STOURPORT SWIFTS 2-0 BOLDMERE ST MICHAELS: THE MATCH REPORT & RARE IMAGES...

 Mikes Unable To Ground Swifts, As The Officials Take Centre Stage…

Stourport Swifts 2-0 Boldmere St Michaels

Leaving Walshes Meadow, there was a frown on my face and certainly a feeling of distastefulness about the contest I’d just witnessed. Some ugly play by both teams on occasions, some nasty audibles by the young Stourport ‘supporters’ behind one goal but especially some rather obtuse officiating by the referee in particular, all combined to leave that bitterness in my mind. Tempers became frayed between players as the game moved beyond half-time and two awful challenges, one by each team, plus a playground fracas were mismanaged by the main official, who cautioned, er, nobody at all. He also awarded Swifts a corner when his assistant appeared to be flagging for a foul by a Mikes defender (which would have been a penalty) and then confirmed the flag-kick after speaking to the linesman concerned. This was symptomatic of how the game was managed and frustrations, anger and a total lack of respect for the referee worsened as the cold riverside evening continued.

SAFELY DISTANCED TOSSING...

However, there was one brilliant moment, after Swifts’ Martin Slevin, never a shrinking violet, had rammed past two opponents, shaking them off like unpleasant insects and then made a fine pass. A Mikes’ defender bellowed: 

“5 foot 4 & he bullied ya…” We liked that.

"HANDS ON HIPS..."
"NO, YOUR HIPS, NOT YOUR HEAD..."

Despite all their waspish rushing and neat forward passing, the Boldmere forwards, Owen Parry, Stuart Hendrie, Kyle Byrne and the quick-footed Danny O’Sullivan, still seemed to lack some threat and in truth, a more physical striker might just have benefited from their wily efforts. Swifts, in contrast, employed three lean and taller forwards, Nick MacPherson, Jack Watts and Drew Canavan, although to be fair, they weren’t able to affect the opening period much. The opening goal, a header (I’m told a rare occurrence…) by Canavan, courtesy of a slight goalkeeping misjudgement, was a shock for the Mikes whose approach had been more offensive than their hosts during the first-half.

"I THOUGHT IT WAS A FOUL BUT CLEARLY YOU KNOW BETTER..."

A goal at the start of the second period affected the visitors negatively it appeared but despite some industry, they rarely threatened home ‘keeper Dom Richards whose handling of high crosses was exemplary on the night. The spectacular moments from the game saw a fine goal-line clearance by Swifts’ Jim Hanson, a shot against a post by Canavan, a fine save by Mikes’ gloveman Adam Whitehouse and an effort against the guests’ crossbar by MacPherson although it was unclear whether the ball had struck his head, shoulder, or arm and Mr Angry, Boldmere’s Mitch Tolley, was apoplectic in his complaints towards the totally unconcerned officials. No change there, then…

"THAT'S IT, HANDS ON HIPS... WELL DONE LADS!"

The hosts did make some chances before the recess when MacPherson nudged a near post effort against the sprawling Whitehouse from Watts’ assist but the striker wasted another chance when he shot wildly too high from 15 yards, left-footed, when a loose ball broke to him. Watts curled a delivery off target, flicked a near post header well awry, shot into the side-netting and had another drive deflected for a corner. Skipper Ryan Wollacott fired well wide and Slevin, falling drunkenly like he’d had one beer too many, hooked a tough chance wide in a goalmouth scramble but the goal, when it arrived, was as surprising as it was unexpected.

TOO LATE FOR HANDS ON HIPS, MR CANAVAN...

A deep left-flank centre by James Hill drifted towards the far stick but Whitehouse was unable to get to it, merely snatching at cold River Severn air and thus the self-isolated, sorry, unmarked Canavan couldn’t miss with a controlled header.

CANAVAN CHEERS UP THE CHOIR BEHIND THE GOAL...

For Boldmere, Hendrie had shot low and wide once, then had knocked a shot to Richards following a long throw and later in the half he curled a shot wide of the right post. The fleet-footed O’Sullivan saw one free-kick shot strike Slev the Assassin and another rise too high although he also had a shot blocked by Wollacott and went even closer when a smart assist by Parry freed him at inside-left. Although his clipped effort beat the advancing Richards, home left-back Jim Hanson slid across to clear the ball from his goal-line like a snow-plough clearing away a blizzard on the M5…

LINDSEY IS LEFT IN PAIN...

