Newark Serve Flowing Movement To Leave Quorn Quelled…
Quorn 2-7 Newark Flowserve
And so, after ten years I returned to Farley Way, where there is now an artificial pitch and the ‘O’ and the ‘B’ have been returned to the sign over the facilities area. Rather a steep concessionary entrance fee of £4 was taken from me for what was a pre-season friendly game, at which I snapped images, filmed clips of the action and secured screenshots therefrom. And I will have spent a good deal of time writing this match report by later this afternoon, too… Hmm, do I really have ‘MUG’ written across my forehead? Likely I do.
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| POTTS HASN'T TOLD THE LINESMAN THAT HE'S GOT SUPER GLUE ON HIS PALM... |
Anyway, the game was decent to watch, for neither team could argue that the pitch was not conducive to passing football. And pass the ball the players did. OK, the visitors looked the far more dangerous and clinical group, creating more chances than their rather stifled hosts, who were, it must be said, without their fine forward, Steve Hart. However, I was also informed that Newark were missing both of their strikers too… In fact, Highwayman Matt Cotton trawled a poacher’s hat-trick and winger Sol Miller nabbed a nifty brace, both netting twice before the break, even before the Fox Hunters managed a goal back through their very effective midfielder Ben Bradshaw.
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| WHAT ARE THE CHANCES HE CAN KNOCK THAT BLOKE'S CAP OFF? |
Cotton and Miller were dangerous for Newark for sure but Danny Meadows was a real playmaker, setting up goals and deserving the simple header he converted to complete the goalscoring late on. The other lynchpin was Kyle Dixon, whose infectious display will surely ensure a strong season for his club. He wanted the ball constantly and generally used it well, cajoling, nattering and harassing throughout the match and thus allowing Meadows more freedom. Jack Beckett usually mopped up any indiscretions by his colleagues but credit must go to Elliot King, for a centre-forward’s performance which failed to gain the reward of a goal but would certainly have pleased the coaching team from Flowserve.
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| BRADSHAW & BECKETT... |
The visitors were strongly influenced by full-backs Jack Andrews and Ryan Ebanks, but in centre-defence they fielded skipper Tom Potts and also Laurence Gorman, both athletic specimens and therefore not sluggish but rather speedy. They were able to stunt the eager, belligerent, totally committed home forward Jack Duffy, whose attitude was spot on, although it was inevitable that he and Dixon would eventually clash… Newark’s ‘keeper Joe Searson was not particularly tested and was helpless to prevent Bradshaw’s two fine strikes from beating him but subsequently Quorn would probably rethink a few things after this encounter had ended, whilst Flowserve couldn’t really have wished for a better outcome.
Duffy struck a 25 yard effort past the upper section of the left post and pulled a low left-booter past the right upright before the break, whilst a Rakeem Reid shot was deflected for a corner, Deon Meikle’s looped header dropped too high and of course, Bradshaw’s 23 yard shot took that deflection off a defender’s shoe, looped over the goalie and dropped into goal off the underside of the crossbeam. There had been more industry by the home team than dynamism and they turned the ball over too often to contest the encounter more closely. They were also caught out by the speed of Miller, the lurking of Cotton and the energy and reading of situations by Meadows.
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| THE REACTION BY BRADSHAW SAYS HE'S SCORED BUT HIS TEAM IS 1-4 DOWN... |
Meadows’ early low shot was gathered by Quorn’s number one of three goalies used, Joe Gilbert, before a lobbed King header from Cotton’s corner was too high and Dixon shot from 25 yards straight at replacement goalie Taylor McMillan (who also made one fine intervention from a low right-side cross.) However, early on, Miller fastened onto a deep pass, I think by Potts and outran home skipper Aaron Stringfellow before slipping the ball neatly past Gilbert to open the scoring into the bottom right corner of goal. Meadows then got in at inside left and rounded the scrambling Gilbert before passing into the 10 yards-from-goal-zone, where Cotton managed to direct the ball into the bottom right corner of the net: 0-2…
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| IT'S 0-1... |
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| IT'S 0-2 BUT THE SUB GOALIE YELLS: "MY TURN, MY TURN..." |
Goal three arrived when Dixon fed Miller on the left who slipped a pass towards the heavily marked King but the striker persevered, turned and forced himself forwards to release a pass for Miller to race onto. This time the finish was clipped high past the ‘keeper from inside-left and the ball dropped beautifully just inside the angle of right post and crossbar. Goal four I think came from a Meadows assist again but Cotton simply lobbed the goalie from 18 yards.
