BEWDLEY TOWN 3-1 WORCESTER RAIDERS: THE MATCH REPORT...

Raiders Raided On The Riverbank…

Bewdley Town 3-1 Worcester Raiders

As strange games go, this was a very strange game indeed, with feisty infusions, some colourful language which echoed off the hillsides, a constant need to retrieve balls from the riverbank behind the dugouts and also featured a referee who was being assessed and possibly didn’t impress the serious looking chap who handled his clipboard in the grandstand like it was a hot coal. Indeed he appeared to be juggling it after he had returned from his interval cuppa… The match contained three penalties (which might have been four on another day), a dismissal for two cautions for Raider George Corbett and four other bookings, one of which was for home goalie Joe Sidaway for jogging off to retrieve a football, although there was one lying dormant to the side of his goal-frame. Simpler for the official to add on time, rather than display a yellow card, perhaps… 

THE BALL IS IN THE AIR, SUCKED TOWARDS THE RIVER...

The Raiders took an early lead but despite their physical approach, they lost skipper Matt Tyler early on to an injury and although they attacked often, their efforts lacked the clinicality necessary to worry Sidaway. And of course there was Town’s central defender Ben Priest, who headed the ball forwards so many times during the match that he reminded me of a battle hardened Sergeant in the Somme trenches, helmet-less and chucking any missiles he could find at the Boche, some with his head and leading by example, his bearded face determined and intense. Ryan Rowe, the experienced Raiders’ forward was rarely a threat, despite an assist for midfielder Kirk Layton’s goal, whilst frustrated sidekick Roland Krol was left to chase out-balls by his colleagues.

RAIDER DEN...

NO ROOM AT THE INN...

Bewdley however were competent from wide, especially on the left, where Matt Kirby was particularly effective and the two strikers, Dylon Harte and Luke Morris were certainly more dangerous on offense than their counterparts. Morris scored from close range after missing the first spot-kick, whilst Harte netted a brace of penalties, as well as missing a few other opportunities. The hosts were denied by the goal-frame twice in the opening period too and all this happened despite losing their central defender and skipper Aaron Stubbins before the game even began. 

IS ROWE GONNA HEAD THAT SMALL BEACH BALL?

THE MORRIS FROWN...

Worcester’s Kyle Belmonte had passed to Rowe early on and he in turn had fed Layton into the left side of the 18 yard box, whereby the midfielder slipped a measured and calm finish through the legs of Sidaway to open the scoring. A strong start then by the Raiders but soon the hosts began to capitalise upon some good left-wing approach work. Morris flicked a looping effort from a smart Harte centre onto the crossbeam, then struck the base of the left upright from a Kirby assist. Lewis Pinches, the visiting goalie also batted away a Harte drive from 20 yards, like he was slapping at a particularly large moth which had flown in through the kitchen window. The first penalty caused some anger between players and fiery home midfielder Sam Lester was pulled clear of the foray by team-mates.

GOAL FOR RAIDERS...

1ST PENALTY FOR BEWDLEY...

SKIRMISH.
BUT IS FLOWERS (3) LEANING ON MY IMAGE FRAME?

Harte was rushing into the penalty-box left-side and he was baulked first by Alex Marsh, then Corbett and subsequently sprawled upon the green turf. Morris struck the ensuing penalty hard towards the centre of goal but Pinches, having fallen right, saved the effort with his shoes. Morris lobbed a volley from the right, following a pass by Rudd, beyond the far post, Ellis Stubbins skied a shot from a short corner routine which had fooled Worcester and Harte clipped a shot wide, following fine approach play on the left byeline by Morris. However, Morris it was who regained parity for his team with a conversion from close-range when Rudd crossed low from the right byeline.

1-1: MORRIS THE SCORER...

