FECKENHAM FC 2-3 KNOWLE FC: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

Gritty Robins Take The Points In A Feisty Encounter, Interrupted By A Muntjac & Lots Of Sliding-In…

Feckenham FC 2-3 Knowle FC

During the opening half a muntjac raced round the back of one goalmouth, sprinted past the two dugouts and along the left-wing, before leaping over a hedge and disappearing. The game was live at the time but no player had the vision to place a precision pass in front of the interloper and its intelligent run along the touchline came to nought… Sad really.

WELSH SHOWS THE LINESMAN WEARING AN APRON HIS KNEE...

If the Millers were stunned by the appearance of the deer, they were stunned more directly by the Robins immediately after half-time, who overturned a 1-0 deficit at the interval and snaffled three goals, as the hosts attempted to adjust to the loss of playmaker Umit Eminoglu. The Feckers never did recover, having to rely upon the immense lengths of Jake Donnelly’s throw-ins to form attacks as the game reached its latter stages, after Jordan Adams had scored a deflected goal to reduce the hosts’ arrears to 2-3. Subsequently, in an ill tempered match between two of the top teams in the league, Knowle held on to their lead and were ecstatic at the final whistle. Both teams scored penalties, the Millers’ goal coming immediately following a lengthy delay when Robins’ Nathan Corry went down injured. The half-time break was then quickly signalled.

ALL-BUTT READY TO START...

ANXIETY DETECTED...

THE KNOWLE COACHES CANNOT BELIEVE SOME DECISIONS GIVEN AGAINST THEIR TEAM...

The untidy match was littered by fouls, corners and Donnelly’s long throws, rather than being a good advert for the footballing skills of two of the better outfits in Midland League 2. The pace of Robins’ Brandon Hague wasn’t quite that of the muntjac but he created the equaliser for his skipper Steve Ruck and was later fouled by Daniel Williams, in the defensive left-back slot, to win a spot-kick which was converted by the hard working Louis Bridges. The second goal was shoved past home goalie Ryan Young by number 16, Jordan Hall, who was down on the team-sheet as number 12, hence my mistake in identifying him on the video commentary as Nic Oakley. Thanks for that… 

JAMIE HATFIELD: WARM FACE...

FOX, RIGHT, PREPARES FOR ANOTHER HEADING DUEL...

EMINOGLU: LASTED JUST 45 MINUTES...

The interruptions during the opening period, caused by free-kicks, players having to fetch balls which rolled away across pitch two and also as a result of the referee being forced to speak to players who slid into each other and then screamed innocence like they weren’t the guilty ones of peeing on the toilet seat in the school bogs. Hence a bunch of delayed corners, free-kicks and throws ensued, making any real rhythm hard to come by and very few passages of play featuring creativity were evident. 

RUCK: SMART GOAL...

ADAMS: SEVERAL PEOPLE AT STUDLEY'S BEEHIVE GROUND HEARD HIS VOICE.
REGULARLY...

Billy Garvey was fairly prominent in attack for the hosts, who were without hurt striker Danny Murphy (who made the bench, nevertheless) and when Eminoglu was slowed by an injury, the heart of the Millers’ offense was clearly missed. Garvey had a shot blocked following a Donnelly throw, then nodded wide from an Eminoglu set-piece (although he was penalised for pushing anyway) but he would score the first goal on the stroke of half-time and also receive an early caution for a late slide-in. Jak Albutt and skipper Ben Welsh both headed wide from Eminoglu corners and Donnelly saw a well struck shot cannon into Albutt, before he too, headed off target from an Eminoglu flag-kick. Eminoglu was also booked for a late slide-in…

REF: "ARE YOU AN OFFICIAL?"
PERRY-HOLMES: "NO, MATE..."
REF: "WELL F... OFF THEN..."

REF: "WITHOUT ME, THERE'D BE NO GAME, SO SHUT THE  F... UP..."