However, Pedro Lima wasted probably the best other opportunity when his skipper Jay Denny nudged on a right-side flag-kick, only for the defender to crash his 8 yard left-booter over the target. 

The interval arrived for distanced tea and isolated biscuits but so soon after the restart, Hill went in late on Mikes’ Brad Lindsey, a challenge which really upset visiting players and staff alike. Tolley was incensed and demanded to know whether the nearby linesman had seen the incident. The lino’ simply ignored the Boldmere man… Within moments, Canavan had scored with a low right-footer from a tough angle in a crowded penalty-box, a shot which bounced into the net via the left upright and really, the guests were seemingly beaten from then.

2-0: CANAVAN HAS SCORED AND THIS TIME LIMA GOES 'HANDS ON HEAD' FOR THE MIKES...

Canavan headed the ball goalwards again following Slevin’s free-kick from downtown but it rose too high and late in the match, he drove a low shot onto the left stick, after Whitehouse had made a fine diving save to keep out Hill’s header, following Jim Hanson’s centre. Watts’ trickery, getting onto yet another Slevin pass, saw him shoot wide of the right post then he curled another effort from Canavan’s assist past the same vertical pole although he reckoned that Tolley had deflected it. Subsequently though, the officials did not agree… Wollacott’s spectacular effort flew just wide from a Slevin corner too but really, apart from a couple of speedy rushes by replacement Bailey Fuller, Boldmere coped well enough.

LIMA & MACPHERSON: ARMS BY SIDES...

The Mikes though were unable to find the same speed and creativity which had adorned their first period display but it was Denny who set off the later scuffles when he launched into a harsh challenge on home midfielder Kirk Layton. The referee spoke to no-one about it really and merely stood apart and pointed and blew his whistle… Lindsey nodded against the Swifts’ crossbar although an offside flag was waving, Lima headed into the side-netting, Byrne slid in at the near post, nearly beating Richards and substitute Soms Sibanda won a corner from James Timmins. Replacement Harry Harris smacked a late free-kick into Stourport’s defensive wall and that was that, as tempers seemed raw, exchanges were continuing to be feisty, whilst less and less passing football was played. 

MIKES' SKIPPER DENNY: THE WORKHORSE IN MIDFIELD...

Both teams had players on show who wanted to pass the ball but at times headers were exchanged boringly in midfield and long booted clearances hoping for a runner to latch onto them became too regular. Jack Burgess was busy in the Mikes’ midfield, Parry worked hard in attack and O’Sullivan and Byrne possessed that quick pace which can be so dangerous at this level. Harry Craven and Lima supported Tolley well enough in defence and had Boldmere managed a goal during the opening 45, it would not have been undeserved.

Swifts were indebted to Timmins and Wollacott, plus the Hansons, Joe and Jim in their back line but Slevin was industrious and committed throughout in midfield, supported by Hill and Layton. The three forwards always seem slightly awkward to play against, for their movement and exchanges of offensive zones must take some tracking by opponents. 

"WATTS & TOLLEY?"
"CORONATION STREET & GAME OF THRONES..."

Mark Danks, player and coach at Stourport, always gets a mention in my reports either by scoring a fine goal, or being involved in an altercation of some sort but this time he didn’t get to play and so to get a mention he gave the referee a verbal hammering…

We liked that… 

TEAMS:

STOURPORT SWIFTS:

DOM RICHARDS, JOE HANSON, JIM HANSON, JAMES HILL, JAMES TIMMINS, RYAN WOLLACOTT (CAPT), KIRK LAYTON, MARTIN SLEVIN, NICK MACPHERSON, JACK WATTS, DREW CANAVAN.

SUBS:

HARRISON YATES, JOE PHILLIPS, BAILEY FULLER, MARK DANKS, ELLIOTT LEES.

BOLDMERE ST MICHAELS:

ADAM WHITEHOUSE, HARRY CRAVEN, PEDRO LIMA, JAY DENNY (CAPT), MITCHELL TOLLEY, JACK BURGESS, BRAD LINDSEY, STUART HENDRIE, OWEN PARRY, DANNY O’SULLIVAN, KYLE BYRNE.

SUBS:

JERMAINE JOHNSON, HARRY HARRIS, STEPHEN PALMER, SOMS SIBANDA, HARRY SWEENEY.