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| GOALSCORER MILLER IS CONGRATULATED FOR FALLING OVER DRAMATICALLY AFTER NETTING GOAL 3... |
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| THE TEAM ENJOYED THE GOAL THOUGH... |
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| COTTON HAS ADDED THE 4TH GOAL... |
Cotton had already picked up a 22 yard rebound off home defender Chad Timson and chipped the ball off target and he would also attempt two headers in the half, which came to nought. Miller missed out on a trio of first period goals when he failed to convert a fine Meadows centre at the left upright but a 1-4 scoreline at half-time would be as startling as it was deserved…
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| BRADSHAW (8) IS UNSURE WHY HIS OPPONENT IS ATTEMPTING PUSH-UPS WITH HIS CHEST... |
The second period of course brought replacements onto the field but in this encounter little disruption was caused and the visitors soon roared into a 1-5 lead when a low centre from the right by Meadows was slithered past the goalkeeper by Cotton for his hat-trick, from close range. Then Bradshaw picked up a loose ball some 28 yards from goal, right of centre, moved forth a few strides and absolutely blathered a right-footer high past Searson and the ball bulged the top left corner of the net. A fine goal for the hosts…
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| DIXON, BUSY AS A MOSQUITO UP A SCOTSMAN'S KILT... |
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| SCORING SO MANY BEFORE THE BREAK CAN GIVE A CHAP A HEADACHE... |
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| ORANGE TOES, BLACK HEELS, THREE GOALS... |
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| KING ROYALLY AVOIDS SHAKING BRADSHAW'S HAND, FOLLOWING HIS STUNNING STRIKE... |
Sadly, at 2-5, Quorn were unable to break their guests down again, despite a falling Reid header which was well wide, a disappointing free-kick by Bradshaw which soared too high and a couple of shots by substitute Jordan Holmes, one of which flew to Searson, the other, a lob from Duffy’s provision, which dropped only just too high.
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JOE S.S.
(NOT THE S.S., YOU UNDERSTAND...) |
The visitors though made a few more chances, Miller miscuing a shot and having another saved low by the ‘keeper, who also stopped a low drive by King. A run forward by Andrews ended with a trip by a home defender and Dixon stroked a fine spot-kick into the right side of goal as Adam Binks dived the other way, which extended the Newark lead to 2-6. Jahred Russell drove too high from 25 yards and then after a couple of step-overs, he fired a low shot towards the near right stick but Binks fell left to save. It just had to be Meadows who scored the final goal and his unchallenged header beat the flying Binks easily as Russell’s delivery found its mark.
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| AFTER SCORING HIS PENALTY, DIXON CELEBRATES BY TRYING TO PULL THE SLEEVE OFF AN OPPONENT'S SHIRT... |
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| BRADSHAW WONDERS WHETHER THE REF IS GONNA TAKE THE FREE-KICK... |
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| ORANGE TOES, WHITE HEELS, YEAH! MEADOWS HAS SCORED THE 7TH NEWARK GOAL... |
The most exciting shot for Newark was saved until the final moments when a period of pressure saw the ball drop onto Potts’ left instep 22 yards out and his searing volley smashed against the crossbar, a moment he won’t forget in a hurry…
This was a tough workout for Quorn, despite the energy in attack of Reid and the sheer determination of Duffy. Striker Jack Jepson received little quality service in truth but in midfield Nathan Dale and Billy Howard, along with the aforementioned Bradshaw, were often overrun by the marauding Dixon, Beckett and Meadows, not to mention Miller, Cotton and the overlapping full-backs…
Dixon for some reason nudged the ball a few yards off the mark as the hosts prepared to take a late, late free-kick and the frustrated Duffy reacted with some venom, understandably. Thus the shoving commenced… Comments were heard like: “Young man, that is behaviour unbecoming of a gentleman…” Well, I heard an ‘f’ anyway… The referee, in true headmasterly style, gave them 50 lines and a shaking finger, despite appearing to be younger than both adversaries…
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| WHO ARE THE CULPRITS THEN? |
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REID SINGS A SOUL BALLAD TO THE REF BUT HE STILL WANTS A WORD.
HEADTEACHERS ARE FUNNY LIKE THAT... |
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| DIXON HIDES HIS CLUB BADGE, IN CASE THE REFEREE LOOKS AT IT... |
Thanks to both clubs for providing me with the names and numbers of their players and it was good to speak with Quorn boss Martin Carruthers, once a Villa player, of course, who moved on from the club and played for Hull and Stoke, amongst a number of league clubs but to his credit then took his skills to non-league and moved into management at Arnold and Basford, before arriving at Quorndon, as it was once known. (The village shortened its name in 1889 because of postal problems arising from Derbyshire’s Quarndon…)
Amazing what you learn…
SQUADS:
QUORN:
JOE GILBERT, CHAD TIMSON, LOUIS TOMLINSON, NATHAN DALE, AARON STRINGFELLOW (CAPT), DEON MEIKLE, BILLY HOWARD, BEN BRADSHAW, JACK JEPSON, JACK DUFFY, RAKEEM REID, TONY OWEN, JORDAN HOLMES, LEAVI OSHUNGBURE, TAYLOR MCMILLAN, ADAM BINKS.
NEWARK FLOWSERVE:
JOE SEARSON-SMITHARD, RYAN EBANKS, JACK ANDREWS, TOM POTTS (CAPT), LAURENCE GORMAN, JACK BECKETT, DANNY MEADOWS, KYLE DIXON, ELLIOT KING, MATT COTTON, SOL MILLER, JAMES LLOYD, CURTIS PRICE, JAHRED RUSSELL, JAHREN BARROW.