AS GARVEY IS CAUTIONED, AN OPPONENT REALISES THAT HIS LEG HAS GONE GREY...

In truth, Knowle had looked the more confident outfit, without setting the countryside on fire but it was skipper and defender Ruck who threatened early with a pair of headers. Both, from Jack Moss’ corner and then Bridges’ byeline centre, flew off target although the second effort deflected off the challenging Williams for a flag-kick. Another Moss free-kick bounced past Young’s left upright, a shot on the turn by Bridges, who had also defended aerially for his team effectively, was saved comfortably by the Millers’ gloveman and Zak Harbon drove wide from 28 yards. The best goal attempt though came from the speedy Hague, who received an assist from Bridges and shot from 17 yards against the foot of the right stick. 

THERE HE IS! THE SILENT MOVIE ACTOR GEORGE SEELEY, STAGE RIGHT...

EMINOGLU PLEADS BUT TO NO AVAIL...

DONNELLY SHOWS THE REF HOW HE CAN NEALRY MAKE A 5-BARRED GATE WITH HIS HANDS... 

Chairman of the Bearded Midland League Central Defenders’ Society Jamie Hatfield also made two vital interceptions to concede corners, as the Robins threatened on other occasions. Thus the frowning spectators were just beginning to thirst for their warm milk and chocolate fingers when more players began to slide-in and it really seemed like someone was going to get badly hurt but after the particular passage of play ended with no wild challenges causing ABH, visiting midfielder Nathan Corry was seen writhing on the ground. He received lengthy treatment but had to exit the show and when play resumed, another Feckenham set-piece saw Hatfield tumbled to the ground by Robins’ goalie Craig Johnson at his right post to concede a penalty. The ebullient Garvey took the spot-kick, hesitated in his run-up, Johnson bit and fell right, allowing Garvey to slot a simple goal into the other, unguarded side of the net.

1-0...

LOOKS LIKE WILLIAMS HAS BENT HIS YELLOW SKATEBOARD...

GARVEY SELF-IDENTIFIES AS THE GOALSCORER...

The interval then arrived, no deer interjected and it was clear after the recess that minus both Murphy and Eminoglu, the Millers might have a few problems. A long Donnelly throw flew off the back of the head of Robins’ defender Luke Fox but straight into Johnson’s gloves and this led to the opening Knowle goal. The home defence was wanting on its left side, the hungry, not so vague Hague, won possession, crossed to where two supporting team-mates were lurking and it was Ruck who controlled the ball and cleverly dummied then shot over the advancing Young to regain parity for the visitors.

FOX (6) ONLY MEANT TO CONGRATULATE RUCK BUT HE GETS A WHACK AROUND THE HEAD FOR HIS EFFORTS...

The shock was palpable in the Millers’ reactions who must have wondered where their resolution had disappeared to, especially when soon afterwards Corry’s replacement Hall was finely set up at inside-right by Harbon and the forward drew Young then slipped a low shot into the net. Donnelly was cautioned for, er, not a slide-in, but a shove, which was like one you would see from an offensive tackle on a linebacker, as the Las Vegas Raiders (the new name of the Oakland Raiders…) protected their quarterback… 

HALL, 16, SHOULD'VE BEEN 12 BUT KNOWLE LIKE TO CAUSE ME HASSLE...

Both Welsh and Albutt leapt for, er, another long Donnelly throw but the ball bobbed up over the crossbar, Albutt glanced a header wide from a Jack Cole corner then sliced another effort well off target. And then Williams fouled the rampaging Hague on the right side of the penalty-box and Bridges calmly despatched the spot-kick, low into the right side of the net. It was really game-over by that point, for the Feckers were even more reliant upon corners, free-kicks and long throws to implement any offence at all. Moss got away with what looked like a vicious kick into a Miller’s shin in a really odd incident when several players hacked at each other like they had just tumbled from a club in Broad Street, Birmingham at 2am.  

