FECKENHAM FC 7-0 BOLEHALL SWIFTS: THE MATCH REPORT...

Millers Destroy Swifts With New Year Seven

Feckenham FC 7-0 Bolehall Swifts

This was clearly largely a one-sided affair but the Millers not only needed the three points against lowly Bolehall, they needed to improve their goal difference too, as they continue their chase of leaders Solihull United. Winning the games in hand would take them level with the league leaders, hence the importance of the goals ratio. Despite scoring seven, Feckenham missed a bin-load too and it was remarkable that striker Jak Albutt failed to register a goal at all. His duel with Swifts’ goalie Shane Wardall was keen and in truth, the ‘keeper won the scrap, making good saves from the experienced forward. However, there was no stopping the glove-handed home attacker Connor Perry-Holmes, who nabbed a hat-trick and also the tall, loping striker Danny Murphy who impressed throughout and scored a brace. The other two goals were grabbed by defender Jake Donnelly, he of the long throw but in all honesty he might also have scored three times more. However, the offensive strings were pulled by Millers’ midfielder Umit Eminoglu, whose assists were slick, his passing was thoughtful and often clever, whilst his gliding motion through the trenches was a joy to watch at this level.

THE TWO TWOS TOSS...

WELSH: "IS THAT A BADGER?"

Bolehall would consider themselves unfortunate though, for hurt central defender George Smith lasted only a short period, then busy left-back Ryan Northall was dismissed before the interval for a challenge on Murphy as the front-man moved towards the 18 yard line with only Wardall ahead of him. A word with an assistant convinced the referee to flash a straight red card and Swifts, already 2-0 behind were suddenly a man down too. However, home goalie Ryan Young had exited his penalty-box earlier in the game, before misjudging clearing the ball and he instead tripped Joe Kinsella of Bolehall, possibly unintentionally. Only a yellow card was waved at the ‘keeper though, probably because there were defenders behind him covering. And then in the latter stages of the second period, hardworking visiting midfielder Keegan Butler exited the field injured, leaving his team with only nine players, all three substitutions having already been made. Not a good day at the office then for the Tamworth based team, despite the efforts of their new forward signing, Dave Yonwin…  

MURPHY: TROUBLE FOR SWIFTS...

"HEY, MATE, YOU'RE THIS TALL..."

Four goals were scored during the opening half, the first pair emanating from assists by the intuitive Eminoglu. His smart pass for Perry-Holmes to latch onto led to the gloved man lifting a good finish over the advancing goalie from inside-left. The second goal came  from a set-piece and it was Donnelly who popped up at the right post to side-foot Eminoglu’s left-flank centre into the net.

1-0: PERRY-HOLMES...

2-0: DONNELLY...

Goal three was similar to goal one but this time Perry-Holmes split the Swifts’ defence to free Donnelly, who confidently shot low past the encroaching Wardall. Another set-piece led to goal four but this time it was a short, right-wing corner by Eminoglu to the industrious Dan Sutton which brought the finish by Murphy. Sutton clipped the ball into the 6 yard box and there was no stopping the big striker’s powerful header.

3-0: DONNELLY AGAIN...

4-0: MURPHY...

Murphy had already made two excursions on the left, once shoving the ball across the face of goal and once having his low cross bundled away for a corner by Bolehall. Murphy’s far post header from a left-wing delivery deflected off the mismatched Max Robinson for a flag-kick, as the striker continued to cause mayhem with his running style, his strength and his nose for goal. Donnelly twice headed over the crossbar from close range, both from Eminoglu’s crosses but he also had a headed goal disallowed, although he wasn’t the Miller pushing inside the penalty-area. Perry-Holmes had chipped a shot too high from enterprising left-back Jack Cole’s feed but later miscued a Cole centre from 3 yards out. The loose ball saw Ben Cox’s shot blocked by Kinsella but his rebound was more of a shovelled effort, which bounced harmlessly wide of the right stick.

OH, DEAR...

CAUTION FOR YOUNG...

...AND HE TAKES HIS ANGER OUT ON THE BALL...

Cole drove a decent attempt wide from 18 yards, Eminoglu’s fine free-kick clipped the crossbar but when Albutt went for goal, Wardall objected with a pair of good saves. First he tipped Albutt’s looping header over the crossbeam then he advanced to block the striker’s low shot with his legs, after Smith’s replacement Liam Derrington, who would settle to play well in defence for his team, had misjudged a clever, lofted Eminoglu pass.

HOW DOMINOES WORK...

EMINOGLU WONDERS WHY ALBUTT CAN'T SCORE...

TROUBLE FOR NORTHALL...

Sadly, Bolehall were limited to three real goal attempts before the break for the consumption of left-over Christmas cake and sour mulled wine. Following the caution for Young, Yonwin’s low free-kick from 25 yards was held onto by the goalie and then before his exile, Northall drove a 25 yard shot well wide of the right angle of crossbar and upright. Another Yonwin free-kick struck Feckenham’s defensive wall. Thus, 4-0 at the recess and another 45 minutes for the languishing Swifts to endure but half-time replacement Alex Bennett, alongside the hardy Jack Hudson and ferocious skipper Luke Pagett all played their defensive hearts out. 

