LYE TOWN 2-3 MALVERN TOWN: THE MATCH REPORT...

Clark and Reynolds Drag Malvern To Success, As Lye Fold At Lye Meadow

Lye Town 2-3 Malvern Town

(Smedley Crooke Memorial Cup Final, at Alvechurch’s Lye Meadow…)

So, Malvern, the Hillsiders, travelled from their hillside to a meadow called Lye to play this game, whilst Lye travelled from the Black Country to play against the Hillsiders on a meadow named Lye… Hmm, odd that. Anyway, perhaps Malvern felt more at home with the surrounding hills looking superb in the early summer sunshine and they, after trailing 2-0 to the Flyers at the interval, stormed back to take the Smedley Crooke Trophy by 2-3. Credit for the win must surely go to left-flanker Harry Clark in particular, for he was the recipient of some rough first period treatment from Lye right-back Joe Colley. After the interval though, the contest between the pair was eminently watchable and Clark netted a penalty, whilst Malvern’s most potent offensive threat Dave Reynolds nabbed the second and third goals to clinch an unlikely comeback win.

HILL (11) PRACTISES REEF KNOTS WITH HIS SHORTS CORD...

NICE BOOTS, SHAME ABOUT THE BALL...

This had seemed unlikely because Lye had looked the physically stronger outfit before half-time, with skipper Ben Billingham looking comfortable on the ball, the harrowing tackles of Jack Pearlman proving effective, if a little careless at times and Jack Till’s height in attack being a constant menace until he was hurt. This was surely one of the reasons that Lye stuttered during half two because the forward was struggling and his movement was clearly limited. Eventually Josh McKenzie would replace him but that move came too late for the substitute to affect the contest. The Saunstons, Adam and Jamie coped well enough with Lye’s offense, bar the two first period concessions but skipper Louis Loader should be offered the freedom of the Malvern Hills after his remarkable block of a Billingham piledriver after the break, which might well have won the day for Lye.

COLLEY, RIGHT, SEEMS UNCONCERNED...

The theme of the countryside was reflected in the players’ names too, for in the Lye squad we had a Till (preparing soil), a Tye (a patch of common land), a Carter, a Hill and, er, a Colley, even a Boucher (OK, not quite a butcher, but that would account for the sheep on the hillside…) Malvern had a Weaver, a Loader, a Smith, a Webb and even a Wickett (for those village green cricket matches of yesteryear…) And there was even a country Parson(-Smith) on the Lye bench too… 

Despite having more of the play before the interval, Lye fashioned fewer chances than Malvern and in truth, the two goals apart, Charlie Weaver wasn’t stretched in the Hillsiders’ goal. A drive by Lewis Worsey flew wide of his right post after the two goals had been conceded and Till had sent a free header straight into the ‘keeper’s midriff before the goals were scored. Till it was though who opened Lye’s account, rising inside the 6 yard box to head Worsey’s left-side centre powerfully into the net. Left-back Lewis Probert scored the second goal for Lye, exchanging passes with Till, who was stationed on the 18 yard line and the defender’s low cross-shot from inside-left beat Weaver’s dive and flew into the bottom right corner of the net. Much of Lye’s other offense was dealt with, a few times slightly uneasily by the Saunstons and their fellow defenders.

1-0 TO LYE...

TILL IS THE SCORER...

TILL WOULD SOON TAKE A KNOCK...

LOADER WAS SPOKEN TO BY THE REFEREE, AFTER TREATMENT FOR A BAD KNOCK.
HARSH...

2-0 NOW...

GOAL BY PROBERT...

A weak James Febery shot rolled wide for Malvern, following Jamie Saunston’s free-kick delivery, central striker Kyonn Evans and right-sider Matt Fusco shoved right-wing centres too deep, late in the half and Reynolds had a low shot saved by Kieran Boucher, although he had been flagged offside anyway. Reynolds then hit a volley from Clark’s left-side centre into the ground but Boucher jumped to catch the bouncing ball. However, Clark had been hacked at two or three times by Lye, forcing one mature Malvern fan into hysterical verbal abuse towards the referee, as Clark was forced to receive treatment for a gash on an ankle. Clark forced Boucher down to his right twice at the near post to make saves, the first as a result of a smart one-two with the crafty Reynolds, the second as a result of a hasty but good clearance by Flyer Adam Meacham. Subsequently though, Clark would spark the second-half revival for Malvern…

TILL STRUGGLES...

After folks had been noisily cheering, or simply reacting to events at Villa Park (v WBA in the Championship Play-Off first leg) before the match had begun, the first period of this Final had been played in some peace. It was like the spectators were enduring a long prayer before a half-time pint and it was so quiet at times that I swear I could hear the bleating from the flock of sheep on a nearby hillside… 

REYNOLDS (10) PREPARES FOR THE SECOND PERIOD IN WHICH HE WOULD EXCEL...

CAUTION FOR PROBERT...

