10-Man Wellies Boot Negligent Racers Out Of the Vase, 2018-19…

 10-Man Wellies Boot Negligent Racers Out Of the Vase, 2018-19…

Wellington Amateurs 6-3 Racing Club Warwick

This was a match full of action, anger, angst and a glut of goals. Poor defending, some fine shooting, yet very few actual saves made by the two goalkeepers, plus a dismissal for Ams’ Marc Perry and some incredibly hostile verbal assaults at both the referee and the taller linesman, some from an ex-referee on the sideline, made for a wild afternoon at School Grove. Wellington were missing a couple of regular players I believe, whilst Warwick were without five or six too, but in truth the Ams buckled down from the start, led 2-0 within minutes, were then pegged back to 2-2, saw Perry red-carded then trailed 2-3 early in the second-half. What happened then was remarkable, for with Racer Martin Slevin attempting in vain to whip his horsemen into meaningful action and score the vital fourth goal, the hosts hit their guests with a four-goal salvo, against all odds.

Certainly the home defence, in which Tom Oldfield and the calm Aaron Powell were outstanding, did their jobs well to protect goalie Scott Hoof but with skipper Jaton Vernon marauding about in midfield and Adam Vernon adding some lusty physical challenges, the game-changers were actually two of their forwards. Steve Faux rattled in two fine goals and the final three strikes were nabbed by the busy and deserving Matt Elsmore, whose perfect hat-trick left the Racers demoralised, desperate and demolished. 

RCW were disappointing from the outset, central striker Ben Mackey craving support when he held up the ball but rarely receiving it from either Wade Malley or Rich Powell. Defensively, Sean Castleton and Jamie Tank looked vulnerable and it seemed that Faux and Elsmore were far livelier and got to the ball quicker. Certainly, Joe Smith didn't last long on the right side of the RCW defensive three and Marc Passey soon relieved him, although Smith’s contribution never really amounted to much in midfield, even his shooting being wayward. Errors and poor decision making by the Racers played into Wellington’s hands and how they took advantage…

The chap on the gate was kind enough to allow me to park my car outside his bungalow for a quick getaway back to Solihull, thus I was able to hide a couple of parking cones in his front garden and park partially on the narrow Grove’s pavement. He also allowed me to take my own change from his blue bag, like I was drawing a raffle, or taking out a ball in a game of Bingo. That is why non-league is so alluring… 

The celebration of recently deceased Wellington owner Dave Gregory’s life was followed by the realisation that both teams were wearing, er, red, albeit of different shades, which meant that the Ams soon re-emerged in high visibility yellow shirts, forcing Racers’ goalie Charlie Bannister to change his top too. However, the referee, whom even the compact Slevin towered over, should surely have sorted that problem out way before he was due to begin the game. The referee’s day out would become a nightmarish afternoon of questionable decision making and being in receipt of some really dreadful abuse from the sidelines, none of which of course was punished but was simply soaked up by the official who performed like he was totally out of his depth.

The Racers were left in their blocks during the opening moments of this game and conceded two goals, meekly. First, a low centre from the right by Adam Vernon across the 18 yard line fell for Faux just outside the penalty-box, inside-left channel and he readjusted well to rap a low drive past Charlie Bannister and into the right side of the net, although the ‘keeper seemed rather surprised that the ball had careered past his defenders. 

The second goal was the result of a deep free-kick by home left-back Alex Scott, more male than his namesake TV soccer pundit. His delivery saw Perry rise over the back of Racer Ryan Billington and plant a simple far post header beyond a statuesque Bannister.

The Racers finally made a pair of goal attempts after going two behind but Billington’s low shot was easily saved by Hoof and Mackey shot off target from Slevin’s prompt. Mackey though did pull a goal back, turning on the ball at the left edge of the 6 yard box and firing past Hoof at the near post.

