NEWENT TOWN 2-2 UPTON TOWN: THE MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

 Plaudits Go To The Glovemen As The Towns End In Parity

Newent Town 2-2 Upton Town

Having played in goals between 5-a-side sticks at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre on a regular basis some years ago, I was pleased to see the two ‘keepers in this game excel themselves with some fine reactive saves. Alex Goode prevented his team from losing the match with a pair of stunning saves late on, whilst Upton’s Leyton Joyce had prevented his team from going more than two goals behind, before the guests fought back from a half-time deficit. Both goalies were so close to denying their opponents goals from spot-kicks too and it is surely important to give due where it was deserved on a sunny, breezy afternoon in Newent.

GOODE TAKES A BITE FROM THE REFEREE'S THIGH...

The hosts enjoyed the better of the opening period, without doubt, although there were signs that the guests were getting into the proceedings more as the half wore on with Newent a pair of goals to the good. Subsequently, although home striker Jordan Cooper was denied by a deflection, an upright, a block and a fine Joyce save after the recess, Upton’s second period showing earned them parity and very nearly an unlikely victory, with much of that improvement stemming from stern words barked during the break by Simon Craddock. The introduction of Zaq Hussain was a real boost too, for his persistence and pace really disturbed the home defenders, although Goode’s best two saves were probably from Max Le Poidevin’s 24 yard strike and Craddock’s 2 yard header from a corner.

COOPER PREPARES TO KICK OFF...

Individuals such as Alex Allard, Cooper, Morgan Davies and Zac Blood were usually prominent for Newent, whilst the Shemwells (Jack and Ryan), skipper Ali Neale, Max Ferriday and certainly as the match wore on, Jaber Ahmed, looked particularly effective for Upton. Home defender Kerry Hale offered Ryan Shemwell some physical attention especially during the opening period and surely in a league match, he would not have received such leniency from a referee… 

NEALE: "FEAR NOT, COMRADE, I'M HERE TO KICK ASS FOR YOU..."

GOODE: ONE OF TWO GOOD 'KEEPERS ON VIEW AT NEWENT...

Words spoken during the interval between the Upton squad members lounging on the grass near me, concerned the work ethic of midfielders getting back to support the defence but from a neutral’s view, truthfully so little offense had been created by the guests prior to the break. A loose shot and header by the terribly isolated George Brand and also a back-header by central defender Max Le Poidevin were all the visitors could muster and all of those attempts had drifted off target. The hosts however had looked lively from the start of the encounter and soon took the lead, when a right-side free-kick by Blood was lunged for by Pat Gibbs’s head, just a yard or so out near the far post, like he was imitating a shoebill stork belly-flopping into an African pond to secure an unsuspecting lungfish… The ball flashed past Joyce for a good finish.

GIBBS (10) HAS OPENED THE SCORING...

Joyce raced from goal four times, to deny Cooper twice and Gibbs twice during the opening 45. He also dived low to his left to turn the ball round the base of his left stick when the always available and effective home midfielder Alex Allard steered a low shot goalwards. Soon though, Jack Shemwell’s arm was struck by the ball when it was crossed from a few yards away and the referee awarded a spot-kick to Newent which Tyler Weir took. His low shot was saved on the goal-line however, as Joyce dropped to his left, only for the ball to roll back into Weir’s path, whereby he lashed it high into the net from a yard or so.

2-0, COURTESY OF WEIR...

The keen but impressive home number 3 Morgan Davies really did play smartly during the opening period, although his two shots let him down somewhat. One went well over the target and the other was wasted too high, after Joyce had raced from goal to smother the ball from Gibbs’ possession. Joyce did well to flounder and punch a dangerous Blood corner away at his near post and Blood struck a free-kick disappointingly too high. The creative midfielder also shot wide after being pulled back by the hand of Neale and maybe the referee ought to have called that one back for the free-kick, for Blood’s blood was up and his balance had been affected by his stumble…

RYAN SHEMWELL REALISES THAT HE SHOULDN'T HAVE EATEN THAT CURRY LAST NIGHT...

NEALE THREATENS TO YANK HIS SHORTS DOWN IF COOPER DOESN'T GET UP...
COOPER GETS UP.

