COVENTRY COLLIERY 1-0 CENTRAL AJAX: THE MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

 Single Dean Goal Enough For Lively Colliers

Coventry Colliery 1-0 Central Ajax

This was a keenly fought match which was largely affected by the performance of Colliers’ skipper Callum Regan, whose strength in possession, short passing and incisive tackling brought his performance to the notice of the few socially-distanced folks dotted around the Hawkes Mill Lane ground like a smack in the face. He also fired two excellent drives at the Ajax goal from downtown, both missing by not much at all and when his defensive prowess was needed as Ajax, through returning replacement Tom Daniels, began to exert some late pressure, the skipper was as stubborn as the squirrel in my garden which will not leave the bird feeders alone.

LOOKS LIKE BOTH SKIPPERS HAVE TOLD THE REF THAT THEY DON'T LIKE HIM MUCH...

A single first period goal won this pre-season match, netted by Liam Dean, a left-sided attacker, who was also denied three times by visiting gloveman Chris Rowberry. All four efforts at goal were from the inside-left slot; one was turned away to his left by the leaping goalie, one was stopped by Rowberry’s legs as he advanced and another was saved by the 'keeper plunging down to his right. The winning strike however was an effort hit under pressure by Dean and although the partially advanced Rowberry appeared to get two gloves to the ball, leaning left, he was unable to keep hold of it. The ball then rolled towards the right post as the custodian scrambled back in an attempt to grasp the naughty ball, but in vain…  

CELEBRATING THE ONLY GOAL...

From the very beginning of this encounter, biting challenges, unending presses and an evident level of fitness displayed by the Colliers forced Ajax into a battle from which they found it tough to shake free and they were limited to few real opportunities, rarely testing home goalie Karl Roach. Chances did fall to midfielder Matt Layton however but after shooting at Roach from 24 yards, he then headed high and wide from a great position at the right stick as left-back Harry Edgington-Furlong’s centre dropped invitingly. Reece Homer’s back-heel into Edgington-Furlong’s path had been startlingly good, however. Finally though, the guests so nearly scored, courtesy of Collier Kyle Walker (the Kyle Walker who won on the day that Manchester City blew their Champions League quarter-final). Layton’s left-side free-kick glanced off Walker’s head and rapped the right upright. Ajax’s best shots were by Jared Randall, who saw one blocked by Regan, unsurprisingly and then Roach tipped over a rasping effort from the midfielder before the recess.

GREEN-SHOES REGAN WAS A FEATURE OF THE GAME...

AJAX HAVE BEEN AMUSED BY SOMETHING.
THEY WEREN'T TOO HAPPY BY THE END, THOUGH...

The hard-working Jordan Lewis in the Ajax attack was always going to find Walker and fellow giant Rob Campbell difficult to get past, with so little creativity coming from the visitors’ midfield but he did fall inside the penalty-box on one occasion. However, the referee, who arrived four minutes before the match was due to begin, certainly wasn’t one for getting into any kind of controversy, for several tackles looked on the wilder side of effective from the sidelines during the contest, too. And I was standing some metres away from a spectating referee…  Enough said…  

LEWIS THOUGHT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARDED A PENALTY...

Homer was subsequently hurt in a 50/50 challenge which was a loss for Ajax, due to his chirpy play but replacement Allesandro Thomas was soon unable to scramble the ball into goal during a melee when Roach couldn’t gather a right-flank corner. Brave blocks by Campbell, Roach and Blake Arthur saved that situation for the hosts. 

CALUM THOMAS: REALLY DECENT PERFORMANCE FOR AJAX...

Colliery were a threat aerially, both from the height of Walker and Campbell and from a few huge throw-ins they implemented. Indeed, Walker nodded one attempt straight to Rowberry and another off target but the interesting Sam Blasdale, often the go-to and largely unmarked central midfielder, fired his one drive well over the target. Two superb blocks had been administered by Ajax’s wholly committed Calum Thomas and he really gave his all for the club during this contest.

ARTHUR & REGAN: VERY EFFECTIVE FOR THE COLLIERS...

After the break, substitutions were always going to affect the shapes of the teams but in truth Colliery’s speed into the tackle, their harassment of opponents and their better offense remained and thus ultimately, they deserved the victory. A couple of Keiran Downey efforts for Ajax, a header wide and a long shot off target, plus two wasted drives by Allesandro Thomas, after cutting inside from the left, were all the visitors had mustered until Daniels arrived, like a sip of brandy for the unwell.

AWAITING THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND PERIOD...

He won a corner, delivered a falling shot when the flag-kick arrived at the near stick which was cleared, then drove just too high and then a couple of metres wide as the latter stages saw the hosts drop back more and play on the counter-attack.

This they did well enough, with Blasdale, the impish and invaluable Sean McDonough and Luke Hand (surely not Cool Hand Luke?) all shooting off target during the half, whilst Matt Watson, whose overall forward play had been extremely positive (earlier assisting for Dean’s goal) also drove too high, before somehow skewing a quick chance past the right stick, following a shot by McDonough.

DYKE (6) MARSHALLS THE TWO COLLIERY STRIKERS, WATSON & MCDONOUGH...

Ajax replacement Mike Jefferson intercepted a right-flank centre in front of his own net and was relieved that the ball didn’t fly past Rowberry but the final action saw another Collier replacement Liam Cawley smack a fine shot against the face of the Ajax crossbar.

All in all then, Regan, the punishing tackling of Arthur, the rushes of full-back Ant Allen, the central defenders, the occasional fine passing of Blasdale, the movement of McDonough and Watson, and the threat of Dean all added up to a decent performance by the Colliers.

REGAN: "WHAT? ME, COMMIT A FOUL? NAH, IT WAS THE GRASS THAT FOULED HIM REF, NOT MY BOOTS..."

Craig Robins and Edgington-Furlong were strong for Ajax and made some fast forward rushes to supplement an often ailing midfield, Calum Thomas was continually lively though and James Pedley worked hard but for little reward in attack, rather like Lewis. The centre of defence was unable to settle however and that was surely due to the aggression and evasive qualities of the Coventry offense…  

Regan though, was impressive…

SQUADS:

COVENTRY COLLIERY:

Karl Roach, Blake Arthur, Ant Allen, Kyle Walker, Rob Campbell, Sam Blasdale, Luke Hand, Callum Regan (Capt), Sean McDonough, Matt Watson, Liam Dean, Arron Hope, Luke Sanders, Liam Cawley, Shane Brassington.

CENTRAL AJAX:

Chris Rowberry, Craig Robins, Harry Edgington-Furlong, Calum Thomas, Keiran Downey, Tom Dyke (Capt), Matt Layton, Jared Randall, Jordan Lewis, James Pedley, Reece Homer, Mike Jefferson, Tom Daniels, Allesandro Thomas, Manny Auto, Rich Layton.