ALCESTER TOWN 2-2 COVENTRY PLUMBING: THE MATCH REPORT...

Tense Encounter Ends In Parity…

Alcester Town 2-2 Coventry Plumbing

This was an important match for both teams and Plumbing maybe came out of it with more satisfaction, despite conceding two late goals, one of which was hotly disputed, resulting in a dismissal for Coventry’s substitute Jack Dobson. His complaints that Ollie Gibson had handled the ball before scoring, brought a red card from the harassed main official. Indeed, the referee had also exiled Alcester’s Lewis Cosgrove for a second caution, hauling Connoll Farrell down when the forward was going on a clear run at goal, with the score at 0-2… A useful sending-off for Town, as it turned out, for their two goals were achieved following the defender’s ejection. The sheer doggedness of home midfielders Terrance Morton and Dean Morris hauled their misfiring forwards back into the match but had it not been for a string of saves by Town’s goalie Luis Sone, Alcester would not have been in a position to strike back. 

THE REF ATTEMPTS TO RIP DANNY JANES' RING OFF HIS FINGER...

Morton would be booked for a trip on Plumber Francis Offoete but effective home forward Lewis Marsden, following a couple of rash challenges, plus Town’s central defender Lewis Clarke, for outbursts at the official and a heel-kick at Farrell during a chase, were both fortunate that punishment inconsistency was evident on the day. Indeed, Offoete would later be chased by the main official and cautioned for, er, being too slow to get off the field during the substitution process. It was clear that he was unable to jog off the pitch due to an injury, hence the substitution… Badly done, officials… The edginess of the prize at stake was therefore made more tetchy by the frustration and displeasure shown by players of both teams when decisions didn’t go their way. Strangely, probably due to some stout defence by the two teams, there were few clear-cut chances created throughout the encounter but Farrell’s brace demonstrated his pace and finishing power, one from each boot. Alcester’s goals were a lobbed Marston header and the bundled effort by Gibson which presumably the referee thought had bounced into his possession off his chest. I was behind the incident, at the far end of the pitch, so I cannot presume to comment… 

THE REF SINGS FRANK SINATRA'S 'MY WAY' BUT CONNOLL FARRELL SEEMS UNIMPRESSED...

JORDAN POWELL LEAPS FOR THE BALL IN A LINE-OUT...
OOPS, WRONG GAME, SORRY...

Farrell’s first goal was a result of him latching onto a flicked Kyle King header from ‘keeper Paul Lawrence’s long kick and the striker shifted left, away from home skipper Danny Janes and the retreating Cosgrove. As he reached close to the left byeline, Farrell suddenly released a vicious cross-shot into the far top corner of the net, leaving Sone looking stunned. A fine strike by the number 9, but later when Jason Evans freed Farrell at inside-right, Sone advanced to make a fine block from the forward’s low right-footer. The only other real chance for the visitors during the first period came when Offoete’s 22 yard shot as he fell drifted past the left angle of crossbar and upright.

0-1: FARRELL HAS SCORED, GOALIE LUIS SONE LOOKS TOTALLY PIGGED OFF...

ARE SHIPSTON SCOUTING CONNOLL FARRELL?

The hosts had struggled to threaten defensive Plumbers George Swain and Charlie Ward during the that opening half, merely managing a Clarke header off target, a Marston shot which rose way too high at the left post, then following Marston’s head down, a Danny Carter hook which was blocked. Callum Burston-Keeley’s runs on the Town right caused a decent tussle between himself and Plumber James Keller but in fact the only goalscoring opportunity for Burston-Keeley before the break was a disappointing shot wide of the near post from an angle on the right, following Aaron Xavier’s free-kick. 

LUIS SONE FROWNS AT THE COLOUR CLASH CAUSED BY THE NEW GLOVES HIS MUM HAS MADE HIM WEAR...

PAUL LAWRENCE WHACKS THE BALL CLEAR...

"I'M SMALLER THAN YOU. I KNOW MY PLACE..."

