STUDLEY 4-2 HINCKLEY AFC: THE MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

 Bees Benefit From Knitters’ Dropped Stitches…

Studley 4-2 Hinckley AFC

So I arrived at Studley’s upgraded Beehive at 6.55pm but naturally, due to the parking of parents’ vehicles, loitering in the lot, awaiting the release of their kids from soccer training, there was nowhere to park my car, even on Abbeyfields Drive. So, I drove away, through Studley, past Coughton Court and almost into Alcester, before returning at 7.15 and thus easily finding a parking space… The welcome inside the ground was good, as always and my name had been left at the entrance, for which I thank Richard Briggs… 

Luckily, I was able to position myself amongst weeds and undergrowth between the two dugouts to film from, although night-time videoing is tough in the lighting used by Step 5 and Step 6 teams. I just hope the players can make out enough of the action on the highlights movie… 

READY TO GO...

The game was error strewn, boisterous, often fast, usually scrappy and contained a lot of long kicking, especially by home ‘keeper Charlie Bannister, whose left boot must be in tatters… He would be hurt during the second period and replaced by Conor McCarthy, although the physio’ had just returned to the home dugout with news that he had said he was OK to carry on! However, opposite number Billy Spink would probably not wish to remember this encounter at all…

THREE OF THE SCORERS: NOKE, ASHBY & DAVE EDWARDS...

Indeed, neither goalie was particularly tested and forced to make tough saves, although one block by Bannister from lively Knitters’ winger Kai Gibbs was pretty decent. There seemed no way this game would yield six goals when half-time arrived with a goal apiece, with Studley’s coaches sounding totally frustrated and Hinckley’s staff members appearing to be more satisfied. Subsequently however, errors handed Studley the victory, as Hinckley’s coaches sounded bloody annoyed and Studley’s staff members smilingly accepted the unseasonal gifts. Indeed, some nasty verbal exchanges between the coaches, with me standing socially distanced between them all, suggested that at some point I would have to intervene, like an ex-PE teacher should. I didn’t though…

SEAN COOKE: ON THE SCORESHEET...

Anyway, my position on the sideline was shifted several times to my left because one of the Studley entourage regularly shifted, er, to his left, forcing me towards the Hinckley dugout in order to see one of the goal-frames. Whatever happened to ‘technical areas’?  

DALE EDWARDS: GOOD SECOND PERIOD...

The early goal by Chris Lloyd for the guests, finding a route into the penalty-box and inside-left and slipping the ball past Bannister, was simply not capitalised upon by Hinckley, despite the dominance of midfielder Dan Hoskins (wearing 12) and the efforts of skipper Ben Ashby. Although home defender Dan Noke had headed a Dale Edwards corner too high, although a free-kick had been awarded to Hinckley anyway, little was seen of the home attack, in which Mark Magee was nevertheless tireless, for Dale Edwards was being tightly managed by Knitters Callum Witherington and often winger Rheiss McLean too. Lloyd then nearly netted from Callum Martin’s left-side centre and he later fired three warning shots for Bannister to collect.

THE REFEREE SUGGESTS SOME LINE-DANCING...

The visitors’ only other real goal attempts before the break were by Hoskins, whose first attempt was rather messily knocked away for a corner by the ‘keeper and his other two efforts were comfortably held low down by Bannister, the second of which had taken a slight deflection. The hosts finally began to threaten when Spink headed the ball clear from the edge of his 18 yard box but he was helpless and stranded when Magee’s shot from inside-right apparently struck Hinckley defender Oli Bradshaw near the right stick. Magee and Dale Edwards then saw shots blocked, with the third effort by the busy and often effective home midfielder Jordan Jones drifting wide of the left stick from 18 yards.

HOW NOT QUITE TO TOUCH YOUR TOES, BY DALE EDWARDS...

The equaliser was seemingly in slow-motion, for after two or three Dale Edwards corners had come to nought, his next right-flank delivery was met by Noke, who benefitted from losing marker Ashby and also that the ball had beaten Hoskins’ jump. Noke’s looped header seemed to take ages to drop and when it did, it was unclear for a moment where it had fallen… Over Spink’s desperate leap and into the Knitters’ net, that’s where… 

So, the interval arrived for a hot mug of Bovril to drink and sticks of celery to munch on for the players and in such a tight and untidy contest upon a surface which yielded some ankle-wrenching lined ruts in places, it was certainly difficult to predict a winner…

THE INJURED BANNISTER...

Following an early Studley left-side flag-kick, the ball was hacked by Magee goalwards, as the Hinckley defence panicked like they couldn’t find their gas masks in their Anderson shelter but the ball went out of play. However, soon after this scramble, a low left-booted centre by the remarkably livelier Dale Edwards, was allowed to roll across the goalmouth untouched until Sean Cooke decided to shove it over the goal-line, untethered by any marker… So, 2-1 to the hosts and perhaps more goals might indeed follow? Surely not…

ASHBY (10) PONDERS A FREE-KICK...

