STAPLEFORD TOWN 1-6 SOUTHWELL CITY: THE REPORT & MORE IMAGES...

Southwell Punish League Champions Stapleford & Take The Notts Senior League Cup

Stapleford Town 1-6 Southwell City

(Notts Senior League Cup Final, played at Basford United FC)

Stapleford finished their league match at Southwell earlier this season with nine men on the pitch and lost 1-0, but this time a pair of dismissals proved even more costly: they lost a cup final and by a painful score of 6-1. Certainly the first dismissal was accepted by Town defender James Hunter with good grace, for he had hauled down City’s Oli Clarke in a goalscoring situation just after the interval with Southwell already 0-2 ahead. However, a later foul by Luke Guadagni, centimetres outside his own penalty-box and also on Clarke led to his red card which seemed harsh, unless of course, the defender made some comment to the officials, like “Are you sure that was a foul, my good fellows?” Anyway, Town played much of the second-period with nine men and were naturally caught on the counter-attack too often as Southwell gleefully accepted their gifts.

BOWLES, LEFT, THINKS HE'S SPOTTED A WEED IN THE 3G...

"I KNOW MY HAIR'S SHORTER BUT DID I DESERVE A SHORTER SHIRT TOO?"

Jon Nussey, his hair somewhat shorter than I had seen in images, had already nabbed a brace before the break and subsequently he completed his hat-trick with the penalty resulting from Hunter’s foul on Clarke. Unsurprisingly, Nussey would receive the game’s MVP award. Replacement George Caudwell broke twice to score goals four and five for City and although Stapleford forward Adam Hassall chipped Southwell ‘keeper Ryan Fletcher to claim a consolation goal, Callum Law finally scored a deserved goal in added time to complete the rout. Realistically, the tie was wrecked by the dismissals, whilst several times, the referee seemed uncertain and was a little tardy to arrive at the scenes of misdemeanours but that job is a fraught one and few folks watching yesterday would have done it better, I guess. 

MITCHELL IS WARNED FOR TWO EARLY FOULS...

THE REF IRRITATES RODRIGUEZ AND HASSALL...

One character stood out from the start though and that was Town’s forward Junior Rodriguez… His early rushes to the byelines caused Southwell some concern and one such sortie early on led to a short cross which was fumbled at his near post by Fletcher but then cleared by a defender. However and understandably, Rodriguez was certainly not enamoured by the main official’s performance. City’s left-back Dan Gleeson and Rodriguez had clashed near the start and Gleeson had pushed the Town player in the chest, leading to a dramatic fall by Rodriguez as if he had been shot by a Colt 45 at the notorious O.K. Corral gunfight in Arizona. From thence, following cautions for the pair, the incensed Rodriguez remained an unhappy player, despite his tricky footwork on occasions. During the first period for Town a couple of right post headers by the huge Aaron Mitchell dropped wide, following free-kicks by Jack Upton and then Ben Smedley, before Smedley drove too high, after a smart one-two attack involving skipper Owen Brown and the indefatigable Michael Robb. 

RODRIGUEZ HAS BEEN PUSHED...

...& SO HE AND GLEESON GET CAUTIONED...

However, the big miss for Stapleford came when Smedley slipped leading goalscorer Hassall into the left side of the 18 yard box but the striker’s shot, with the outside of his right boot, sliced away past the far upright. Southwell had benefited from two goals by Nussey of course, the first a left-boot volley from 15 yards, after a left-side throw had been headed upwards and away by Mitchell. The ball flew past goalie Rikki Turner into the bottom right corner of goal. Nussey scored again when his defence stifled Rodriguez as the Town man made his way to the left byeline. A combination of Ieuan Plume and Ant Brown led to Stewart Gill firing a long pass through inside-right, whereby Nussey wrestled past Guadagni and drove the ball left-footed past Turner and inside the right stick. 

GOAL ONE BY NUSSEY...

UNBRIDLED JOY...

0-2 NOW & NUSSEY IS THE SCORER AGAIN...

Nussey also lobbed a near post header from a left-wing corner by influential skipper Chris Bowles onto the roof of the net and one the best circus moments of the encounter occurred when Mr Rampage, Will Stocks found a seam and smacked a low drive straight at Turner, who appeared to be off balance and fell backwards as the ball flew off his boots and away for a left-side corner. We liked that…

STRONG HEADER BY MITCHELL...

THE REF FURTHER ANNOYS RODRIGUEZ, AS SKIPPER OWEN BROWN LISTENS...

Gill received a booking late in the half but in truth Stapleford, despite a rally late in the half, had appeared stunned by the two goals conceded and when they had attacked, the Browns, Ant and Dan, were in belligerent moods for City and had been unwilling to offer Hassall or Rodriguez any real openings. The interval was signalled, folks drank more beer, the artificial pitch was heavily watered and I, after being virtually alone to the left of the Southwell dugout, was soon joined by some City supporters and thus my commentary would include some ‘crowd atmosphere’ during the second period… 

HASSALL HAS SHOT WIDE...

LOOKS LIKE AWFUL WEATHER, BUT IT ISN'T...

HASSALL THINKS ABOUT HOW HE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN HIS EARLIER SHOT...

