AFC BINLEY 4-2 RS SPORTS: THE MATCH REPORT & MORE IMAGES...

 Binley Find Remedy For Lockdown Blues…

AFC Binley 4-2 RS Sports

‘Remedy’ is the title of a new album by Hannah Grace, which I listened to en route to the Alan Higgs Centre in Coventry for this game. There are fifteen tracks in all and all the song titles are hidden in this match report, which has been somewhat of a challenge. Returning to this venue after several years was strange, for I used to see some of Coventry United’s games in ‘The Cage’, now no longer visible because of a sports hall built on the site. I thought “Feels like home…” but for ex-Coventry United manager Edwin Greaves, who now bosses AFC Binley, this was a different kind of love… No longer does he manage a team in red and green, for Binley wear blue…   

During lockdown I had been missing the show, so it was good to be present at this contest, despite the fact that both clubs were missing regular players. But “Here we are now…” I thought, as the combatants went at it on the artificial surface, providing the few cold bystanders with some decent entertainment, including a dismissal and a brilliant strike by Binley’s Brian Ndlovu. I had asked Brian to bring me home a goal and by the god Thor did he thunder one in… 

THE TOSS...

Standing virtually on the touchline inside the new cage, I could not have been closer to the action, which began well for Binley and in truth they might have scored more than three first period goals. RS eased into the match, driven on by their outstanding skipper Sean Wilson, he of the pre-match fag and weary look in tired eyes… Before the start he told me he was not really ready for the task but by Thor, he was impressive in the Sports defence. Clearly for Wilson, his attitude to the game of soccer was live like love and it showed. Certainly, the guests came back into the contest during the second period and indeed, had they secured a point or more, few spectators would have been too surprised. However, 3-0 down makes it tough to recover from the bed you made…

UNSURE ABOUT THE WINK-WINK BUT THERE IS A NUDGE-NUDGE...

I had bumped into Binley’s midfielder Daniel Lucas on the way into the Alan Higgs Centre and despite lacking the height of other contestants, it was his leap which which brought the opening goal for the hosts. Will Waddell’s left-flank corner took out visiting ‘keeper Ethan Murray and Lucas’ standing jump was prodigious as he nodded the ball easily into goal at the far stick. Soon he struck a shot which audibly and visibly slapped against the hand of visiting defender Salim Osman, some 24 yards from his own goal but the referee reacted, er, not at all. After the counter attack which brought goal two for Binley, Lucas bundled goal three from another left-side Waddell corner into the net off Osman’s boot, again at the far post, after Murray had been unable to reach the flag-kick’s trajectory.

WADDELL IS HURT BUT THOSE LACES ARE MORE IMPORTANT...

Murray though was helpless when Brian The Messiah lashed in his goal, although be fair, the tall goalie made some fine saves with his healing hands. Ndlovu had raced onto a gentle assist by Tyler Morgan and simply let fly from around 28 yards and the ball scorched high into the left side of the net to give Binley a 2-0 lead. Having joked with Brian many times about the film ‘Life Of Brian’ and him being The (footballing) Messiah, I guess I had to say aloud, “Praise you…” as that strike flew in…

SOMEONE HAS SPOTTED A HERD OF WILDEBEEST ON THE HORIZON...

Ndlovu had already shot wide from a good position, following another Morgan assist, he had forced Murray to save a low shot, after which which Morgan set up Karl Bell to smash a 17 yard rising effort which was superbly tipped away by the flying goalie. Brian’s leaning volley rose way too high and he again pulled a shot past the left upright as half-time approached but Morgan was denied a goal due to something Ndlovu did NOT do…

THE REF HAS ASKED WILSON 'FOR A WORD'...
SCARY.

Offside, Brian held his run, which allowed Morgan to go clear and slip the ball past Murray, although to be fair the gloveman had already spotted his own linesman’s flag had been raised for offside. Contentious for Binley but consummate relief for RS Sports. Ndlovu assisted Morgan again but his measured right-footer from inside-left was aimed too near the overworked Mr Murray. The other dangers employed by Binley were the rushing legs and mesmeric boots of Ryan Makwenje, who made some fine advances along the left flank. His finishing wasn’t quite as electric however, skying a volley well over the target, forcing Murray to reach for a chipped effort, lifting a free-kick from 26 yards too high and troubling Wilson to lift his low centre from the left byeline over his own crossbar. 

As the half ebbed away, Waddell curled another left-wing corner towards the goal-frame but Murray just about managed to touch the ball against his crossbeam and out for a right-side flag-kick, from which home central defender Liam Roach shot too high on the stretch.