After the interval, things changed considerably with Hussain’s introduction, although in fairness to Newent, their substitutions affected their schemes of play rather more significantly. Cooper though soon latched onto a Davies pass at inside-left and lifted the ball over the advancing Joyce but it bounced against the outside of the near post, so that the central striker would begin to rue his second period fortune. A one-two with a colleague enabled him to curl an effort well wide of the left upright, his next move inside from the right ended with a good curling effort, which the gymnastic Joyce turned over the crossbeam, then after latching onto a pass by replacement Finn Brown, Cooper looked to lob Joyce but a superb intervention by Craddock prevented a goal at the expense of a corner. A later Cooper free-kick from 21 yards would be blocked…

STROLLING ON A SUMMER'S AFTERNOON...

The only other home goal attempts came from Shaun Stanley’s far post header, off target and a shot across the face of goal but only just wide as time ran out by Luke Hawkins, who had been rather lively after moving into midfield as the game had worn on, although in truth his other shot had been wildly off target.   

HUSSAIN TO RYAN SHEMWELL: "I'M SO GOOD, I CAN PASS THIS WITH MY EYES SHUT..."
SHEMWELL: "YEAH, RIGHT..."

MONSIEUR LE POIDEVIN LÈVE QUATRE DOIGTS... 

However, the visitors really had shown an improvement during the second-half and with Jaber Ahmed finding more space to become more effective and Hussain’s runs between the three home defenders causing some consternation for Newent, Goode was suddenly forced into evasive action in the home goal. He parried a hard Hussain drive from inside-right but the visitors pulled a goal back when Ryan Shemwell passed sensibly across the 18 yard box from right to left. The trio of home defenders had contracted though, with Rich Prictor having being dragged inside, which left Ferriday unmarked, with no midfielder having tracked back. The forward took his chance really well from 8 yards or so, his low right-footer beating the exposed Goode at the far post.

2-1: GOAL FOR FERRIDAY...

Hussain broke through again, seemingly ONside, although the lines-person on the far side flagged for OFFside and it’s a good job Goode saved the striker’s shot as he advanced, for a disallowed goal then would have been a sickener for Upton, given the evidence. From the ever more influential Neale’s pass, Hussain drove just too high and then shot wide when he had passing options to left and right but really, the visitors were looking increasingly dangerous. When Hussain was grabbed at by home defender Rich Prictor, a penalty was awarded to Upton and Jack Shemwell struck his left-booted spot-kick up towards the left corner of the goal but Goode guessed the direction and although his right glove reached the shot, he was unable to prevent a goal.

JACK SHEMWELL'S PENALTY HAS MADE IT 2-2...

Having moved into midfield, Le Poidevin sent in a fine effort from 24 yards but Goode leapt high to turn the ball away for a corner and from a right-side Jack Shemwell flag-kick, really shoddy marking left Craddock free to surely put his team 2-3 ahead and his close-range header was true, but Goode reacted brilliantly to glove the effort over the target. Just before Hawkins almost won the game for the hosts, Goode had prevented Upton’s substitute Charlie Cotterill from doing a similar thing for his team, when he pounced down at his foe’s feet to stifle a close-range attempt.

"COME ON, MAN, IT'S THE LAST DANCE..."

So, the match ended not as a typical pre-season fade-out but as a rather exciting shoot-out in which both teams might have taken a victory that in truth would have been cruel on the defeated troop. 

Thanks to both clubs for providing details of their players’ names and numbers and to Newent once again for the kind welcome…

But I will remember this match mainly for two fine goalkeeping performances…

It’s what I do… 

SQUADS:

NEWENT TOWN:

Alex Goode (Capt), Luke Hawkins, Morgan Davies, Rich Prictor, Kerry Hale, Shaun Stanley, Zac Blood, Alex Allard, Jordan Cooper, Pat Gibbs, Tyler Weir, Luke Griffiths, Finn Brown, Josh Higgs, Alex Whiff, Harrison Jones.

UPTON TOWN:

Leyton Joyce, Joe Stanley, Jack Shemwell, Matt Hindmarsh, Simon Craddock, Max Le Poidevin, Ali Neale (Capt), Jaber Ahmed, Ryan Shemwell, George Brand, Max Ferriday, Charlie Cotterill, Zaq Hussain, Sahil Ahmed, Noah Martin, Ethan Inett.