The equaliser was an interesting one. After missing Mackey’s earlier push, the referee then allowed Sean Castleton’s challenge on Hoof at the right post to go unheeded and a headed Wellie clearance was hooked on the volley by Tank from 12 yards, right of centre into the left side of the net. Good finish but Hoof was understandably neighing his annoyance at the official…

Two late first-half chances for Warwick went begging too, following the dismissal of Perry. Slevin had fallen under a challenge and the ball was enclosed between his feet as he wriggled on the ground like an eel evading a fisherman’s net. Perry presumably caught a glimpse of the ball and hacked at it which looked more aggressive than perhaps it ought to have done and trouble ensued. His flailing boot-offence failed either to win the ball or to impress the harassed referee, who red-carded Perry right in front of the dugouts. Smith had rushed into the mire and shoved Perry in the chest, for which he was cautioned and Slevin saw yellow too, for his part in the whole sorry fracas.

After the break, the noise and abuse aimed at the referee was severely cranked up from the technical areas and in truth, the official looked somewhat ruffled and intimidated. The visitors took the lead with a fine goal by the otherwise not often involved Malley. He flew to smash a spectacular volley past the helpless Hoof from 10 yards, as Billington’s left-flank centre dropped onto an instep. 

Through that second period, Warwick dominated, as they should have done but with little penetration coming from either Malley, or Quartermane, too many inaccurate passes or crosses being delivered by Smith, Passey and Billington and too little support showing for the busy and battling Slevin, it only needed for Wellington to beat off the Racers’ offense long enough to exploit a break. A couple of wasted crosses by Rich Powell from the left annoyed Coach Easterlow, Mackey failed to get a head to Slevin’s near post corner and then the Wellies won a left-side corner of their own. Rich Powell was unable to deal with the ball as it flew at him but Faux did, smashing a firm low 10 yard volley past Bannister and parity was thus achieved.

The hosts snatched an unlikely lead from a deep right-side free-kick which was won from Tank by the leaping Faux and his header looped over the reaching Bannister, struck the face of the crossbar and despite the presence of hesitating Racers, there was Elsmore to nod in a simple goal.

Then the Racers messed up in defence, Bannister was left marooned and Elsmore spotted his chance, evaded the goalie and Castleton’s last-ditch tackle, before cutting inside to convert with glee and give the Wellies a 5-3 lead.

A Racer attack was stunted, before Ams’ left-back Scott turned up at, er, right-midfield and galloped upfield on the break, chased by Semahimbo, whose failed tackle allowed Scott to square the ball for Elsmore. No central defender had made it back for RCW, only Billington was there and he could do nothing as Elsmore rapped a low drive past Bannister.

A shot past the left angle by Mackey on the turn was all that the visitors could muster as they lamely exited the FA Vase. Wellington played the game astutely and subsequently won almost at a canter, despite Warwick’s understandable territorial advantage but the Racers’ performance in general was quite poor, despite Slevin’s, Mackey’s and Passey’s efforts. The Wellies’ forwards were clinical, their Vernons were undaunted, the central defenders were inspired and full-backs Dale Meredith and Scott were as the rocks: solid.

The drive back to Solihull was darned easier than the earlier drive to Telford but nine goals cannot be frowned upon for the independent spectator… 

TEAMS:

WELLINGTON AMATEURS:

SCOTT HOOF, DALE MEREDITH, ALEX SCOTT, TOM OLDFIELD, AARON POWELL, MARC PERRY, ADAM VERNON, JATON VERNON (CAPT), MIKE EVANS, MATT ELSMORE, STEVE FAUX.

SUBS:

JAKE CHALLONER, TOM HODSON, WILL EVANS, DAN FRANCES, JERMAINE REYNOLDS, BEN CRUMP.

RACING CLUB WARWICK:

CHARLIE BANNISTER, MARC PASSEY, RYAN BILLINGTON, JOE SMITH, SEAN CASTLETON, JAMIE TANK (CAPT), RICH POWELL, MARTIN SLEVIN, BEN MACKEY, WADE MALLEY, SAM BEASLEY.

SUBS:

ROSS QUARTERMANE, MADUNDO SEMAHIMBO, RILEY DAVEILE, JARROD CLAMP.