ALCESTER TOWN 2-1 AFC SOLIHULL: THE MATCH REPORT...

Hughes Consolation Too Late For AFC…

Alcester Town 2-1 AFC Solihull

This was a quite a battle between two of the leading teams in Midland League 3 but it could be argued that the Romans did just about enough to sink their Solihull rivals. Coming off a fine win v Continental Star during the week, AFC were surely in good spirits at a sunny, if slightly chilly Old Stratford Road. Alcester had drawn on Tuesday with another rival, Coventry Plumbing, a point fortunately gained but they knew that three points from this encounter would strengthen their title claims. Visiting ‘keeper Lee Garghan made three plunging saves before the break, Danny Carter fired a rebound against an upright too, whilst Romans’ goalie Luis Sone made just one tough stop, from AFC’s Andy Matthews. Two second period goals for Town won the match, netted by Carter, then Callum Debar but it was home custodian Sone who became the busier stopper, making several low saves, as Solihull scrapped for at least a point.

THE REF ATTEMPTS TO DO A FANCY HANDSHAKE WITH HUGHES, WHO WON'T PLAY...

GIBSON WON'T KICK OFF UNTIL HIS WAISTBAND IS PERFECTLY ALIGNED...

The first period was tight, very tight, officiated by four chaps; one referee, two assistants and a roving touchline overseer from AFC Solihull, who gave one linesman in particular a real bellowing at, totally unnecessarily and irritated other spectators into the bargain, who simply wished he would shut up. He didn’t. However, Alcester managed more offense than their opponents, with Debar, playing on the left flank, cutting inside twice and rapping angled shots at Garghan, who reacted well to turn them aside. An inadvertent shot by the physical Town forward Lewis Marston in the opening moments had drifted wide from 20 yards, before Carter had a shot which flew wide of the near left post, following a set-piece by busy home midfielder Dean Morris. Morris, along with the hairier Terrance Morton, were again really strong in the midfield trenches and he had the most shots at goal. He drove too high, too wide and then too high again (left boot this time) but his 26 yard free-kick was accurate, forcing another plunger from Garghan, who pushed the ball out well, only for Carter’s rebound from almost on the right byeline, to strike the outside of the upright.

MARSTON IS WATCHED BY MASON, A NAME WHICH CAN BE MADE BY LOSING THE R AND THE T FROM THE ALCESTER MAN'S NAME.
JUST SAYIN'...

Jon Hamer and Andy Matthews were full of running in the AFC attack but time and again, often being forced to chase long balls from midfield and defence, they were thwarted by home skipper Danny Janes, who was in belligerent mood, Lewis Cosgrove, who defended admirably and Lewis Clarke, whose heading was impressive, especially as Hughes was an aerial threat. A low effort by Kieran Evans rolled wide, following a long throw by AFC’s eager full-back Jamie Hyland and a Matthews effort was blocked by the advancing Sone, after a pass by Hamer had offered the striker a chance to shoot. Evans and sidekick Lee Savings had been in a furious skirmish throughout the opening half against Morton and Morris but Solihull had held firm, with Ryan Froggatt, Tony Furness and Steve Mason making life crowded for Romans Carter, Debar and Marston.

THE SECOND PERIOD BEGINS AS A SPECTATOR BITES THE LINESMAN'S SHOULDER...

JANES: IN NO MOOD TO LOSE...

BOOKING FOR MATTHEWS...

After the break, three cautions were dished out by the referee, hinting at the ramping up of tension, for Romans Callum Burston-Keeley and Marston, plus AFC’s Matthews would all look at yellow. A dipping Burston-Keeley volley dropped just over the target from inside-right, 20 yards out, Morris was unable to keep a 10 yard effort down following a free-kick, Carter was only able to poke a shot at Garghan but after the introduction of Luke Dugmore, the fortunes of Alcester began to brighten. He had a shot saved, the energetic Ollie Gibson’s final touch let him down on one occasion but then a long throw from the right by replacement Dugmore forced a headed clearance by Froggatt, which dropped perfectly for Carter to half-volley a shot past the rooted Garghan from 12 yards, who must surely have been unsighted. Debar had moved to the right, following the substitution of Burston-Keeley and he managed to wrestle onto a superb diagonal pass by Marston, sneak inside a couple of defenders and nudge goal two past the advancing Garghan. 

