GNP SPORTS 6-3 FAIRFIELD VILLA: GAME REPORT & IMAGES...

Guerrilla Villains Harass Lethal Raiders…

GNP Sports 6-3 Fairfield Villa

4-1 behind at the interval, Villa responded diligently in the second-half of this 2nd v 3rd clash in Midland League 2. A pair of goals saw the hosts wobbling and although home goalkeeper Scott Davis made a couple of decent saves, on the whole, despite some disarray on occasions, GNP survived long enough for replacement Adam Knight and the curious coffeemaker Charlie ‘Barista’ Cook to add late goals and make the scoreline more comfortable for the Sphinx Drive tenants. The ease with which home forwards Tommy Rawlings and Stu Hendrie raced through the Villa defence during the opening period was critical and the pair notched the opening three goals between them, the fourth arriving courtesy of Wil Beach’s rush through a frozen back line. Fairfield scored with two low headers, again highlighting some hesitation in the GNP defence from set-pieces and later substitute Kyle Xavier lashed a fine shot into the roof of the Raiders’ net, for he had been scorned and ignored by the GNP marking system. 

HENDRIE APPEARS TO HAVE EMERGED FROM THE WRONG DUGOUT...

COLLINS KICKS OFF FOR VILLA, WHILST THE REFEREE SPRINTS ONE LAST TIME...

Both clubs have expressed condemnation for the officials in this encounter and certainly there were questionable non-decisions evident in the realms of ‘offside’ by the assistants and authority by the referee, who strode about seemingly in slow motion and teetering on short stilts. Rarely did he appear to make a movement which qualified as a run, or even a jog and he too often treated foul play from some distance away. He allowed a few illegal challenges to go unpunished throughout the game and several players, including GNP’s James Bryson and Lewis Marston, plus Villa’s Ellis Blakemore and Alex Dugmore, might on another day have been shown yellow cards. It was remarkable then when home midfielder Corey Jack Brookes was cautioned late in the game, apparently ‘as an example’… Ah, well, the officials took the abuse, and then exited clutching their fees…

"A PASS, MY KINGDOM FOR A PASS..."

INGRAM, LEFT, WOULD LATER BE INJURED WHEN VILLA GOALIE GODDARD DIVED AT HIS FEET...

Following an early scramble in the Villa 6 yard box when goalie Josh Goddard smothered a near post touch by Wil Beach, following a rush to the byeline by the eager Rawlings, the central striker then took centre-stage. His opening half would be a fruitful exercise, scoring twice and assisting twice. He also drove into the right side-netting when Goddard tipped on Cook’s corner and Rawlings also attempted to chest Brookes’ centre into goal from close range, leaving him perhaps wondering why he hadn’t headed the delivery over the goal-line. He had already accepted flicks by Brookes and Hendrie to go clear, smartly rounding Goddard veering left and tucking home a careful angled shot to give GNP the lead but when the hosts won a left-side throw, the guests succumbed again. 

1-0...

RAWLINGS THE SCORER, LEFT...

Hendrie, left-flank, pushed a pass inside for Brookes to heel for Beach to move onto near the byeline and his low provision was turned just inside the far post by Rawlings from 9 yards. Neat, effective, clinical…

2-0...

RAWLINGS AGAIN...

Hendrie too was proving awkward for the Villa markers and when Rawlings broke right and squared for the number 7, Hendrie converted into the left corner with no trouble. Hendrie would fasten onto two fine passes from The Barista too but lifted the ball over Goddard and the crossbar on one occasion then took too long to get in a shot the second time, allowing the aggressive and impressive Reuben Wilson to get in a telling challenge. Brookes threatened at the near post following good work by Cook and Beach, Cook smacked a vicious drive from 22 yards which Goddard manage to beat away, leaving his gloves throbbing and Villa defender Max Crisp sliced a clearance so high it threatened to collide with an Amazon drone, before falling onto the roof of the net after an age, as the hosts dominated. 

3-0: HENDRIE THE SCORER...

"CUM ON, LEE BRO', WATCH MY HIGHLIGHTS, YEAH?"

Fairfield battled gamely on however and won a right-side corner, whereby Crisp leaned lower than marker Marston and nodded the ball past a crowd on the goal-line into the left corner of the net and suddenly it was 3-1. The three-goal cushion was soon regained by GNP though when Beach ran onto Rawlings’ pass, easily pushed the ball left past the advancing Goddard and slotted the ball into an empty net. 

3-1 & SCORER MAX HIDES CRISPLY BEHIND DUGMORE...

4-1 & BEACH, RIGHT HAS SCORED FOR GNP...

Strangely, both visiting central defenders, Crisp and Dugmore played with some resolution throughout but when a slight error of judgement was made at the back, GNP seemed to capitalise and it must have been demoralising for them to go into the break 4-1 behind. Connor Gifford had tried to offer an outlet on the left for Fairfield but Cook needed attention and Wilson had done well on the right, a position from whence his fine second period showing would take place. Ludlow had worked hard, Ryan Molesworth had offered support on the right and Connor Collins, who didn’t appear after the interval, was his usual strong self. Skipper James McKeon was quiet, despite one or two telling and creative passes.