LOOKS LIKE DONNELLY WANTS TO DO SOME SCOTTISH DANCING.
ODD TIME TO CHOOSE...

BRIDGES, EXTREME RIGHT HAS SCORED BUT LOOKS ANXIOUS IN CASE I HADN'T FILMED HIS SPOT-KICK...

Donnelly nodded a Cole centre past the right post, Garvey’s low volley from replacement Liam Fullerton’s right-side centre flew past the right stick, then after Hague ran clear for the guests but was denied by Young’s right glove, the game became interesting, for Adams’ strike from 15 yards took a deflection or two past the unsighted Johnson to offer hope for the hosts. I was told by Bridges and Hague that Robins’ effective central defender Ash Weeks was keen to claim the goal but I cannot possibly comment upon that… And then Donnelly took over…

ADAMS, RIGHT: NETTED LATE ON...

He took a number of throws as the game ebbed away, which were all dangerous and Adams saw one header hacked from the goal-line by Hall, who had therefore snatched the lead for his team and then protected it. Adams so nearly got onto a downward header by substitute Murphy, who had been thrown into the mix and in the final moments, goalie Young dived to head wide of the left post, albeit not from a Donnelly sling. Garvey chased the ball into the right side of the 18 yard box, lively Robin replacement Niall Attenborrow allowed him past, Garvey fell, saw the referee not signalling a penalty, quickly regained his feet and chased the ball again. The official stopped the game, yellow-carded and of course dismissed Garvey for ‘diving’…

MOSS WAS FORTUNATE IN THIS SCRAP NOT TO BE BOOKED...

THE PLAYERS CHOOSE PARTNERS FOR THE NEXT SCOTTISH DANCE...

RUCK HAS A WORD, OR TWO...

THAT BACK-LINE, WHICH HELD OUT FOR KNOWLE...

The visitors? Substitute Charlie Griffiths looked dangerous on two late runs but was unable to get close enough to goal for a shot and despite a long added-time period, Donnelly’s chucks were not able to snatch a point for the Millers. Weeks and the labouring (injured…) Fox held firm, supported by Corey Powell and skipper Ruck, with Moss undaunted just in front of them. George Seeley had been combative in midfield, another guy yellow-carded for, er, a slide-in but his sheer involvement in each game is admirable and with his facial expressions, he would have been a delight in silent movies… 

GARVEY IN TROUBLE...

Connor Perry-Holmes was largely quiet for the hosts, Eminoglu’s first-half work mainly involved taking free-kicks and corners, Albutt couldn’t shake his markers often enough and Garvey lacked some support, with Williams rarely a factor on the right-flank. Certainly Hatfield was a tough opponent and showed a delightful touch in possession on a couple of occasions with his hairy chin, as always, prominent… In fairness, the Feckers didn’t really gel as an attacking team and I guess that Knowle would feel worthy winners in the end, despite some awkward late moments from the whirling, swirling arms of Jake ‘The Catapult’ Donnelly… 

GARVEY IS EXILED...

TEAMS:

FECKENHAM FC:

RYAN YOUNG, BEN WELSH (CAPT), JACK COLE, JAKE DONNELLY, JAMIE HATFIELD, JORDAN ADAMS, DANIEL WILLIAMS, UMIT EMINOGLU, JAK ALBUTT, CONNOR PERRY-HOLMES, BILLY GARVEY.

SUBS:

DAN SUTTON, BEN COX, GEORGE LUTWYCHE, LIAM FULLERTON, DANNY MURPHY.

KNOWLE FC:

CRAIG JOHNSON, COREY POWELL, STEVE RUCK (CAPT), JACK MOSS, ASH WEEKS, LUKE FOX, NATHAN CORRY, GEORGE SEELEY, LOUIS BRIDGES, BRANDON HAGUE, ZAK HARBON.

SUBS:

JORDAN HALL, NIALL ATTENBORROW, CHARLIE GRIFFITHS, NIC OAKLEY, LEWIS COSGROVE.