FLASHBACK TO 2016: ALVECHURCH 1-2 HEREFORD FC...

Noisy Crowd Becomes Bulls’ 12th Man, As Sick As Parrots ‘Church Suffer Bad Day At the Office In A Funny Old Game…

Alvechurch 1-2 Hereford FC

As I hate football clichés so much, I decided to include as many as I could recall in my report of this really important, all-ticket clash at Lye Meadow. Hereford deserved to win the encounter for their first 70 minutes of effort, when they really put a shift in, during which they found that goals really do win games. 

IT GOT NOISY HEREABOUTS...

Early doors, the guests looked more comfortable, anchored by the tireless and excellent Rob Purdie in midfield, but striker Mike Symons simply led the attacking line like a stalwart and this allowed wide-men Sirdic Grant and Sierra Leone’s Mustapha Bundu room to work the ball wide, both of whom enjoyed fine tussles with ‘Church’s Zack Foster and Chris Field respectively. Neither Bull was on the scoresheet but threaten they did. Purdie’s goal lit up the opening period during which the furious ‘Church coaching staff became frustrated at their players’ seeming inability to avoid delivering long balls at mesomorphic forward Jordan Nadat and an exasperated bellow was heard: “Pass the f……’ thing…” 

HOW I REACHED THE ROOF...

THE, ER, BOX...

LONG WAY DOWN...

A second goal from a corner seemingly saw Hereford safe but a 71st minute goal by home substitute Danny Ashton meant that the tide had turned but despite some domination, ‘Church couldn’t buy a goal to regain parity. Even a disputed penalty (I’ve seen them given…) won by Nadat’s low centre of gravity and subsequently saved superbly by Martin Horsell, would not shift the Bulls. 

FILLING UP...

Spectators timed their fighting to perfection, for ‘Church were on a roll, had moved up a gear and Hereford had their backs to the wall but the game was understandably stopped for a while by referee Kevin Carroll, allowing the visitors some respite of course and the hosts were unable to regain that streak of ascendancy they had acquired. Metal barriers were hurled upwards like they were cabers being tossed at the Highland Games, beer fizzed into the darkening sky, assailants assailed and confrontations were confrontational. A few policemen moved across eventually but they were surely unwilling to get physical at that time of night. A crunch game, a big crowd, a drummer drumming, the presence of an ex-league club, which is a household name, at a smaller venue with beer flowing and I guess it was no surprise that tempers thus became frayed…

FINE SKY...

READY TO GO...

JORDAN NADAT MEETS THE BODGING...

The pitch had taken some heavy showers of rain during the day and before kick-off, and the evidence was there for all to see, with a brook glistening along the touchline on the dugout-side of the sloping surface. Home ’keeper Paul Evans demonstrated the down side of the surface when an early left-flank cross by Hereford’s skipper Joel Edwards was glanced across the goal-face by Symons, not a household name but with good feet for a big man, forcing Evans to run left and slide onto the ball. Only he kept sliding… He was forced to release the ball as he slid out of the penalty-box, a real heads-up reaction, then stood quickly, side-footed the ball back inside the rectangle and picked it up. “Phew…” he thought. Well, maybe he thought: “F… me…”

ATMOSPHERIC...

The opening goal, when it came, arrived courtesy of a poor touch, the intervention of the slippery surface and a fine, astute finish by a quality footballer. Evans raced out of goal to harry Hereford’s Pablo Haysham, whose final touch had been as loose as the ladder I’d climbed up to the roof upon and once again Evans slid well to save but the ball bounced off his torso and flew out to Purdie, lurking, as ever, some 30 yards from goal and his precise clipped shot was unerring, as the spectating Bulls behind the net boomed their approval.

PURDIE HAS SCORED: 0-1...

