STOURPORT SWIFTS 4-0 DUNKIRK: FULL REPORT & MORE IMAGES...

Trent Boatmen Sunk On The Severn

Stourport Swifts 4-0 Dunkirk

I had seen quite a number of Dunkirk’s matches some years back as they rose to prominence during Dave Harbottle’s rather quirky management days and so I always look forward to a chance to watch them play. Blair Anderson and Romello Nangle were on offense for them, players I’ve seen play before but on this day, neither could find the net, despite being offered a brace of acceptable chances each. Dunkirk might certainly have netted a few times on the day but in truth, their four goals apart, the Swifts also missed opportunities and so although the result was a deserved victory for the hosts, their guests would likely feel hard done by when they are reminded of the 4-0 scoreline. 

DUNKIRK START THE MATCH...

Mark Danks began the scoring with a fine shot, nodded a second, despite his smaller stature and the presence of the taller Dunkirk central defenders, then he created goal three for the very influential Drew Canavan. Canavan also struck the crossbar with a nasty free-kick and provided the assist for replacement Callum Devlin to settle the affair on around 84 minutes. Dunkirk had eventually shaken off a disappointing opening half and indeed, despite being three goals adrift at the interval, they at least salvaged some pride, driven on by midfielder Rich Whyman and defensive skipper Adam Burton.

BURTON: THE LEADER...

Some smart passing was visible at times by Stourport but the danger was generally engineered by the trio of forwards, Danks, Canavan and the busy, channel-running Nick MacPherson, who was not on the scoresheet but contributed valuably to the team’s offensive success. Indeed, after an infringement ruled out a good Matt Fulloway finish at the far left post, from a Canavan free-kick, MacPherson failed to get in a shot 12 yards out but that was quickly forgotten as Danks moved inside from the left flank past tackles and simply rifled a fine 20 yard drive high into the right corner of the net, leaving Dunkirk’s gloveman Rich Stainsby on his heels, unable to do more than cast an envious glance at the passing ball.

1-0...

...THANKS TO DANKS...

Danks scored goal two too (not in a tu-tu) you understand, when he rose unchallenged by those tall Dunkirk defenders to head Canavan’s right side free-kick past Stainsby. The marking had been slack for sure and the Boatmen were thus castigated by their navigators in the dugout canoe on the far sideline. Canavan rapped a dropping free-kick from inside-left against the crossbar but home central defender Matt Hanson (not Joe, or even Jim) could only look on in horror as the rebound bounced off him and wide of the right upright. 

2-0...

DANKS AGAIN...

Canavan would not be denied however and when his goal-assistant Danks cut inside again from the left, Canavan was loosely marked, so that his low 13 yard shot rolled into the bottom left corner of goal. The surprise was that right-sider Jack Downing didn’t get on the scoresheet at all during the match, for three first period dribbles brought nothing more than dismay to the clever winger. He shoved a centre across the goalmouth in the opening minute, dribbled splendidly into the penalty-box with support to his left, but lost his footing as he was surely about to score and then passed inaccurately to his right when really, Swifts ought to have added another goal before the break.

3-0: CANAVAN...

The Boatmen were more drifting oar-less than all at sea in that opening period, although the willing George Bosworth headed way wide from a near post position and a couple of attacking free-kicks failed. The first was Anderson’s which dropped too late and drifted over the target and the second was by Whyman whose effort took a deflection for home goalie Dom Richards to fall upon like he was preventing his puppy from rushing off with one of his slippers. However, Nangle was the closest Boatman to score, being beaten to an early long ball by Richards then missing the target twice when one-on-one with the Stourport custodian. The first chance was poked wide of the left upright and the second, from an angle, Nangle (angle, Nangle?) nudged the ball into the side-netting.  

NANGLE GOES CLOSE...

3-0 behind at the break, Dunkirk needed an early second-half goal to make a point possible but that wouldn’t happen, despite the efforts of Bosworth, Anderson and Nangle, but largely Whyman. Home full-backs Joe Hanson and the speedy Lewis Platt had made several inroads into the Dunkirk defence and Kirk Layton had battled well in midfield to support Danks, the deep lying Canavan and the wide-placed Downing. Subsequently though, the guests failed to score at all and Swifts took one more chance to complete the sinking of their visitors.

SECOND PERIOD...