...AND A RED CARD...

PAGETT ESCAPES A YELLOW...

Only one attempt at goal by the visitors after the break could be catalogued but that was a low and weak shot from downtown by Yonwin which was picked up like it was a quivering jelly by Young. Three goals were scored by the hosts of course but subsequently Albutt would dominate the offense late on as he searched in vain for a goal and Wardall continued to display a remarkable obstinacy to prevent him from netting…

FOUL ON YONWIN BUT THE FREE-KICK WOULD STRIKE THE DEFENSIVE WALL...

YONWIN: TOUGH INTRODUCTION...

HOUGHTON HAS TANGLED WITH THE HOME COACHES...

THE REF DIDN'T LIKE HOUGHTON'S NEXT FOUL...

...& BOOKS HIM...

Speedy home replacement Jack Brimmell was released by yet another Eminoglu assist but Hudson defended him well at the expense of a corner then both Brimmell and Cole drove too high from promising positions at inside-left. The bearded substitute Jamie Hatfield headed an Eminoglu corner over the target, the flying Bennett somehow blocked a low Murphy 12 yarder with his turned back, or arse and apart from completing his hat-trick, Perry-Holmes received a Connelly pass but saw his shot from distance tipped over the goal-frame by Wardall, before his free-kick flew 2 yards wide from 35 yards out. He also slipped a low shot beyond the right post from Cole’s feed and finally he slapped another effort against the foot of the right stick late in the match, the rebound being cleared away by the resilient Robinson.

CAUTION FOR THE WHOLEHEARTED DERRINGTON...

The fifth goal was scored directly from the restart after the break, when Eminoglu fastened onto the ball in midfield, as usual in too much space and his driving run took him to the right byeline from whence his low cut-back took a deflection (off the falling Wardall I reckon) and rolled kindly for Perry-Holmes to almost flick the ball upwards with the outside of his right shoe and into the very top left corner of the net.

5-0: PERRY-HOLMES...

Goal six stemmed from a slight error by Pagett and Murphy rushed forward into the left side of the 18 yard box, shrugged off a defender but shot right-footed, leaning left and the angled effort clipped Wardall as the ‘keeper advanced, before bouncing neatly into the net.

6-0: MURPHY...

MURPHY TAKES A BREAK...

The final goal was again superbly assisted by Eminoglu with a lovely pass into the penalty-box from deep, Perry-Holmes controlled it and released a rising shot out of Wardall’s reach and again, high into the left corner of the net. A hat-trick, filmed too, for prosperity…

PERRY-HOLMES HAS SCORED AGAIN & ALBUTT ASKS:
"WHERE'S THE GOAL, AGAIN?"

7-0...

The Albutt/Wardall contest? Ah, well, apart from heading over the crossbar from a corner by Eminoglu, then shooting wide of the left upright from an angle on the right, plus smacking a good chance over the left angle of post and crossbar and having another angled shot blocked by Robinson, when the striker did get shots on target, the ‘keeper denied him… First he was put through by another home replacement George Tolley but as in the first period, Wardall advanced to make a crucial save, as he did again late in the encounter…

So, Swifts were well beaten by a stronger and more creative team, despite their own efforts. Robinson, a winger, worked so hard in defence as the game wore on, so plaudits go to him, as well as Hudson, Bennett and Derrington, who was yellow-carded in the latter stages of the match. Also booked was replacement Josh Houghton and he did well to remain on the field, after getting involved in an altercation with the Feckenham manager and scuffling in an attempt to retrieve a ball, before being booked for a Cornish tackle (he arrived dreckley…) Yet a couple more naughty kicks-out were ignored by the main official. Pagett too, escaped punishment for one or two borderline challenges, although to be fair, who could blame both of them in the circumstances?

Wardall did his team proud though but with Eminoglu in rampant form, Murphy a real handful, the vociferous Jordan Adams bellowing throughout from the back, Donnelly getting two goals and throwing the ball huge distances, Perry-Holmes proving to be a real threat and Albutt all but a goalscorer, the hosts overwhelmed their guests…

And Billy Garvey didn’t get a cameo appearance, hence bringing equipment to the home dugout before the game with a fag entrenched between his lips…

Thanks for the kind welcome, Feckenham…

TEAMS:

FECKENHAM FC:

RYAN YOUNG, BEN WELSH (CAPT), JACK COLE, DAN SUTTON, JORDAN ADAMS, JAKE DONNELLY, BEN COX, UMIT EMINOGLU, JAK ALBUTT, DANNY MURPHY, CONNOR PERRY-HOLMES.

SUBS:

JAMIE HATFIELD, BILLY GARVEY, JACK BRIMMELL, GEORGE IUTWYCHE, GEORGE TOLLEY.

BOLEHALL SWIFTS:

SHANE WARDALL, LUKE PAGETT (CAPT), RYAN NORTHALL, KEEGAN BUTLER, GEORGE SMITH, JACK HUDSON, MAX ROBINSON, TOM REECE, DAVE YONWIN, HARLEY ARUNDEL, JOE KINSELLA.

SUBS:

ALEX BENNETT, LIAM DERRINGTON, JOSH HOUGHTON.