWAIN, MATT LEWIS, JORDAN POWELL, CONNOLL FARRELL, LIAM DOYLE, OLI MANOOCHEHRI.
SUBS:
CAM PRINGLE-ANDREWS, WENDEL MOYO, JOE TOBIN, JOE SHARMAN, JAMIE CONNOR.
WLV SPORT:
CONNAH CHALMERS, AURIMAS BRAZAUSKIS, LEE HARDWICK, LOUIS CLIFTON (CAPT), SAM BELCHER, HARDEEP SANGHERA, TEVON CAMPBELL, AJ FROST, KYLE WAINWRIGHT, BRAD FOX, ADEOLA DIYA.
SUBS:
DOM LATHAM, ANT PURSALL, JAMIE TAYLOR, PRITCHARD ADJEI, DAN FADIAN.