Clearly, the match was effectively over near the beginning of the second-half when a terrible mix-up involving Town gloveman Turner on his own 18 yard line let in Clarke who would surely jog the ball into the net. Er, no, because Hunter scythed his prey down and was exiled from the 3G. There was only going to be one spot-kicker and Nussey duly obliged with a shot into the left corner of the net. Turner barely turned…

0-3 NOW: NUSSEY HAS NETTED HIS PENALTY...

GAME OVER, I GUESS...

Yes, Town managed to provide a left post header for Rodriguez which deflected off Plume for a corner, plus a long Mitchell volley which was going well wide anyway before it took a deflection and also a Hassall effort which drifted well off target. However, all went awry for the Champions when Guadagni fouled Clarke and after consulting his assistant, the Town defender was given his marching orders by the panting referee. As Town understandably left gaps in defence in a gallant attempt to fight back, Law experienced a frustrating half on offense for City. He saw a shot from the inside-right channel saved, his smart, low free-kick which resulted from Guadagni’s dismissal was tipped past the left upright by Turner, although the referee failed to spot that, even though his assistant, much further away, had. Law drove another effort past the left upright, then after an angled drive at the other end by Hassall had been beaten out by Fletcher, Gleeson broke on the left for City and set up Law with a smart pass from left to right but the forward struck his shot into the side-netting.

GILL (8) WAS CURIOUSLY INCENSED WHEN GUADAGNI, RIGHT, WAS DISMISSED...

Law drove in a shot from inside-right too, 8 yards out but the ball struck Turner’s feet and only a superb challenge on Clarke by substitute Ryan Stark saved the situation for Stapleford. Nussey had another shot well blocked by Robb, who went down several times with what seemed like cramp but the Town midfielder simply refused to give up. Stocks (does he have shares?) shot wide for City but it was Caudwell who killed the game with two breakaway goals. First, from defence, Nussey broke towards the half-way line on the left and timed his pass perfectly for Caudwell to run onto and despite the fact that Clarke was free to his right, Caudwell drove the ball easily past Turner, who had been isolated by his absent defence.

0-4...

CAUDWELL, CENTRE, THE SCORER...

Almost immediately, Caudwell got clear again but this time carefully chipped his effort over the helpless and advancing Turner and suddenly, City led 0-5. 

CAUDWELL AGAIN: 0-5...

Hassall did break onto Stark’s long kick to employ a chip of his own over Fletcher to reduce the arrears slightly but eventually, as the referee was checking his watch after ninety minutes had been played, another Southwell substitute Sam Robinson (the other City Robinson replacement, Tom, ought to have been greeted with a fans’ chant of “2-4-6-8 Robinson…” but wasn’t, sadly…) fed Law clear and this time he rounded the hapless Turner and buried the ball into the empty net, before collapsing with relief onto the 3G.

NO CELEBRATION FOR HASSALL'S GOAL...
NOT ENOUGH PLAYERS ON THE PITCH, IN TRUTH...:)

NUSSEY LEAVES TO QUITE AN OVATION.
HE SHOWS US HIS NEW HAIRSTYLE TOO...

LAW OF AVERAGES: LAW FINALLY SCORES.
1-6...

THE CUP-WINNING FEELING...

The left-back for Stapleford Ben Cheatle was cautioned late on although he had experienced a tough first period against Clarke in all honesty but when Rodriguez had eventually been replaced by Town, it was likely for his own well being, for his frustrations had worsened. Fair play to him for taking part in the awards ceremony along with Hunter though.

THE GAME IS OVER...

Certainly Bowles, Stocks and Gill (is this a firm of lawyers?) drove their team from midfield, the Browns defended with relish, whilst Nussey, Law, Clarke and Caudwell played their parts effectively in the City offense. For Town, skipper Owen Brown, sub. Dunne, Upton, Smedley and especially Robb, battled throughout, whilst Hassall foraged and Rodriguez spasmodically fizzed in attack.

READY FOR GIFTS...

It was a pity that the dismissals took something away from the event but Basford hosted it rather well, despite some embarrassing bellowing at the end from one or two inebriated persons, who were not wearing the black and white of Southwell… Just saying…

'KEEPER FLETCHER CAN'T SPOT THE CAMERAS...

ALL SMILES...

FLETCHER HAS FINALLY BEEN TOLD WHERE THE CAMERAS ARE...

Congratulations to Southwell for finishing their season on a high but Stapleford held the comforting thought that they had already tied up the League title… 

TEAMS:

STAPLEFORD TOWN:

RIKKI TURNER, OWEN BROWN (CAPT), BEN CHEATLE, JAMES HUNTER, AARON MITCHELL, LUKE GUADAGNI, MICHAEL ROBB, JACK UPTON, JUNIOR RODRIGUEZ, ADAM HASSALL, BEN SMEDLEY.

SUBS:

KALLUM DUNNE, EMMET EDWARDS, KOBI HUDSON, MARK MIDDLETON, RYAN STARK.

SOUTHWELL CITY:

RYAN FLETCHER, IEUAN PLUME, DAN GLEESON, DAN BROWN, ANT BROWN, CHRIS BOWLES (CAPT), WILL STOCKS, STEWART GILL, JON NUSSEY, CALUM LAW, OLI CLARKE.

SUBS:

BLAIR BRYANT, TOM ROBINSON, SAM ROBINSON, GEORGE CAUDWELL, JACK TOOLEY.