1-0: CARTER...

2-0: DEBAR...

However, Hamer and Matthews both might have done better on offense for the guests, as they forced themselves back into the match. Hamer skied a shot and clipped another, both from inside-left, off target, then he was denied, immediately after Carter’s goal, by the leg of Sone from an angle on the right. Hamer got onto the rebound though and shoved it across the 6 yard line for Matthews to convert, only he didn’t and fired over the crossbar, upon which he then swung in frustration and might soon be called up for the GBR gymnastics squad. Savings’ low falling shot was gathered whilst dropping by Sone and the gloveman touched an in-swinging Evans free-kick to safety, before he clutched a back-header and a low shot by Hughes on his goal-line. Following a punch by Sone, Alcester managed to survive some danger by both Evans and Hughes but the visiting skipper would subsequently deliver his team’s consolation goal.

GARGHAN: THREE SMART SAVES...

SONE: CALM UNDER PRESSURE, TRUSTED WITH THE BALL AT HIS FEET...

MARSTON IN TROUBLE.
RARE THAT...

He drove forward from centre-field, veered right past defenders and then, seemingly off-balance, nudged a right-footer which looked to be harmless but the angle was deceiving, wrong-footing all of the nearby Town players and the ball rolled against the foot of the left stick and into the net, despite the efforts of Clarke on the goal-line. The Romans saw out the final moments near an attacking corner-flag and the victory was Alcester’s.

2-1 NOW, BUT NO HUGS FOR THE SCORING AFC SKIPPER...

Solihull had rallied well during the second-half but Janes was in no mood to relinquish even a point but critical to his team’s win were the introduction of Dugmore, the current form of Morris and Morton, the return to goalscoring of Carter and the direct running of Debar, although in truth, Clarke defended really well for his team too. Solihull’s Froggatt and Furness inspired their colleagues from the back, Elliot Price and Hyland were bright in the full-back positions and Evans and Savings covered so much ground.

HYLAND WONDERS WHAT MARSTON HAS DISCOVERED INSIDE HIS NOSTRILS DURING AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG...

Fortunately for the linesman on my side of the pitch, the loud chap from earlier had moved to the opposite touchline after half-time, presumably to oversee matters in that area… 

JANES: SUBSTITUTED TO SORT OUT THE LOUD BLOKE ON THE SIDELINE...

It was SO much quieter for folks on my side, however and the referee’s assistant began to enjoy the sunshine.…  

Alcester appear to have two ambitions: promotion and also to field eleven players with Lewis or Luis as Christian names… 

We’ll see…

TEAMS:

ALCESTER TOWN:

LUIS SONE, DANNY JANES (CAPT), LEWIS COSGROVE, TERRANCE MORTON, LEWIS CLARKE, CALLUM DEBAR, CALLUM BURSTON-KEELEY, DEAN MORRIS, DAN CARTER, LEWIS MARSTON, OLLIE GIBSON.

SUBS:

CRAIG GASIEWSKI, MATT MAGEE, DAN CULLEN, LUKE DUGMORE.

AFC SOLIHULL:

LEE GARGHAN, JAMIE HYLAND, ELLIOT PRCE, STEVE MASON, TONY FURNESS, RYAN FROGGATT, KIERAN EVANS, LEE SAVINGS, ANDY MATTHEWS, JON HAMER, JOEL HUGHES (CAPT).

SUBS:

EDDIE PITT, CAM KNIGHTS, OLLIE GEE, BEN WHITMARSH, TOM REYNOLDS.