BRETFORTON O.B. 2-4 WICKHAMFORD: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

 Wicks Overpower Bret In The Sleet & The Cold…

Bretforton O.B. 2-4 Wickhamford

The weather was certainly a factor in attracting a larger and more raucous crowd of spectators for such a local derby. Strangely though, there was little, if any unpleasantness on the pitch, although the dominance displayed by the guests from the start might have contributed to that. Wicks netted three times before the break and home ‘keeper Simon Large was struggling with a leg injury sustained early on. He was replaced at the interval by Callum Marshall, who did a decent job, conceding just one goal as his colleagues battled for some kind of pride. Certainly the scoreline looks kinder for Bret, for Wicks were in the ascendancy for the majority of the contest.

The dangerous Wickhamford forwards, James Schembri, with his tricks and sly moves, Joel Haycock with his movement and pace and the left-sided Mike Jennings were never really dealt with by Bret, although last ditch clearances by Morgan Ballinger, the busy Adam Stanley and the belligerent Steve Edghill kept their team within striking distance. In truth though, there was never enough guile in the Bret ranks to fully concern the visiting defence. Sam Beddoes was certainly quick on the Bret left, but little was created by his sterling sprints…

THE START...

In addition, Wicks’ skipper Louis Brown was commanding on occasions and Sean Cooke was his usual ghosting self, rushing at and past defenders from midfield but the main man during the evening was Nathan Tomkotowicz, who was strong, lively, creative and he scored an important brace. He should really have netted a hat-trick but Ballinger denied him late on. A measure of the dominance held by the visitors was that ‘keeper Luis Sone was rarely involved, making only a single awkward save and that was from one of his own defenders, then being beaten by Kamil Zieba’s pair of second period creditable strikes.

Later substitutions left the game looking untidy and disjointed near the end but Wicks certainly impressed for periods during the match, although their fourth goal has to be seen to be believed, for Schembri tried to score it twice, then Cooke decided not to shoot an easy finish and Tomkotowicz tried not to score it but then acquiesced and did lash it home at the second attempt… Crazy stuff in swirling sleet…

EARLY SLEET...

All the hosts had to show for a very lack lustre opening half was a shot from downtown by Edghill which was wide of the right stick, a Max Tarry effort which was blocked by Cooke and a rebound by the quiet Tom Dixon which flew past the left upright. JD Cole was cautioned and from a curling centre by the deep lying Jamie Clarke, Wicks’ defender Harry Naylor’s glancing header forced Sone into a reaction turn-over. And that was it really, for Ziebe was offered little service and Clarke was having to help his ailing midfielders in preventing Brown, Cooke and Tomkotowicz from running amok. Clarke can be a dangerous forward but he was immersed in a midfield battle, rather than being free to create.

CLARKE & EDGHILL...

Haycock nodded Jennings’ centre wide before the opening goal arrived and it was Tomkotowicz who popped up to loop a header from Haycock’s right byeline centre beyond the leap of the struggling Large.

The goalscorer also drove a decent effort wide from distance, lifted another shot too high from close range following a corner, received a caution and saw a low pass across goal towards Haycock superbly intercepted by Stanley. Goal two was a disaster for me… The ex-Shottery manager came up to say hi to me as the ball reached the right byeline and I was lucky to capture Jennings’ close range flick past the despondent Large, although the goalie did get a glove to the ball. 

CELEBRATORY WICKS...

Large beat out a Jennings shot and from the rebound Cooke was freed but somehow, Large turned the effort over the crossbar splendidly. Large pushed aside a Schembri header too, before Brown nodded wide from a Jennings free-kick. Haycock though had deserved a reward and he got it, receiving a pass from Brown and firing a 25 yard drive past Large’s dive and into the left corner of goal.

The short break was reached and in all reality, the hosts could only limit the damage and try to snaffle a goal or two during the sleet and strong breeze-affected second period and Clarke did rap a low 22 yarder past the left post in the opening moments. At the other end though, Schembri’s shot lacked power following the confident Will Aspey’s free-kick, then excellent running by Jennings led to a Tomkotowicz drive lifting too high but fair play to Bret, a free-kick by Edghill from deep left brought them a goal. 

Brown and Zieba were wrestling, but the Bret man shrugged off his opponent’s attentions and threw himself forth like a butting goat to head firmly past a surprised Sone from close range.

TWO GOALS ON THE NIGHT FOR ZIEBA...

However, the three goal advantage was soon restored with a bizarre scramble of a goal… Schembri’s first shot from 18 yards was deflected towards Tomkotowicz near the right post and he rolled the ball across to the totally unmarked Cooke who looked like he would score easily but instead he tried to feed Schembri a few yards to his right but some desperate defending sent the ball skidding back the Tomkotowicz at the right stick. He completely missed the ball but was fortunate to get a second bite of the Scotch egg and rapped it into the roof of the net. Marshall had been turning this way and that but had no chance at all to make a save… Hilarious.

SLEET ON THE LENS AFTER THE DAFT GOAL...

Marshall tipped aside a Jennings cross from the right, Tomkotowicz was handed a real chance to net his third goal but after rounding Marshall, Ballinger did really well to get in a telling challenge. Ballinger was excelling himself in the home defence, although Brown nodded wide, Marshall held onto a Jennings free-kick shot from the right and replacement Sutton smacked a 27 yard drive against the crossbar as time ebbed away.

MR SCHEMBRI SENIOR HANDLED THE GAME WELL...

The hosts managed to muster a good chance for Clarke at inside-left but he shot past the near post with only Sone to beat, Cole shot straight to the ‘keeper from 25 yards and Zieba shot wildly off target, but he would end the match with a second goal. Clarke slipped him clear at inside-left and he slotted a confident finish past Sone and the game ended there…

BALLINGER: SOME LAST DITCH DEFENDING...

In a desperately cold Breforton, the end came at 7.30 pm, so perhaps the game had been shorter than 90 minutes? 

Wickhamford were good on the night, Bretforton not so… 

SQUADS:

BRETFORTON O.B.:

SIMON LARGE, JACK WOOD, ADAM STANLEY, MAX TARRY, MORGAN BALLINGER, STEVE EDGHILL, SAM BEDDOES, JD COLE, JAMIE CLARKE, KAMIL ZIEBA, TOM DIXON, ADEN BOOTH, CALLUM MARSHALL, HARRISON MIDDLETON, MANNIE SINGH, IAN UNWIN.

WICKHAMFORD:

LUIS SONE, JAMES WHITE, BEN BEARCROFT, HARRY NAYLOR, WILL ASPEY, SEAN COOKE, NATHAN TOMKOTOWICZ, LOUIS BROWN (CAPT), JAMES SCHEMBRI, JOEL HAYCOCK, MIKE JENNINGS, JACK MILWARD, JOE NISHIGAKI, JAMIE LEE, ALFIE SUTTON, RYAN REEVES.