WORCESTER RAIDERS 2-2 DUDLEY SPORTS: THE MATCH REPORT...

Dudley Halted At The Death By Raiding Worcester

Worcester Raiders 2-2 Dudley Sports

Good stuff by the Raiders, for they had made the effort to get this match played by renting Malvern Town’s artificial pitch on a windy, rainy Friday evening. It so nearly backfired however, for their guests were close to snatching a 1-2 victory, largely due to the efforts of forward Will Tibbetts, once a Bromsgrove Rousler. His fine strike and then his clever assist gave Dudley the lead twice but the Raiders twice regained parity, once through Kyle Belmonte’s smart drive and then, in the final minute of the ninety a point was gained courtesy of replacement George Corbett’s close range finish in a goalmouth melee. The result was both a minor relief for Worcester and a real frustration for Dudley.

WELL THE BOOTS SHOW UP, ANYWAY...

Certainly Worcester dominated the game but despite some neat passing football with skipper Kirk Layton generally at the heart of it, their forwards simply misfired on the night and rarely troubled Sports’ goalie Ryan Pratt. Offensive moves too often broke down when visiting skipper Jamie Parker intervened, or, more importantly, when the orange boots of Dudley’s Jason Walters simply got in the way. James Baldwin, whose ball control is often dangerous, Ryan Rowe, the poacher who holds up the ball so well and Zaqib Hussain, the lively runner, weren’t able to capitalise upon Worcester’s domination of possession. However, Sports were often threatening on the break, scoring that fine opening goal through Tibbetts, who then later assisted Ronnie Hendricks to fire home from an angle. 

CAREY & HENDRICKS...

Home ‘keeper Dan Norcott’s family members asked me to say nice things about the goalkeeper, so here goes: “Nice things…” Actually, Norcott was rarely involved in the contest, making only one or two saves throughout but I wondered how awkward goaltending would be under the lights at Malvern, for there appears to be a shady area from end to end, forming the central 20% or so of the playing surface.

TIBBETTS: A GOOD JOB ON THE NIGHT...

Apart from his goal, smacked in from the right side of the penalty-box and high into the far corner of the net, Tibbetts was a livewire, even receiving a caution late in the match. Just before the interval, his 20 yard effort rose just too high in a rare Dudley foray. Some decent work on the left flank by Sports, often involving Hayden Seymour and Hendricks meant that home right-back Sam Carey was kept busy in both defence and as an overlapping threat on offense. For the Raiders, Layton shot wide from 19 yards, saw another effort deflected for a corner and a third shot from a narrow angle blocked well by Pratt’s boots. Paul Smith, later to limp off injured, miscued following a left-wing corner and nodded another set-piece into Pratt’s gloves, whilst Hussain’s only effort at goal, after moving inside from the left, rose well over the target. The interesting Belmonte’s low shot was easy for the gloveman and he didn’t really get in a proper header from Smith’s deep centre later in the half.   

2ND HALF TO GO...

Half-time arrived, the players trooped off to see if the Bingo evening was still going on in the clubroom and it seemed likely that the Raiders would be in command of the second period, if only because they would have both the wind and the rain at their backs…

Strangely though, Sports created a few chances after the recess, albeit on the break again. Ali Elkossi saw an angled effort from the left diverted by home defender Jordan Stoddart, whose sidekick Alex Marsh was well involved in the action for Worcester, often starting attacks from deep. Joe Hanson rose like a Swift (sorry, mate…) but his header deflected off a defender for a corner and Tibbetts forced Norcott to turn a 20 yard effort over the crossbeam. Joe Finch shot straight at Norcott, as did Tibbetts from a free-kick and in the latter stages, Tibbetts released Hendricks again but this time, his left-side shot was kicked clear.

DUDLEY ON OFFENSE...

The hosts struggled to force Pratt into action, in truth and began to hurry, although Layton once worried the Sports defence at the right post and then saw a looping header claimed by Pratt. Belmonte’s goal was curled in smartly from 19 yards out and centrally, his smart effort going inside the right upright. Yet Dudley subsequently benefited from some good fortune, a switched-on Tibbetts and a speedy rush by Hendricks to regain the lead against all odds. A clearance by Sports was collected near the half-way line on the right flank by Tibbetts but Belmonte poked the ball away from him and this wrong-footed Tibbetts’ marker, Stoddart, offering Tibbetts the ball back. Astutely, the forward spotted Hendricks alone on the left, for Carey had moved across to cover the centre and it was Carey’s challenge as Hendricks shot from a slight angle which appeared to lift the ball just high enough to clear the sliding, advancing Norcott’s legs and roll into the net.  

INTERESTING DIGITS ON THE DUDLEY SHIRTS...

Several crosses and set-pieces seemed magnetised to Dudley’s Walters and one clearance from a Belmonte corner was really effective. Belmonte made a fine turn at 15 yards and fired low past the left upright (it wasn’t Corbett, as I mistakenly mentioned in the commentary…) and Hussain’s low shot bounced off the foot of the left stick into Pratt’s grateful mittens. Hussain then assisted Rowe to go clear into the 18 yard box but he seemed to stretch and poke his shot which was snaffled by the encroaching Pratt. Substitute Aaron Drake lifted a chance from an angle on the left way too high, before the equaliser finally arrived. A right-side corner was cleared but a second cross was delivered and Corbett leapt for it with Hanson at the far post. The defender appeared to deflect the ball goalwards, Parker bravely dived to head the ball off the goal-line but Corbett reacted quickly to rap the loose ball into the net near the right post. 

TIBBETTS WANTS TO BLAME ANOTHER BUT GETS BOOKED ANYWAY...

There was still time for Pratt to beat away a nasty, curling left-side corner but despite several fine right-side flag-kicks, Worcester were unable breach the Dudley defences again.

AFTER TIBBETTS SCORED...

Plaudits must go to the Dudley defence, to their hardworking midfielders, with Tom Watkins usually looking to pick a smart pass and also to the running and movement of forwards Tibbetts, Hendricks and central striker Jake Brigdale. 

Dan Flowers was a real presence on the Raiders’ left side, overlapping with gusto but in fairness the forwards didn’t make enough of the pressure exerted upon Sports’ defence. Layton was durable, but Baldwin and Hussain were possibly too quiet, leaving Rowe foraging for morsels himself too often. 

So few efforts at goal by the three home forwards really told the story… 

TEAMS:

WORCESTER RAIDERS:

DAN NORCOTT, SAM CAREY, DAN FLOWERS, ALEX MARSH, JORDAN STODDART, PAUL SMITH, ZAQIB HUSSAIN, KIRK LAYTON (CAPT), RYAN ROWE, KYLE BELMONTE, JAMES BALDWIN.

SUBS:

AARON DRAKE, GEORGE CORBETT, LUKE MOLLOY, JOSH FARNSWORTH, ANTHONY SMITH.

DUDLEY SPORTS:

RYAN PRATT, JOE HANSON, HAYDEN SEYMOUR, JAMIE PARKER (CAPT), JASON WALTERS, ALI ELKOSSI, JOE FINCH, TOM WALTERS, JAKE BRIGDALE, WILL TIBBETTS, RONNIE HENDRICKS.

SUBS:

JAMARLEY ROUSE, KYLE BRAMLEY, LEWIS QUICK, RYAN MATTISS, JACK WOOLDRIDGE.