BOLEHALL SWIFTS 2-1 GNP SPORTS: THE MATCH REPORT...

Raiders Mugged By Beacon’s Swifts

Bolehall Swifts 2-1 GNP Sports

This result was surely unlikely before the match began and it remained unlikely when it was still scoreless at the interval. It remained even more unlikely a result when replacement Nathan Stoute finally scored a goal for the visitors but Swifts, commanded by skipper Reece Beacon, who, yes, lit up his team, nabbed two goals on the break to snatch victory against their illustrious guests and dent their title hopes. Left-sider Aaron O’Neil (or is it double-L?) also forced a tip-over save from Raiders’ goalie James Wardle, proving that the hosts did hold a threat when striker Joe Kinsella, who netted his team’s equaliser, ran the channels onto clearances. The winner, set up by both Kinsella and Scott Illiffe (or is it one L?) was nodded past a despairing Wardle by red-booted home midfielder Louie O’Connor and he celebrated with a chest slide on the very uneven pitch, no doubt leaving his skin looking like a ruffled, ploughed field.

KINSELLA WARMS UP WITH SOME RIVER DANCING...

GNP were their own worst enemies, constantly getting drawn into the depths of Beacon’s massed defence, too often running into traffic, losing possession on the rutted surface, or hitting inaccurate passes towards the forwards. Beacon and company soaked the majority of it up like blotting paper on a headteacher’s desk and Beacon himself also manhandled the enemy with the blessing of the referee who rarely kept up with play, in truth. Penalty appeals were yelled by GNP for Beacon’s tussles with Raiders Lewis Commins, Ryan Ball and finally Tommy Rawlings (check the video clips) but all three officials simply looked on and saw nothing wrong. Odd that, for when Rawlings was held from behind during the second-half and fell, the referee actually responded to the incident by shouting that Rawlings had backed into Beacon, yet Swifts weren’t awarded a free-kick for that… Hmm, an easy way out, it appeared.

PRINZEL INTRODUCES THE BALL TO HIS RIGHT BOOT...

However, GNP, despite their territorial advantage, deserved no help from the officials, for their play was generally poor on the very poor pitch. Rawlings was certainly out of form, drifting offside several times, although he did have one header nodded from the goal-line by, er, Beacon, who else? Commins was a menace at times but the accuracy of his final touch of the ball too often deserted him, as did his finishing on the day. With Brad Roberts and O’Connor slugging it out in midfield with GNP’s Rob ‘Laird’s Son’ Prinzel and Corey Brooks, who seem to play similar roles, the visitors failed to use their flanks well enough, rarely getting in telling deliveries and Scott Hammond even became embroiled in the general skirmishes through the middle areas. He would strike the crossbar with a second period header but in all honesty, Bolehall never really panicked and saw the game out against their frustrated guests reasonably comfortably and with great discipline.

"GOSH CHAPS, I THOUGHT I WAS JOINING A TITLE CHASING TEAM..." 

I FILMED FROM THE SHEDS IN THE BACKGROUND...

The signing of Leigh Phillips ought to have steadied GNP but he looked shocked at his team’s inadequacies and was unable to lift his colleagues, who still rely heavily on their right boots, which opponents tend to notice quickly and thus adapt their tactics to, leaving the Raiders a little lopsided at times. O’Connor lashed a 30 yarder too high for the hosts before the break, before Illiffe fed Kinsella on the left but having dragged the ball wider to escape Wardle’s attentions, the striker didn’t shoot and his pass went awry. Later in the half though, he shot low at Wardle from an angle but the ‘keeper grasped the ball at the second attempt.

BROWN AND COMMINS...

The right-footed Prinzel drove well off target for GNP, Commins had a low effort deflected to home goalie Phil Smith, who later did well make ground to his left to save low from the striker, following Rawlings’ unselfish pass. Commins couldn’t shoot from Hammond’s centre but expected a corner to be awarded (it wasn’t) and then miscued another effort from Brooks’ pass. Phillips had slipped a delivery from the right behind the goal-frame early on and the only other goal attempts were by Rawlings, who glanced a header from a Phillips cross well wide, shot way too high from 24 yards and had another effort blocked. 

BROOKS AND SAPPLETON-WILLIAMS...