THE REFEREE DOES A FINE JOB OF NOT SORTING ANYTHING OUT...

COLLINS & BEACH...

The Raiders had a new defensive line-up on the day, with Jin Dhaliwal, Bryson, Kevin Ingram and Rhys Lyons doing the majority of the work but after half-time it became confused and disorganised in the GNP penalty-box, as Wilson pushed forward on the right and Blakemore looked lively on the left. Ludlow certainly drove his team forward and only a fine tackle by Dhaliwal dispossessed him when well positioned. Pressure by the guests led to a chance on the break for Raider Hendrie, who battled to win the ball off the shielding Dugmore but Goddard blocked the striker’s near post angled shot, even as Dugmore grabbed a handful of Hendrie’s shirt. A low pass from Cook to Lyons led to the ball being returned to the Coffeemaker and he scorched a shot just over the crossbeam from an angle but when Ludlow bent forth to nod Wilson’s centre from the right byeline into the net, following a fine run, GNP looked aghast.

SECOND PERIOD BEGINS...

BRYSON ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN TO THE REFEREE THAT HE IS ABLE TO WHISTLE WHEN HE SEES AN OFFENCE...

4-2: HEADER BY LUDLOW...

The defending had been seriously statuesque for that goal and although Hendrie showed quick feet to get in a low shot which Goddard did well to stop, following a bit of messy defending by the visitors, the heat was turned upon GNP. Two instinctive saves by the tumbling giant, Raiders’ goalie Scott Davis, from Wilson, low to his left and then Ludlow from close range, paved the way for a third Villa goal. Sports were all at sea by this point and confidence had drained from their play, although to be fair, Dhaliwal defended stoutly and Bryson had made crucial clearances but when nobody bothered to mark Villa replacement Xavier from Ludlow’s right-wing corner and the ball ricocheted off Crisp, Xavier bludgeoned a crisp finish from 10 yards high into the roof of Davis’ net.

GIFFORD, LEFT, ORDERS AN EXTRA SHOT SKINNY AMERICANO FROM THE BARISTA...

"GET OFF MY BACK, OR I'LL SPIT IN YOUR COFFEE..."

THE REFEREE FINALLY LIFTS AN ARM.
BROOKES IS DUMBFOUNDED.
(IT LOOKED A BOOKING ON THE REPLAY, THOUGH...)

4-3: GOAL BY XAVIER, RIGHT...

Yes, Hendrie had a shot blocked from yet another Cook assist and yes, Cook clipped a curling effort onto the roof of the Fairfield net from the left-side but Villa maintained their threat. Until that is, two late strikes edged GNP three goals ahead once more and Villa were left to rue the performance of two linesmen, claiming that their flags ought to have wagged for offside when it really mattered…   

XAVIER FINDS A NOVEL WAY TO MARK COOK CLOSELY...

The Mocha-maker, Baristacook, simply heaved a huge volleyed clearance forward from his own 18 yard box, substitute Torin Coleing turned the ball on along the right flank for Hendrie to break onto and with the Villa defence undermanned, the Sky pundit’s bro’ passed unselfishly to Knight across on the left flank and he simply drove low past the advancing Goddard and into the right corner of the net to cure his manager’s consternation and likely constipation…

5-3: KNIGHT THE SCORER...

The last goal was a reward for The Latteman, Baristacook and it was created by Hendrie’s typical control and nuisance. He took down replacement Luke Swinnerton’s feed, moved right along the 18 yard line and utilised the Hendrie ‘scoop’ over a defender, allowing Cook to move into the goalscoring zone, from whence the wily, deep-lying, two-footed fellow casually lifted the ball over Goddard’s head in slow motion, rather like the referee moved throughout the afternoon and the ball dropped gently into the net from close range at the right upright. 

6-3: COOK HAS NETTED CLEVERLY...

Dugmore and Crisp didn’t deserve to concede six for all their concerted effort, neither did Goddard, neither did Wilson but subsequently, the first-half antics of Rawlings and Hendrie on offense for the Raiders would prove vital, although Villa had fought back so well and it was credit to Bryson and Dhaliwal in particular that GNP held out long enough for a Knight not in armour to come to their rescue and for the Cook to add a deft flourish to the attacking menu and win the three points for the Division 2 new boys…    

FOND FAREWELLS...

TEAMS:

GNP SPORTS:

SCOTT DAVIS, JIN DHALIWAL, KEVIN INGRAM, RHYS LYONS, JAMES BRYSON (CAPT), COREY JACK BROOKES, STU HENDRIE, LEWIS MARSTON, TOM RAWLINGS, CHARLIE COOK, WIL BEACH.

SUBS:

LUKE SWINNERTON, JASON EVANS, ADAM KNIGHT, TORIN COLEING. 

FAIRFIELD VILLA:

JOSH GODDARD, REUBEN WILSON, CONNOR GIFFORD, MAX CRISP, ALEX DUGMORE, PETER JENVEY, RYAN MOLESWORTH, JAMES McKEON, CONNOR COLLINS, ELLIS BLAKEMORE, DANNY LUDLOW.

SUBS:

DAN WILKES, KYLE XAVIER, SCOTT HANCOCK, NIC ALLEN, DANIEL PITT.