THE MESSIAH IS SEATED ON THE GROUND...
(IS THAT A CHRISTMAS CAROL?)

Little had been seen of the visitors once penetration was needed and despite some threat on the offensive left by Jamie Jones, only Small really troubled home goalkeeper Ash Riley, who saved well at his near post from the striker’s angled drive. Small also shot across the face of goal, whilst Dave Jefferiss shot low to Riley and Wayne Littlewood’s effort was blocked by eager home left-back Jon Govier. The closest the guests came to scoring was from a left-side corner which beat Riley but both Wilson and Jefferiss jumped for the same ball and it bounced upwards from them and over the target. 

LUCAS CONFIRMS TO HIS DISBELIEVING COLLEAGUES ON THE SIDELINE THAT YES, HE HAS SCORED AGAIN...

With the setting sun now really low in the faces of the RS players, something needed to change after the short interval and break the pattern which indeed happened and right from the start, the visitors made attacks. Wilson sliced too high from downtown, Jones drove over the target from inside-right, Riley advanced to drop on the ball before Small could capitalise and the ‘keeper fell right to stop a shot from the same player. Small though finally found space in the 6 yard box, maybe yelled “With you…” to Jones on the right side of the penalty-box and steered his colleague’s low pass into the left corner of the net to reduce the arrears to 3-1.  

Incredibly, from Jefferiss’ low left-side assist, the unmarked Small was unable to repeat the trick, missing the chance, as Riley plunged before him. Really, despite having lost initiative and made substitutions, Binley were fortunate to add a fourth goal, when another Waddell assist, this time from the right, was hacked by Bell but the ball bounced off RS Sports’ Tony Ramaj to wrong-foot Murray and essentially seal the victory. Certainly the guests battled on and from an awkward assist by the bulky, industrious forward Dave Buckley, Spencer Sawbridge’s low shot evaded the home defence and nestled in the left corner of the net from 15 yards.

Jefferiss shot too high and Buckley had a low shot stopped by Riley but really, that was all RS could manage in their much better second period showing.

Binley had become disjointed but still missed a few chances, albeit at intervals. A poor Murray kick was struck back by Ball but the goalie shovelled the ball past a post like he was shifting his cat out of the back door because it needed to vomit. Makwenje drove wildly off target and then was scythed to the ground by Wilson’s cynical foul as he got away towards the 18 yard line. Wilson must have feared a dismissal but he was leniently shown a yellow card…

THE SPEEDY MAKWENJE & SMALL...

Home skipper Andy Godfrey’s subsequent free-kick sailed too high, then replacement Benny Adeeko tried to lift a right-footed shot from inside-left but succeeded only in surmounting the horizontal pole, whilst his left boot cursed that it would have liked a go. Lucas headed Adeeko’s corner over the crossbar and the ever willing Ndlovu shot across the face of the goal from right to left late on.

The dismissal for the influential playmaker Steve Roberts came after a penalty appeal had been turned down for a challenge by home substitute Kenny Dennisur, then Sebastian Kassar became involved with Roberts on the far touchline, whereupon fisticuffs appeared to illustrate wasted love between the two. Only Roberts was red-carded however and the guests ended the game annoyed and short-handed.

HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WALK ON WATER BUT BRIAN FINDS FLYING A TRIFLE DIFFICULT...

Individual players, including James Barlow for RS, must have been asked how true is your love for the game and responded by turning out after four weeks or more of lockdown and these guys showed that love… 

I thank them for producing a keen contest and allowing me the privilege of watching the encounter…

The ‘Remedy’ album is darned good, too…

TEAMS:

AFC BINLEY:

ASH RILEY, ANDY GODFREY (CAPT), JON GOVIER, KARL BELL, SEB KASSAR, LIAM ROACH, WILL WADDELL, DANIEL LUCAS, TYLER MORGAN, RYAN MAKWENJE, BRIAN ‘THE MESSIAH’ NDLOVU.

SUBS:

KENROY DENNISUR, MTSHUMAYELI NCUBE, BENNY ADEEKO.

THE RS SPORTS SQUAD:

ETHAN MURRAY, TONY RAMAJ, SALIM OSMAN, SPENCER SAWBRIDGE, SEAN WILSON (CAPT), WAYNE LITTLEWOOD, JAMES BARLOW, JAMIE JONES, STEVE ROBERTS, CYRUS SMALL, DAVE JEFFERISS, DAVE BUCKLEY, MARK JACKSON, KYLE MORAN.