Apart from the above, Beacon’s Swifts defended well and robust midfielder Tom ‘Catwalk’ Reece’s constant mutterings were amusing but he was certainly a stumbling block for the ongoing and unwise rushes through the middle by too many GNP players. Reece asked for a photo to be taken before the second period began but I insisted on a sideways view. He obliged.

RAWLINGS: "REF, I CAN'T REACH TO TIE MY LACES..."

TOM 'CATWALK' REECE...

GNP surely had to play a more sensible game after the break but to Beacon’s relief, they didn’t, except that the industrious Ball was replaced by Stoute and he opened the scoring but not the floodgates. A left-wing corner by Phillips was easily headed in off a hand of Phil Smith by the tall GNP substitute. The ‘keeper actually reminded me of a Handball goalie in his stance as Stoute jumped, arms and legs apart, like he was about to star-jump off a pommel horse. 

STOUTE, 12, HAS SCORED FOR GNP...

However, O’Neil shot wide from inside-right for the hosts, he then cut in from the left but miscued off target and later drove a fine effort from 25 yards which Wardle stretched for and tipped over his beam. The equaliser was soft for GNP to concede but a reward for Kinsella’s chasing and harassing. He simply shot from the right side of the 18 yard box, as the ball bounced, neither Rhys Lyons nor Matty Compton could prevent the effort being struck and somehow the ball bounced across the flailing arms and falling body of Wardle and into the left side of the net.

KINSELLA GETS HUGS & IT'S 1-1...

Phillips cleared an in-swinging corner, I think by O’Connor from the near post but the winning goal was again due to Kinsella’s unselfish running, this time towards the left, where Lyons was absent. He clipped the ball towards the near post where Illiffe left GNP skipper James Bryson on the seat of his shorts as he flicked the cross on and there was O’Connor, alone, to beat Wardle from 2 yards with a header. There were unmarked Swifts lurking and some slow Raiders getting back…

THE MAN WITH THE BLEEDING BOOTS HAS WON THE GAME FOR SWIFTS...

As for GNP their efforts continued to be spasmodic and Beacon, the stubborn George Smith, the smiling Wayne Brown and company mostly kept them at bay. The outlet for Swifts had often been Ryan Sappleton-Williams (hope that is right…) who moved well in possession for Bolehall on their right. Hammond would be disappointed with his header from Commins’ smart centre which clipped the crossbar and soared over the target, but a low drive by the talented winger was held onto by Phil Smith. Rawlings’s header from Phillips’ flag-kick was calmly but well headed off his goal-line by Beacon and the striker’s 23 yard free-kick slapped into the Bolehall wall, as tough as those at Tamworth Castle. Roberts blocked a smashed shot at the right upright by Prinzel’s right boot, replacement Charlie Cook’s corner dropped just wide and he set up Commins smartly but somehow the ball rolled off the forward’s boot to Phil Smith. Prinzel was also cautioned, on a bad afternoon for the title chasers…  

PRINZEL IN TROUBLE...

The match ended with some unpleasantness involving Bryson and Roberts but Swifts had remained disciplined until the end and to be fair, GNP had totally misfired. One could sense the frustration in Compton, who attempted to urge his players on but those guys seemed disjointed and unable to be creative, albeit on a really awkward, uneven surface…

"THANK THE GODS I DIDN'T HAVE TO GO ON AS A SUB..."

Beacon’s Swifts will enjoy this victory for some time to come…

TEAMS:

BOLEHALL SWIFTS:

PHIL SMITH, RYAN SAPPLETON-WILLIAMS, AARON O’NEIL, REECE BEACON (CAPT), WAYNE BROWN, GEORGE SMITH, BRAD ROBERTS, TOM ‘CATWALK’ REECE, JOE KINSELLA, SCOTT ILLIFFE, LOUIE O’CONNOR.

SUBS:

JON HUCKFIELD (THE MANAGER) & SHEA LONG. (NEITHER WAS USED…)

GNP SPORTS:

JAMES WARDLE, RYYS LYONS, MATTY COMPTON, COREY BROOKS, JAMES BRYSON (CAPT), ROB PRINZEL, LEIGH PHILLIPS, RYAN BALL, TOMMY RAWLINGS, LEWIS COMMINS, SCOTT HAMMOND.

SUBS:

NATHAN STOUTE, AARON DICKENS, CHARLIE COOK, JIN DHALIWAL, JASON EVANS.