The best chance for the Romans though had arrived when a low Gibson shot was maybe deflected, causing Lawrence to drop left and claw the ball towards the right byline, from whence Carter slipped the ball across the goalmouth, a yard or so from the goal-line and thus Coventry survived. Janes had marshalled his team’s three-man defence well enough, Marston had been evident, Gibson and Xavier had been industrious but Morris and the influential Morton had worked really well for their team. Jordan Powell, Captain Plumber, had battled hard, the whole Coventry defence had been stout, supported by tall midfielder Matt Wyatt, but Farrell had been a thorn in the Romans’ sides…

IT'S COUNTRY DANCING BUT THESE BOYS DON'T SEEM TO LIKE THE IDEA OF FINDING A PARTNER...

CALLUM BURSTON-KEELEY WAS SURE THAT HIS TRIP ON PAUL LAWRENCE COULDN'T HAVE CAUSED SUCH A TERRIBLE FALL. VINEGAR AND BROWN PAPER WOULD BE ADMINISTERED AT HALF-TIME...

"PLEASE DON'T BOOK ME REF, MY RIGHT THIGH CAN'T TAKE IT..."

After the interval, Farrell and Sone continued their duel. Plumbing’s second goal stemmed from sterling work by Evans, who intercepted Town’s possession and fed Offoete. The deep-lying forward shifted inside Janes and shoved a pass towards the 18 yard line but it deflected off the unfortunate Morton’s boot right into the path of the rapid Farrell, who needed no invitation to smash a right-footer past the advancing Sone and deep into the Alcester net from a central position, 16 yards out.

THE COSSACK DANCING IS ABOUT TO BEGIN...

0-2...

FARRELL AGAIN...

Farrell also had a rising, rasping 16 yard shot palmed upwards by Sone into his own arms, the ‘keeper fielded a low attempted lob by Farrell and then saved a hard low attempt by the striker too. Farrell also set up replacement Nathan Cadby for a shot at inside-left but Sone advanced to save the right-footed attempt well, although from that side, a left booted drive might have brought a better reward. Cosgrove received his marching orders for the foul on the rushing Farrell and this changed the fortunes of the two teams. Yes, Alcester had battled back into the game with a far post header wide by Gibson but their possession was generally blotted out by the defensive heading and tackling of Plumbers Swain and Ward, ably supported by Keller and Joe Tobin. However, Morris, who was becoming more of a factor in the match, clipped in a forward delivery from inside-left and Marston rose to nod the ball over Lawrence and into the net, offering the hosts a chance to snatch a point, or even more, late on.

"IS IT BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE ME REF?"
"I GUESS SO."

1-2: GOAL BY MARSTON...

Gibson drove a good shot wide from 23 yards, following a fine run by Morris, then, with minutes remaining, a left-flank Xavier centre reached Gibson running forward and as Lawrence advanced, the Roman appeared to control the ball with either his chest, or perhaps his outstretched arm but either way, he bundled it gleefully into the net to regain parity. His reaction towards the Plumbing defence was interesting and the face of a grinning spectator behind the goal did seem to point to the possibility of Town having got away with one on that occasion.  

2-2: GIBSON EARNS A POINT FOR THE ROMANS...

Marston struck a late sliced effort wide of the target, Sone’s handling remained calm and secure at the other end and subsequently the game ended as a draw. Callum Debar, usually so dangerous on the right flank, had been used as a substitute central striker as Alcester had fought to deny Coventry but in the end, perhaps both teams would not have been too disappointed with a point, despite Plumbing’s fine defensive show on the day.

"DON'T YOU LIKE ME, EITHER, REF?"
"NAH, JUST BUGGER OFF..."

AND DOBSON DID SO...

The title race goes on and with interested parties Continental Star, AFC Solihull and Inkberrow watching on, anything could happen before the middle of May…  

NOW, LUIS SONE, GET YOUR MUM TO WORK WITH THESE COLOURS TO KNIT YOU A NEW PAIR OF WOOLLY GLOVES...

TEAMS:

ALCESTER TOWN:

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

SUBS:

CALLUM DEBAR, DANIE CULLEN, MATT MAGEE, DAN GILMORE, CRAIG GASIEWSKI.  

COVENTRY PLUMBING:

PAUL LAWRENCE, JOE TOBIN, JAMES KELLER, MATT WYATT, GEORGE SWAIN, CHARLIE WARD, JASON EVANS, JORDAN POWELL (CAPT), CONNOLL FARRELL, KYLE KING, FRANCIS OFFOETE.

SUBS:

JACK DOBSON, SEAN WOODFORD, LIAM DOYLE, JOE SHARMAN, NATHAN CADBY.