Three Boatmen were cautioned after the interval, Whyman, left-back Joel Howes and the totally irritated goalkeeper Stainsby, after the final goal had been conceded. Yet this had largely been a well contested affair on a slippery surface, although the officials did penalise Dunkirk quite a number of times. Whyman hit a low free-kick wide from 26 yards, then forced a low save falling right by Richards, but until the introduction of their substitutes, the visitors scorned three more opportunities. Nangle really might have attempted to chip Richards from 20 yards but instead his low shot proved wayward and twice at the right stick, Anderson could have netted. Firstly his touch goalwards appeared to drag off Richards for Joe Hanson to hack clear from near the goal-line but the second incident saw the winger look confident enough to score from close range but Richards did really well to throw himself down and block the shot.

SOME DEFENCE BY THE SWIFTS...

In the latter stages, replacements Jacob Tabreham and then Josh Barr-Rostron went close for the guests. First Tabreham fastened onto a slip and loss of possession at 17 yards by Richards but an offside flag was waving like nautical bunting on a pleasure craft to cancel out the strike, then Richards made a dive low and right to stop Barr-Rostron’s effort. In all honesty though, the Swifts also created some offense of their own.

SAVE BY RICHARDS...

Matt Hanson headed a Canavan free-kick wide, Stainsby reached Danks’ smart pass before  Downing, Danks himself saw a diving header from another Canavan free-kick saved on the goal-line by Stainsby, then a 22 yard Martin Slevin free-kick dropped too late. MacPherson turned sharply and clipped an effort past the far right angle but when one-on-one with Stainsby, the striker was denied to his consternation by the goalkeeper’s plunge. Canavan, still the go-to man for the hosts had a low shot saved by the ‘keeper and another effort blocked in a messy melee of slices, following the industrious Slevin’s left-wing cross. 

DANKS THE DIVING SWIFT...

Late in the match though, Devlin settled any remaining nerves and fellow substitute Joe Billingham missed a glorious opportunity to make it 5-0 on the day. Canavan slipped a great pass inside the left-defensive cover for Devlin to fasten onto and he beat Stainsby with a rising, slightly angled effort, after which the apoplectic goalkeeper was yellow-carded for his antics of some peculiarity. However, following a splendid run on the right to the byeline, MacPherson rolled a perfect pass for Billingham to convert. Only he didn’t. His touch rolled past the left upright from just a few yards out, to his dismay.

4-0: DEVLIN...

And thus the game ended, the Swifts taking flight with the three points and the Boatmen, languishing only two points above the bottom pair in the league, both of whom have three matches in hand over the Lenton Lane outfit, were left to bale out their sinking vessel en route back to their Trent port. Fulloway marshalled his Swifts well, Platt’s pace was lively until he was hurt late on and all three Hansons were employed by manager Quentin Townsend. Maybe Downing will enjoy more fruitful days and MacPherson will have more success in front of goal in a match soon but Danks was, er, as Danks has always been, a poacher and Canavan was the unmistakable architect for victory. 

MATCH OVER...

Tom Carroll supported Whyman well enough for the visitors, Lewis Wilcox was generally strong in defence, as was Nat Appiah but Burton was seemingly never flustered, like a leader ought to be. Nangle and Anderson will score goals, of that there is no doubt but when a team is struggling, fortune seems to favour it not…

I travelled swiftly home, not by flight, nor by boat, just simply by road…

It’s what I do.

TEAMS:  

STOURPORT SWIFTS:

DOM RICHARDS, JOE HANSON, LEWIS PLATT, KIRK LAYTON, MATT HANSON, MATT FULLOWAY (CAPT), MARTIN SLEVIN, MARK DANKS, NICK MACPHERSON, DREW CANAVAN, JACK DOWNING. 

SUBS:

JIM HANSON, JOE BILLINGHAM, KYLE BELMONTE, CALLUM DEVLIN, CALLUM GRANT.  

DUNKIRK:

RICH STAINSBY, NAT APPIAH, JOEL HOWES, BEN MOORE, LEWIS WILCOX, ADAM BURTON, BLAIR ANDERSON, RICH WHYMAN, ROMELLO NANGLE, GEORGE BOSWORTH, TOM CARROLL.

SUBS:

JOSH BARR-ROSTRON, JACOB TABREHAM, JOE LINDLEY.