Ah, yes, the referee… Smart, one of the younger guys, aiming to create a good impression, this official certainly appeared, er, comfortable in the limelight. Again, some spectators were perplexed that Clark was roughly treated and Loader took a nasty looking lunge from Pearlman but that wasn’t even considered worthy of a free-kick, never mind a card of some bright colour. Finally, after the break, Probert was cautioned for a foul which he was not going to argue about, yet Malvern’s Evans was booked for ‘kicking a ball away’; actually along the touchline and towards where the dugouts and spare balls were massed. Maybe petulance? Steve Webb, that combative Hillsider, ex-Pershore, got away with a flick at an opponent’s boot but then fouled someone else and he was probably fairly yellow-carded. Players only ever look for consistency, however… 

THE JUMPERS...

TILL SEEMS TO BE SUFFERING...

Malvern’s supporters were shocked then when the referee awarded a penalty for a challenge on Febery by Worsey, albeit very close to the 18 yard line. I wasn’t near enough to call it… Previous to this, Colley had headed a Webb free-kick back at his own goalie but more importantly, Billingham’s 12 yard drive at the other end was blocked by Loader, who fell like he’d been mown down by an exiting overweight McDonald’s customer. The busy Flyer Geoff Hill had fired in an angled effort from the left too but Weaver had dropped to knock it wide at his near upright. And so it came to pass that Clark shot the Malvern spot-kick into the bottom right corner of the net and perhaps, the crowd of 245 thought, it might be ‘game on’…

CLARK HAS PULLED A GOAL BACK...

It was. Clark made the running on the left superbly, Evans laid the ball off for Reynolds and his 18 yard shot went into the net just inside the left stick. Boucher soon got down quickly to save at his near post from Evans who had cut inside from the right, Jamie Saunston drove the ball into the Lye net from the left side of the penalty-box but the previous cross from the right had apparently veered behind the goal-frame. Then, just after Meacham’s header from Billingham’s free-kick had gone wide at the left upright, Malvern scored again. This time Clark’s fine run ended with a dangerous delivery which Boucher dived out at and his glove clawed it, almost like hooking it back from whence it had come but only to the feet of the startled Reynolds, who converted with relish… Unbelievable: 2-3…

REYNOLDS HAS EQUALISED...

IS WEBB WEEPING?

REYNOLDS SCORES AGAIN...

...& MALVERN TAKE THE LEAD...

A fine overhead shot was attempted at both ends soon afterwards, Reynolds for Malvern, Hill for Lye but Reynolds’ was wide of the right post and Hill’s was caught by the leaping Weaver. Great name for a band, that: The Leaping Weavers… As the game moved towards its end, Lye struggled to create anything of note to be fair, although Hillsider replacement Dan Note made one excellent block to deny Hill just 7 yards from goal. Malvern’s substitute Bryan Claven powered in a very late effort but it struck Clark and bounced away for a goal-kick. Clarke and Reynolds then played the game away, keeping possession cleverly and Jamie Saunston even tried to shoot from around 47 yards to waste more precious seconds.

EVANS IS CAUTIONED...

BILLINGHAM LOOKS TOTALLY SHOCKED BY IT ALL...

A demoralised Step 5 Lye left the field looking shattered, whereas Malvern’s Step 6 diehards walked off perhaps rather surprised at their gallantry. Every player contributed. Febery never stopped, despite a heavy knock, although heroic skipper Loader had taken too much punishment to last the 90 minutes. Harry Wickett and Webb were belligerent, Fusco was a livewire, Evans ran selflessly in attack, but Reynolds and Clark capitalised on some fine basics by the Saunstons to help their team run out worthy winners.

MCKENZIE WASN'T ABLE TO HAVE AN EFFECT...

Lye were well served by Sam Tye, Billingham, Colley, Probert and the irrepressible Pearlman but the forwards lacked good service in all honesty, despite Hill’s pace and Worsey’s support…

TOUGH MOMENTS FOR LYE...

MILLING AROUND...

POSING WITH THEIR TROPHY...

Back to the hillside then for Malvern, where their cup certainly would runneth over… 

The sheep seemed pleased too…  

TEAMS:

LYE TOWN:

KIERON BOUCHER, JOE COLLEY, LEWIS PROBERT, ADAM MEACHAM, LEIGH PARDOE, JACK PEARLMAN, LEWIS WORSEY, SAM TYE, JACK TILL, BEN BILLINGHAM, GEOFF HILL.

SUBS:

JACK DOWNING, JOE LAWLEY, LUKE CARTER, ASH PARSON-SMITH, JOSH MCKENZIE.

MALVERN TOWN:

CHARLIE WEAVER, STEVE WEBB, HARRY WICKETT, ADAM SAUNSTON, JAMIE SAUNSTON, JAMES FEBERY, MATT FUSCO, LOUIS LOADER (CAPT), KYONN EVANS, DAVE REYNOLDS, HARRY CLARK.

SUBS:

DAN NOKE, CURTIS SMITH, BRYAN CLAVEN, GEORGE HAYES, AARON GRIFFITHS.