Hereford would have been really pleased by the opening period, they’d set out their stall, they’d found acres of space in the trenches and also on the right through right-back Jimmy Oates. They had moved up a gear whenever possible and they had seemingly wanted it more. ‘Church had perhaps assumed the role of underdog, their half had become pear-shaped, they had almost lost the plot and needed to pull something out of the bag… The queues formed at the beer gazebo, I remained on the sodden roof, Coventry United were drawing 1-1 with Nuneaton Griff in the League 1 third v second clash and Steve Burr had been sacked as Chester manager. He’s family, so I wasn’t pleased…

The Bulls gained a right-wing corner during the second-half and scored from it. The delivery was sound by Purdie, Oates got behind James Spray, fell to head the ball downwards inside the 6 yard box and as it bounced, Haysham, back to goal, also fell but he overhead-kicked an effort through a crowd of players and into the net. Simples…

0-2: HAYSHAM WITH THE GOAL...

Following substitutions, Nadat’s fight and Spray’s persistence saw the ball fall to the loosely marked Ashton, right side of the penalty-area and from an angle, he shot off and beyond Horsell into the far corner of the net to reduce the arrears. Not a worldie but a life-saver for ‘Church and a wake up call for the Bulls.

ASHTON HAS SCORED FOR 1-2...

No clean sheet for the Bulls then, a collector’s item for Ashton, so ‘Church would surely throw the kitchen sink at FC, who must have feared a late backlash. A smashed clearance by a Hereford defender struck the roof of the platform I was standing on and ricocheted at a guy’s beer container, which was torn from his grasp and the liquid soaked his clothing. Brilliant accuracy on the clearance, brilliant humour displayed by the drinker…

And then the game erupted… Nadat turned inside the penalty-box, all arms and physicality and he quickly fell, the referee didn’t really signal at first but I believe his assistant saw a foul and a penalty was awarded to ‘Church. Red mist descended, a bullish ‘fan’ even entered the field of play, there was a ‘discussion’ but eventually, Nadat lined up his spot-kick confidently. He struck the ball hard and low to Horsell’s right but the ‘keeper was quick and dived to make a fine save. The crowd spilled over the rail onto the back of the net, things appeared to be getting slightly out of control but with Alvechurch on top for the first time in the game, emotions were badly fraught. Thus with FC suffering squeaky bum time, giving 110% with their backs to the wall, the interruption came at the perfect time to calm things down for them.

'KEEPER HORSELL PREPARES...

...NADAT FIRES THE PENALTY...

...BUT HORSELL'S LEGS DO THE REST...

The fight was sad to see. The majority of spectators at the game were decent people. Those who became embroiled in the nastiness will no doubt escape punishment, however. That is also sad…

Not a classic, not top drawer, not Roy of the Rovers stuff, not end to end, not even a game of two halves, but a rousing, exciting competition, which was won by the more accomplished team.

Purdie’s sumptuous goal, finishing with aplomb and the eventual victory had left his colleagues and fans over the moon in this David v Goliath contest and their critics had been silenced. They hadn’t shipped goals but had won a match they had controlled for 70 minutes, finally by the skin of their teeth. Alvechurch hadn’t played in triangles or diamonds, were a little square at the back at times but with the Bulls circling for the kill, they had been reduced to linear boots forward for much of the game, until Ashton employed the right side of the 18 yard rectangle. Luke Paskin was cautioned near the end, taking one for the team (I hate that phrase) but with other similar offences not yellow-carded, perhaps Mr Carroll thought they were all six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Purdie and Symons were so good for the guests, the full-backs strong and the ‘keeper superb on the night but there will be disappointment for the hosts, whose central defence looked uncomfortable all evening, for despite their late vein of form, their only course now is to take each game as it comes…

I climbed down the shaky ladder with care then drove home for a pee and a strong mug of tea. 

It’s what I do, you see… 

TEAMS:

ALVECHURCH:

Paul Evans, Chris Field, Zack Foster, Dave Bellis (Capt), Andrew Parsons, Luke Paskin, Ryan Winwood, Sam Williams, Jordan Nadat, James Spray, Jack Cresswell.

SUBS:

Mark Smith, Nathan Waite, Nick WRight, Danny Ashton, Matt Sargeant (gk).

HEREFORD FC:

Martin Horsell, Jimmy Oates, Joel Edwards (Capt), Rob Purdie, Ryan Green, Nathan Summers, Mustapha Bundu, Aaron Birch, Sirdic Grant, Pablo Haysham, Mike Symons.

SUBS:

Jamie Laird, Dylan Bonella, Anthony Robbins, Joe Tumelty, John Mills.