SPORTING KHALSA 3-1 SOUTH NORMANTON ATHLETIC: THE MATCH REPORT...

Khalsa Eventually Find A Way To Score 

Sporting Khalsa 3-1 South Normanton Athletic

Having been beaten by the same 3-1 scoreline at South Normanton earlier this season, Khalsa looked determined for payback from the start of this tussle, although some resilient defending by Shiners Oli Cox and Marc Strzyzewski, plus some good goalkeeping by Curtis Hall held up the hosts until the latter stages of the contest. Eventually home defender Leon Miles got his angles right and his header on target to equalise Shiner Rich Hanslow’s breakaway goal from the opening period. Khalsa replacement James McGrady then popped up to assist for goals two and three, netted by fellow substitute Jay Holdcroft and the energetic Gaz Singh. Despite manufacturing more scoring opportunities than their guests, Sporting were fortunate that Shiner Martin Smyth missed twice when on another day he would have gobbled up the brace like the remaining dry roasted peanuts on a pub’ bar… 

RATHER RESPECTFUL SKIPPERS...

HANSLOW TO START...

Hanslow too might have scored, instead of rounding home ‘keeper Sam Arnold and slipping his shot against the base of an upright but anything other than a Khalsa victory would have been a misrepresentation of how this encounter panned out. Lively home wide-man Sean Williams, whose moves suggested that the soles of his boots were suffering electric shocks, rapped a fine drive against the Normanton crossbar and saw a free-kick well parried by Hall, as well as cracking two later shots wide. Central striker Josh McKenzie was also foiled by Hall and a good deflection by Cox but his frown and glare would make my afternoon amusing, if also a little too Halloween-like… 

MIDFIELD EFFECTIVENESS HERE...

Hanslow? He haunted me too, for the camera decided to lose clarity when he raced clear to open the scoring and when he struck a post after the recess, the action happened unexpectedly. So, as I suddenly stopped speaking into my dictaphone the camera bounced about like Sean Williams was holding it instead and the footage of Hanslow’s miss looked crazy, although perhaps he won’t mind too much about that…

FREE-KICK FOR WILLIAMS...

THE SHINERS BUILD A WALL...

The victory for the hosts was rather moulded by midfielder Liam Armstrong, whose contributions were huge: an assist with the corner which was headed in by Miles, plus some real belligerence in his attitude and then no trace of tiredness even in the final moments as he orchestrated taking the ball into an offensive corner to deny the Shiners. His passing was generally accurate and he was simply the fulcrum for his team. Yes, skipper Tesfa Robinson and sidekick Miles were always involved, yes, Williams was as annoying to Normanton, as Tigger was to Pooh Bear, but Armstrong? Buy him a pint or two, Mr Rowe…

WILLIAMS: BOUNCY...

It took the visitors quite a while to settle on the artificial surface it seemed, but their hosts were profligate early on, for Robinson nodded McKenzie’s header badly wide of the right stick and Miles headed off target twice, although McKenzie was better placed to head the ball on the second occasion. Williams had cut inside from the left and smashed a great effort against the face of the crossbar from downtown, then Hall dived to save Williams’ 24 yard free-kick, although McKenzie couldn’t get to the rebound from the ‘keeper’s parry. Singh drove straight to Hall, Carlo Franco lifted a shot too high, left-back Shaq Lee shot at the goalie from Miles’ downward header but Lee also missed a fine opportunity at the left upright when McKenzie’s excellent cross from the right byeline bounced off his shins and wide.

EXPRESSIONS...

Hence it was a bitter pill to swallow when Hanslow nicked a goal on the break, for he had already been hustled out of shooting by three retreating Khalsa players as he escaped a linesman’s offside flag somewhat dubiously and he had also chipped a decent chance much too high. When he scored, his low right footer skidded inside the base of the right post for a clinical finish.

0-1...

Dylan Garnett clipped an 18 yard shot past the left angle of post and crossbar, Cox’s near post header was deflected by McKenzie’s challenge but certainly Smyth will rue his miss before the interval. He was fed by the breaking Hanslow from the left but with Arnold out of goal, the striker’s right-footer drifted away from goal from 17 yards, leaving several Khalsa defenders relieved.