A brilliant jinking run through the centre saw Gibbs sure to regain parity for the visitors but Bannister raced from his goal-line to make an important and good save. Dale Edwards drove in a shot from inside-right for Studley, which Spink patted down but then visiting defender Bradshaw passed to Spink for a regular kick upfield but the gloveman totally miscued and sliced the ball sideways to his right and there was Bees’ replacement Chris Cowley to spot the mistake, fasten onto the loose ball and convert with no hassle at all… 3-1 to the hosts, then maybe even more goals would follow? No, surely not…

COWLEY, AFTER SCORING GOAL 3 FOR STUDLEY...

Gibbs sliced a shot well off target as the visitors responded, before a right-wing centre bounced wide off the same player. Dale Edwards was then cautioned in a bizarre incident, possibly for time wasting at an offensive throw, after which Hinckley appeared to awarded the throw instead… Hmm…

Bannister had left the pitch and for the guests, Tom Weale (wearing 8) had joined the fray and it was his measured pass towards the Studley 18 yard line which caused the hosts to concede a goal. McCarthy advanced to kick the ball clear but Ashby was quicker, so that he sneakily knocked the ball left and past the embarrassed goalie, then passed the ball into the net from an angle. Game on? More goals? Nah…

HOSKINS PREPARES TO TAKE A FREE-KICK...

Immediately, a right-side centre by Studley was reached for by Spink, unchallenged but he was unable to connect with the ball at all, which resulted in a melee at the left post, out of which Dave Edwards, the Studley skipper lashed a close range drive into the net via the underside of the crossbar. He was joyful, his fan club wanted a dance and he obliged with a Midland version of a Scottish fling on the half-way line… Rich Briggs wasn’t too impressed, I don’t think. OMG, another goal…  

WEALE (8) MADE A BIT OF A DIFFERENCE FOR HINCKLEY...

So, with Ashby berating his team’s inability to defend, in ‘conversation’ with his coaches, Hinckley had dropped another clanger, er, stitch… It remained only for home workhorse Max Loveridge to fire just too high from downtown and for Tom Weale’s 30 yard free-kick for AFC to be smothered at his right post by McCarthy and finally we could return home for toast and marmalade. (I did, too…)

WEALE'S FREE-KICK WOULD BE SAVED BY MCCARTHY...

The latter stages of the match were bitty, interrupted by delays because of injuries or substitutions, leaving little scope for pattern or in truth a Hinckley comeback, but in the end the team which made fewer errors claimed the three points…

Now, what was it with the name Edwards? Dale and Dave have already been mentioned for Studley but they also fielded a busy midfield Edwards called Matt, whilst the industrious Jack Edwards was in the Hinckley line-up… The Knitters have another Edwards, Luke on their roster too… Great for the commentator…

DALE EDWARDS IS CAUTIONED...

All four full-backs worked hard, Witherington and Martin for the guests and Tom Fishwick and Joel Caines for the hosts, whilst Ben Whitehead supported Bradshaw in central defence for Hinckley with some success. Lloyd was a livewire for the visitors, as was Gibbs at times, Ashby was effective and Hoskins always prominent, whilst for Studley, Noke, Jones and Magee showed up fairly well on occasions. However, Dale Edwards’ runs during the second period were really important for Studley and he might just have been the catalyst for the victory, notwithstanding the glaring mistakes made in the Hinckley defence…

LOVERIDGE & MAGEE...

Boris Johnson said on this very day: ‘A stitch in time, saves nine…” Hinckley’s ‘Knitters’ dropped too many though and were unable to save themselves…

TEAMS:

STUDLEY:

CHARLIE BANNISTER, TOM FISHWICK, JOEL CAINES, DAN NOKE, DAVE EDWARDS (CAPT), MAX LOVERIDGE, MATT EDWARDS, JORDAN JONES, MARK MAGEE, SEAN COOKE, DALE EDWARDS.

SUBS:

CHRIS COWLEY, DANIEL CARTER, HARVEY NEATH, CONOR MCCARTHY, SIMON FITTER.

HINCKLEY AFC:

BILLY SPINK, CALLUM WITHERINGTON. CALLUM MARTIN, JACK EDWARDS, OLI BRADSHAW, BEN WHITEHEAD, RHEISS MCLEAN, DAN HOSKINS, CHRIS LLOYD, BEN ASHBY, KAI GIBBS.

SUBS:

TOM WEALE, SCOTT SMITH, BEN KENDRICK, REECE GILES, ISAAC COOPER.