HIGHGATE UNITED 6-0 ALCESTER TOWN: THE MATCH REPORT...

‘Gate Comfortably Defeat The Romans…

Highgate United 6-0 Alcester Town

On a dry Coppice pitch, United might have scored more goals against Alcester, who were knitting together a new squad, following the departure of their successful 2018-19 manager who has taken a good number of last season’s players with him to Paget Rangers. Skipper Danny Janes and effective ‘keeper Luis Sone have joined Studley too and thus this match against a slick Highgate offense was always going to be a tough event. Visiting ‘keeper Conal Dowling (I hope that is right) made several decent saves and ‘Gate struck the goal-frame a few times also, whereas the two Alcester forwards, the number 10 and Wade Malley simply spent their evenings chasing.

THE TOSS...

Certainly the splendid Macaulay Manning was the pivot, the creator, the fulcrum in the ‘Gate team, strongly supported in midfield by Scott Rickards and also Corey Currithers, whose powerful rushes went largely undefended. Trev Edwards, wide on the right of midfield for much of the game enjoyed a fine shift too, assisting with goals, even turning up on the left byeline to present Lei Brown with his fourth goal, immediately following the interval. Marco Adaggio netted once but would rue being denied by Dowling and the crossbar on other occasions. Manning was regularly thwarted by Dowling too and left-flanker Yahiya Todd weighed in with some useful attacking.

A RELAXED LEE HENDRIE...

Sadly, because I was lacking the names of several other ‘Gate players and almost all of the Alcester identities, my report below will often use the numbers worn by individuals to describe the action.

BROWN IS HURT AFTER NETTING GOAL 1...

Before the break, the Romans managed to force home goalie James Behan to knuckle one left-side centre away for a right-flank throw. Wade Malley’s subsequent long chuck was cleared by ‘Gate but that weapon was never used again by the guests, who were too often forced to play long kicks forward, hence their strikers playing the chasing game. One defensive error by ‘Gate’s number 2 offered a rare chance but the home defence covered the problem. Indeed, Sam Oji’s United rearguard had little trouble in dealing with Town’s limited attacking ideas. 

BROWN'S RECOVERY IS SWIFT...

Manning struck the crossbar with a free-kick, Dowling then caught the midfielder's angled shot and later the goalie dived three times low to his right to deny the ‘Gate number 8. One of those efforts was an acutely angled left-side volley but the ‘keeper excelled himself on that occasion. Rickards saw a free-kick beaten away by Dowling in the prelude to goal three, whilst Todd drove across the face of goal and Currithers’ first-time effort from 23 yards dipped just too late. Brown though was rugged and bullish in attack and bundled in goal one from close range at the near post, following Adaggio’s byeline centre. Brown also drove an angled effort from the left beyond the far stick but scored two more goals before the break. 

GOALS MEAN A LOT EVEN IN PRE-SEASON...

First he latched onto Edwards’ assist at inside-right and shot low past Dowling into the bottom left corner of the net. Roman 4 soon tripped a marauding Manning from behind to concede a penalty which was Brown’s invitation to complete his hat-trick. He drove the ball low to the goalie’s left and into the bottom corner of goal.

ANOTHER FOR BROWN...

MANNING HAS ASKED WHICH HAND THE POUND COIN WAS IN.
BROWN GOT IT WRONG...

WHO'S GONNA ARGUE WITH BROWN ABOUT TAKING THE SPOT-KICK?

Adaggio had netted goal two from inside-left when he slipped the ball inside to Brown, whose chipped return pass was sublime and right into the number 9’s path. Adaggio, onside, slipped the ball beyond Dowling and just inside the right upright. Adaggio sent a lob just too high from Rickards’ pass, had a clipped effort caught by Dowling, following Currithers’ good work and as the first period ended, a short corner routine saw Manning feed Todd but his byeline centre ricocheted wide of the near stick off Adaggio’s legs.

All in all, the United offense had been too lively, too confident, too slick and too effective for a team trying to find its feet, some cohesion and even some basic shape.

Immediately after the break, Edwards appeared at inside-left, nobody had a clue why that should have been the case but he played a nifty one-two with Manning and crossed left-booted from the byeline onto Brown’s left foot which cannoned a close range rising drive off Dowling’s glove and high into the net, 5-0 being thus achieved. Obviously changes were made by both teams as the warm evening drew on and disruptions to the patterns of play were inevitable but when Lee Hendrie appeared as a replacement for ‘Gate, his ability and influence allowed the impressive George Robbins and others to display their expressive sides.

EDWARDS TRIES TO EXPLAIN HOW HE ENDED UP MAKING AN ASSIST FROM THE LEFT BYELINE.
HE DIDN'T ACTUALLY KNOW...

Dowling fumbled an Edwards shot, although Adaggio had run across the goalie in an offside position anyway, defender 16 nodded a left-wing corner by Rickards onto the crossbar, the clever and impish Robbins drove a 25 yarder just off target, before the replacement number 4 turned a low Adaggio cross from the right onto Dowling’s shins. Finally, the replacement 18 converted a deflected low pass by the second-half substitute wearing 11 to score goal six. 

FREE-KICK TO THE 'GATE...

Adaggio had a low effort saved but his rebound overhead effort flew off target and he also struck the crossbar twice, once from an angle on the right and once from a 22 yard free-kick. It remained only for Hendrie’s quick feet to offer him a late chance from 22 yards as dusk began to infiltrate the Coppice (yes, the nights are drawing in…) but his measured strike bounced off the left upright, with Dowling running across his goal-line in vain, as if chasing a boar from his garden.

Alcester wasted a free-kick when their number 4 struck a tame effort wide from 25 yards, ‘Gate’s 16 blocked a shot by Town’s 10, who also saw a free-kick blocked by United’s three-man defensive wall. Finally a slightly miscued deep release by Roman 16 dropped dangerously near Behan’s left angle and the gloveman was forced to stretch backwards to concede an unproductive flag-kick.

LEE HENDRIE: MORE PHYSICAL THESE DAYS...

Realistically, there were two divisions between these two teams anyway but in truth, Alcester were always going to struggle with so many new faces, yet they certainly didn’t lack strength and commitment. The number 8 was harsh at times and in League 2 he will be invaluable, as will Malley and ‘keeper Dowling. The defenders fought hard but too much was left for skipper Morton to do in a midfield which offered ‘Gate’s Manning and Rickards, Todd, Currithers and Edwards far too much space to work in for long periods. Forwards Brown and Adaggio did what Brown and Adaggio do and if the ‘Gate could string some league performances together, the Premier Division could surely have something to think about… 

YEAH, THE NIGHTS ARE DRAWING IN...

We’ll see…