FAIRFORD TOWN 2-3 WANTAGE TOWN: INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

Charlie the Ref’ Steps From A Hot Day Into A Pot Boiler

Fairford Town 2-3 Wantage Town

Mr Bullock was doubtless looking forward to the new season which began for him and also the Hellenic League on a sunny, warm day at Cinder Lane in Fairford. Unfortunately, he was to endure a trying afternoon, choosing to dismiss a home player close to the start, awarding rather a dubious penalty to the visitors, who had already succumbed to a brace by Flyer John Thomas, then finding himself unsure whether Steve Robertson’s equaliser had gone into the net at all, for the ball had rolled behind the goal-frame. It had gone in, as my footage clearly shows and had found a hole in the netting but ‘Charlie’, as he was questionably and constantly referred to by the Wantage benchmen actually went across to the other side of the pitch to ask an assistant’s opinion, who could have seen and verified, er, well, nothing. Was that Mr Varley (not Charlie Varley, surely?) he addressed, or had the official called the other fellow, Mr Comb over? And the assistants were supposed to check the nets for just such rips and tears before each half began, surely?  

PROGRAMME COVER...

CHARLIE ADMINISTERS THE TOSS...

"RIGHT..." SAID FRED, "...LET'S START..."

So, a tough day for ‘Charlie’ and his assistants and a tougher one for Fairford, who had taken an early lead, scored again with ten men, albeit totally against the tide in the second period but then succumbed to the tumbling penalty, the farce of the second of the second goal through the invisible hole and then totally capitulated following a bad error by one of the home replacements who gifted the dangerous Robertson his second strike of the match. Wantage dominated the game, pressurising their hosts even before the opening goal by Thomas and after Jack Dunmall had been unable to connect with a low Jim Glover centre, followed by a bunch of shots which struck home defenders, “Hand-ball…” being yelled a few times by Fred-people. ‘Charlie’ did award a free-kick for the use of a Fairford arm 20 yards from goal but the eager and lively Dunmall clipped his subsequent shot past the right angle of bar and post. And then Thomas struck…

WANTAGE'S GREEN KIT DEMONSTRATES WHAT PITCHES SHOULD LOOK LIKE IN AUGUST...

Even my hand-held camera was taken by surprise as a long free-kick to the Flyers was nodded on by the striker but due to some defensive confusion on the part of Wantage, Thomas poked home the loose ball. I managed to capture only the final seconds of that piece of action… Sorry Mr Thomas… 

1-0...

JOHN THOMAS THE SCORER...

Wantage has decent players in their unit and naturally the concession of a shock goal pumped up their offense but then a very late, very wild ‘challenge’ by home midfielder Josh Jones floored Cal Wright and suddenly, ‘Charlie’ was under real pressure from Fred players and coaching staff alike to dismiss the Flyer. Yet Wright was not writhing about, credit to him but simply looked rather slighted and incredulous from his kneeling position and there was clearly little or no damage done to the Fred midfielder. Mr Bullock proceeded to red-card Jones, yet from the video footage of the ‘tackle’, the punishment issued could be fodder for discussion about ‘interpretation’. Thus as Jones trudged to the locker-room, Wantage relished the numerical personnel advantage and naturally dominated the remainder of the first period.

TROUBLE...

CHARLIE DEALS WITH JONES...

THE CARD MATCHES THE KIT...

JONES IS NOW IN EXILE...

Fairford did manage to dispossess Wright later in the half and skipper Lee Smith attempted an audacious clipped shot from 30 yards which Fred goalie Curtis Meare did well to get a left glove to and flip away for a corner. Otherwise, Wantage were in command, exploiting the wings, where Fairford had offered space from the very start. No wings for the Flyers? Hmm… Mark Flanagan in particular, from left-back, saw so much possession, Dan Comer less so on the right but to the frustration of their coaches, Wantage’s providers were unable to deliver enough decent final passes or crosses into the 18 yard box, which was generally crammed full of stressed Flyers. A low centre by Comer sliced the 6 yard box, skipper Chris Jackson headed too high, Glover smashed a close range volley over the crossbar from Flanagan’s cross, Wright drove high from 25 yards and Robertson, well shackled in the first-half, deflected another Flanagan centre past the far upright, with goalkeeper Ben Mitchell diving low but in vain. 

SMITH, RIGHT, LOOKS DISTRAUGHT ALREADY...

HOT WEATHER AND A LONG WAY TO GO...

THOMAS AND COMER LEAP...

DRINKS BREAK FOR THE FREDS...