Dan Flowers then tripped Lester just inside the penalty-area and offered a second penalty opportunity to Bewdley right on half-time and Harte wouldn’t miss, striking a low shot into the left corner of the net. The guests had seen Belmonte miscue three times well off target, then fire a free-kick into Bewdley’s defensive wall, Krol drove an angled effort off target, Flowers headed across the face of goal and Rowe volleyed well over the target and saw another effort deflected for a corner. Thus Sidaway wasn’t tested, testament to the cover he was given by Sergeant Priest, Sam Parmenter and Steve Clarke. Lester was cautioned for the hosts during that frenetic half but the second period was to become more tetchy, as the officials failed to maintain control over the players, several of whom could have been binned as sinners, going by the regular dissent displayed. 

2-1: PENALTY BY HARTE...

Strangely, although Worcester were clearly fighting to get back into the match during the second-half, once their two coaches had completed their leisurely stroll across the pitch to their dugout, yet Sidaway was again rarely made to work. He caught a header by Sam Carey and also a shot on the turn from a narrow angle by the rather quiet Rowe but otherwise, he saw Layton fire well wide, right-back Arron Drake shoot a good try just too high, two more wild Belmonte shots drift way off target and a header by Flowers which was going wide anyway, kicked clear by the alert Clarke at the left post. Raider replacement Josh Farnsworth’s first input was a run on the left flank and low centre across the face of goal but there was no Raider a-raiding, allowing Town to clear easily. Rowe did nod a Flowers header into goal but an offside flag was wagging, as it had during the first period when Morris had netted for Bewdley. 

LONG WAIT FOR THE 2ND HALF TO START FOR BEWDLEY, AS ONE PLAYER FINDS SOMETHING INTERESTING INSIDE HIS SHORTS...

ABOUT TIME, TOO...

NAME WRITING...

CORBETT IS IN TROUBLE...

RED CARD SHOWN...

Corbett, Flowers and Carey appeared to be cautioned for the guests but Corbett then committed another foul and was exiled to the hut on the hillside, which effectively handed the hosts the victory. Parmenter challenged Pinches twice aerially, Rudd’s over-shoulder effort at the right upright from Kerby’s service flew wide, Lester volleyed too high, after a poor clearance by Pinches and good work by Adam Beardsmore but once again, a penalty would prove to be the downfall of the remaining Raiders. A right-side centre was handled by Flowers and Harte smacked a rising spot-kick past the helpless Pinches. 

PENALTY FOR BEWDLEY.
AGAIN...

3-1, COURTESY OF HARTE...

Harte was then bundled over when in on goal which seemed dodgy from where I stood, so perhaps my comment in the commentary was harsh on the Raider defence. The referee probably couldn’t award a fourth spot-kick to Bewdley anyway… Then the striker moved left when one-on-one with Pinches, who denied him but the rebound was clipped well wide of the second post by Harte. Morris drove just wide of the left stick from 19 yards, after strong play by the ever more influential Beardsmore but to take the ball into a corner a couple of times against ten men, when 3-1 ahead did seem a little pointless by Bewdley, when goal-difference could actually make a difference come the end of the season… 

WE LIKES THIS...

The officials were certainly not popular with the Worcester contingent at the end of the game and I wondered just how the handling of the game would have been assessed… Hmm…

Bewdley were more dangerous, the Raiders weren’t able to get Rowe into better goalscoring positions and I left impressed by Town’s three forwards and the Edwardian whiskers of Ben Priest…

TEAMS:

BEWDLEY TOWN:

JOE SIDAWAY, STEVE CLARKE, SAM PARMENTER, BEN PRIEST, ADAM BEARDSMORE, ELLIS STUBBINS, SAM LESTER, SIMON RUDD (CAPT), DYLON HARTE, LUKE MORRIS, MATT KERBY.

SUBS:

BEN WORTHINGTON, TOM PEPPERALL, TOM SMITH, WILL WARD.

WORCESTER RAIDERS:

LEWIS PINCHES, ARRON DRAKE, DAN FLOWERS, KIRK LAYTON, GEORGE CORBETT, ALEX MARSH, KYLE BELMONTE, MATT TYLER (CAPT), RYAN ROWE, ROLAND KROL, SAM CAREY.

SUBS:

MATT ANDREW, JOSH FARNSWORTH, GAVIN PODMORE.