GRAVE MOMENT FOR GRAVES...

MCKENZIE WAITS TO START HALF TWO...

And so the break for a pot of Darjeeling tea and a tasty naan was taken and the result was a more effective Khalsa, although finding the necessary success took some time. Williams connected with a 20 yard volley which Hall dealt with, then he belted a shot across the face of goal from distance too, before the insistent Singh rapped a low left-foot shot from 16 yards which Hall saved really well, diving low to his left to stop it with a mitten. Singh and McKenzie both failed to get in shots when a melee arose, Hall raced out to block the lurking McKenzie’s drive, then Cox did so well to deflect McKenzie’s next rasping effort from 12 yards for a flag-kick. Eventually however, Armstrong’s right-flank corner drifted over Hall’s leap and Cox’s too but Miles had read the flight well and he powered his subsequent header from beyond the far post, deep into the right side of the net. 

NASTY...

THE PHYSIO' GUARDED MY BAG BEFORE THE MATCH...

1-1...

The visitors so nearly capitalised upon their hosts’ desperation to get back into the match though, for Franco was cautioned for an alleged foul on Kenan Layton (spelt Wayton on the team sheet…) and Smyth’s resulting free-kick from 22 yards was caught by Arnold. Shiners’ midfielder Eric Graves had already been cautioned for some over enthusiastic physicality but in truth, this was not a rough match. Arnold saved at his right post from the rampaging Jack Tyson, Garnett smacked a volley across the face of the goalmouth but when Hanslow broke clear again, then rounded Arnold towards the left byeline, his shot struck the base of the post, allowing the goalie to smother the rebound. And then Khalsa went ahead…

DISCUSSIONS...

HOME BENCH...

IAN ROWE'S BEST SMILE...

A pass by McGrady was threaded to Holdcroft at 12 yards and his low shot rolled into the left corner of the goal with Hall likely unsighted. Even then Smyth was set up for a chance at inside-right to regain parity for the Shiners but his hard shot flew awry and after Strzyzewski ran forth to shoot wide from 25 yards, the hosts began to control the final minutes, with Armstrong the main man. However, a poor kick out by Hall landed at the feet of McGrady, Singh fastened onto the replacement’s assist, onside at inside-left and he shot right-footed past the helpless Hall from 15 yards and the game was done…  

2-1...

3-1...

Visiting skipper David Leigh was a leader for his team and the two Normanton central defenders were tough characters, with Graves, another Halloween reference, constantly tackling and prompting in midfield. The hosts had been served well from the start by Alex Woodhouse but he was replaced by the ebullient Mike Perks, who shored up the midfield as the game wore on. Franco was often a good overlapping aid for winger Mensah Kinch but in truth, Armstrong, Robinson, Miles and Williams were probably the standouts for Khalsa, supported by the often smart play of Singh.

Rain? What rain? This artificial pitch was playable. How many more games went ahead on the day? 

Me? After an 80 minute, 36 mile journey TO the stadium, the return trip of 35 minutes was a blessing. 

No trick, just a treat…  

TEAMS:

SPORTING KHALSA:

SAM ARNOLD, CARLO FRANCO, SHAQ LEE, LEON MILES, TESFA ROBINSON (CAPT), LIAM ARMSTRONG, MENSAH KINCH, ALEX WOODHOUSE, JOSH McKENZIE, GAZ SINGH, SEAN WILLIAMS.

SUBS:

JAY HOLDCROFT, ALEX PERRY, MIKE PERKS, GEORGE TAYLOR, JAMES McGRADY.

SOUTH NORMANTON ATHLETIC:

CURTIS HALL, DAVID LEIGH (CAPT), JOHN GUY, ERIC GRAVES, MARC STRZYZEWSKI, OLI COX, DYLAN GARNETT, JACK TYSON, RICH HANSLOW, MARTIN SMYTH, KENAN LAYTON.

SUBS:

WILL DENNIS, TOM GAMBLIN, OWEN DIXON, BEN ROBINSON, RYAN NADINE.