...AND THE FLYERS...

Mitchell did deny Harvey Scholes a goal by saving with his right boot as the interval neared but somehow, Fairford held on, with central defenders Robbie James and Nathan Hawkins in particular having done an effective defensive job between them. A word for Wantage’s midfielder Jon Davoile here, whose touch on the ball and neat passing had been a feature of the first period and that would continue during the second-half. Due to the exile of Jones, Fairford’s creativity had been limited and the likes of Callum Preece and Freddie Ward were forced into containing and defensive roles and that too would continue into the later periods of this absorbing contest.

DAN COMER PERFORMS 'JAKE THE PEG'...

FINE JUMP BY JON DAVOILE...

SMITH CAN'T GET A JUMP AT ALL...

FREDMEN...

The hosts managed one real goal attempt after the break and actually scored from it but before and after the strike, again by Thomas, the Freds had controlled the affair. Robertson and Glover had almost frozen on the spot in front of goal when a deep cross from the left dropped at the edge of the 6 yard box, Glover rounded Mitchell, following Davoile’s deft feed but the move fizzled out, Dunmall assisted Robertson whose low shot was saved well by Mitchell and then Dunmall’s overhead effort fell for Robertson again but his poked effort rolled wide. Flanagan drove too high, Mitchell saved a deflected Dunmall shot, home left-back Michael Oakes defended a dangerous moment superbly and then Fred replacement Kaylem Patterson made a rush from deep but his low drive from 18 yards was stopped by Mitchell. And then the hosts delivered their sucker punch…

JODY BEVAN: FRUSTRATED...

BEN SADLER: THOUGHTFUL...

SECOND PERIOD...

SNIPER ROBERTSON: DID IT WHEN IT MATTERED...

A clearing pass by right-back John Watson found Thomas who wrestled possession from Matt Cheetham and somehow managed to wriggle free and turn to his left, opening up some space at inside-right, leaving the Fred defender prostrate. Thomas’ low 23 yard effort entered the left corner of goal, leaving Meare a mere falling spectator.

2-0...

INDIVIDUAL EFFORT BY THOMAS...

Another save by Mitchell from Robertson, a rush out by the Flyers’ gloveman to deny Patterson from another smart Davoile pass and a Robertson flick kept the hosts ahead, just about, but then the visitors registered a long awaited goal. A cross from the right saw Flanagan a-flailing, a-flopping and a-falling, arms a-waving and a-wafting reminiscent of a shoebill stork dropping into an African pool to capture an unfortunate lungfish. Smith was defending, Flanagan wanted a spot-kick and ‘Charlie’ obliged, cautioning the Fairford skipper for his pains. Jackson beat the plainly hurt Mitchell easily from the spot, low into the right corner of the net.

2-1: JACKSON LIKES THE BALL CUZ IT MATCHES HIS WARDROBE...

The next two goals arrived either side of a Davoile header which fizzed too high but certainly the first of them was contentious at the time. James’ clearing header from a Jackson free-kick saw a challenge by Dunmall on Watson and the ball fell forwards towards the 6 yard box. Robertson was in his element, holding off a defender, turning to strike a low left-booter inside the near post but the ball went through the netting, leading to much ado about whether the net had been fit for purpose. A goal was given, as I explained above and that was a correct decision. 

2-2: PARITY...

DISPLEASURE...

...BUT A GOAL...

Certainly a couple of home representatives caused more furore by inspecting the net and remaining behind the goal which displeased the visiting dugout squatters and nasty words which sounded like ‘fog’ or ‘duck’ were yelled in earnest. Not good… The Freds scented victory and they achieved it more through a defensive error than from their own creativity and when Jackson’s long left-side centre bounced in front of replacement home left-back Steve Hall, he managed only a partial, hesitant and uncontrolled forehead touch, leaving the lurking, hovering sniping Robertson the chance to scoop a low shot into the right corner of the net and grab the three points for the joyous Freds.   

2-3...

A BRACE FOR THE SNIPER...

Cautions for Cheetham, Hawkins and Preece were added to ‘Charlie’s’ list during the second period but I guess that Fairford would have felt aggrieved by the lateness of their defeat and also the manner of it, from their points of view. Wantage were the more confident from the start of the game, before Jones’ demise and whatever the merits or otherwise of the dismissal, the Freds commanded both the territorial advantage and also the time of possession. The last pass or delivery from wide was too often disapproved of by the Wantage coaches but by hook or by crook, they got there in the end…

GOOD RELATIONS AT THE END...