GSH UNITED 2-5 CLAVERDON FC: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

 GSH FALL SHORT IN UNDULATING CONTEST…

GSH UNITED 2-5 CLAVERDON FC

This was a game of inconsistencies, not only with the way it swung in ascendancy for the two teams but also because of their fortunes and finally because of the subtleties of changes of light in the early evening. By the last 20 minutes of the match, actually focussing the video camera was tough and indeed, the clarity of GSH’s second goal leaves much to be desired, for which I apologise. In the end, the hand-held camera’s setting was placed on ‘night landscape’ and although the results were darker, at least the focus behaved…

WE AWAIT THE START...

Thanks to both managers for being good enough to write their teams out for me to use, including the jersey numbers, which were mostly correct… Good job FC Stratford manager Danny Janes was around though, for he spotted that GSH’s Dean Haye was wearing 8 and not 4… Cheers, my friend.

DEAN HAYE: A GOOD GAME...

A very positive start by the visitors saw them cruise into a 0-3 lead with little response from their hosts, bar a deflected effort by the impressive GSH striker Jacob Webb. At least GSH forced themselves into the contest though and although Webb’s smart chipped goal had reduced the arrears, Joe Knight rapped his second goal over home ‘keeper Chris Averiss before the short interval. After the break, tiredness, substitutions, the re-emergence of replaced players and the waning light seemed to render the match untidy and somehow irritating to follow. Maybe the players were desperate to purchase a pint or two from outside the clubhouse as the cool sunlight faded to dusk…

Following a weak shot by Joe Knight, Claverdon raced into the lead when a left-side centre by Ruben Astheimer was challenged for by defender Adam Reeves and two Claverdon forwards but it was Tommy Williams’ header which beat Chris Averiss, as Steve Nollett leapt too. The ball flew into the right corner of the net but credit to Alex Litwinko, whose surge forward earlier in the move was integral. 

SOCIAL DISTANCING LADS, PLEASE...

0-1 became 0-2 when a right-side free-kick by Dan Rist (not Dan Rift) from way downtown was misjudged by Chris Averiss, the ball floated over his head and virtually bounced off the end of Williams’ boot and rolled past the lunging Haye into goal. 

To go 0-3 down with little response must have been galling for the GSH manager but that is what happened when Joe Knight, 15 yards out, left side of the penalty-box, lashed a left-footer into the far corner of the net.

Joe Knight would later volley just wide of the far post from an angle on the right, Williams however was denied twice at his feet by the bravery of Chris Averiss and miscued another effort. United needed a recovery of some kind and they found it in the boots of Webb, who had a drive palmed upwards and onto the roof of the net by Claverdon goalie James Bramwell. Soon though, he benefitted from an error by visiting skipper Rich Heath, whose diagonal pass from right to left across the edge of his 18 yard box was intercepted by the GSH forward.

JACOB WEBB: FINE FINISH...

Webb was calm, cool and clever, chipping the helpless Bramwell from 18 yards.

However, when it seemed likely that GSH had the bit between their teeth, they conceded a fourth goal. Joe Knight was offered too much time to look up in space, 27 yards from goal at inside right and this time his right boot powered a shot, which rose over the agile leap of Chris Averiss and dropped into the roof of the net…

Charlie Ward and Jake Evans both headed off target for GSH from left-wing corners and the industrious Dan Sill curled an effort wide of the right stick but in truth the opening period ended with the teams looking reasonably well matched…

LAST ORDERS PLEASE...

During the second period, the hosts gave a good account of themselves, albeit lacking some quality in their finishing but typically, they conceded an unfortunate fifth goal when Nollett hooked the ball forward for Williams to chase, alongside Jay Benton and as the pair moved into the 18 yard box and Chris Averiss began to advance, Williams’ nudged shot deflected slightly off a Benton boot and rolled past the ‘keeper. It was possible that the original effort would have passed just the wrong side of the right stick…

However, that goal apart, Claverdon managed a skied Joe Knight shot from inside-left, a left-flank corner which rebounded from Chris Averiss’ knees and a shot too high by Williams, who also saw an effort blocked by the goalie. Marc Unitt drove across the face of goal, Oscar Metcalf fired too high, Nollett glanced a header past the left pole. Shay Roberts-Nicholson shot waywardly twice and saw a low shot safely gathered by Chris Averiss but inexplicably, Unitt was cautioned for a foul very late in the match, which did seem harsh…

HANDSHAKE...

So what of the plucky hosts? Defender Haye nodded over the right angle of crossbeam and upright from a free-kick, then could get no real purchase on a 10 yard shot. Bedford shot over the target, saw a weak shot stopped easily by Bramwell but also made the ‘keeper dive low to tip a 25 yard effort past the left post. Both Ward and Evans headed wide again but a superb volley from 23 yards by the lively Webb struck the defending Nollett and rebounded for a corner. An almighty scramble ensued too when from a right-flank near post corner, Webb threatened, the ball bounced off Claverdon’s Astheimer towards his own goal but Bramwell blocked the effort on his goal-line, allowing Webb a low shot but this time Barney Knight hacked the ball clear. 

Certainly the home team deserved at least one more goal and got it when an unmarked Jon Sharples (I think…) headed past Bramwell from a right-side delivery. A penalty might have been awarded too, for it seemed clear that Barney Knight had clipped Sill, who tried to remain on his feet but the referee wasn’t impressed…

EVANS (13) HAD HIS SHIRT RIPPED...

Sill looked useful in that second period on the right flank, Bedford was often instrumental for his team and Webb again looked a danger, although the service to him was irregular. Haye was always in the thick of it for GSH and he will be disappointed not to have taken one of his two goal chances.

For Claverdon, the defence creaked somewhat after the recess but Rist was busy in midfield, Nicholson was active on occasions but the finishing of Joe Knight was twice really good and Williams’ hat-trick won the match, although the second and third of his goals were both a trifle fortunate, I’m sure he would agree… Or maybe not…

A decent evening out for the spectators, players watching from other teams and also families, who seemed so pleased to be able to enjoy an outdoor drink on a decent evening…

SQUADS:

GSH UNITED:

CHRIS AVERISS, JOHN WAKELING, JON SHARPLES, JACOB WEBB, DEAN HAYE, DAN SILL, HARRY BEDFORD (CAPT), CHARLIE WARD, SHANE TYRELL, JAKE EVANS, KYLE TAPSELL, ADAM REEVES, JAY BENTON, JOHN AVERISS, AARON BENTON.

CLAVERDON FC:

JAMES BRAMWELL, MARC UNITT, OSCAR METCALF, BARNEY KNIGHT, TOMMY WILLIAMS, DAMIEN CARTWRIGHT, RICH HEATH (CAPT), JACQUES HECKALL-SMITH, SHAY ROBERTS-NICHOLSON, JOE KNIGHT, STEVE NOLLETT, DAN RIST, ALEX LITWINKO, NEAL DUFFY, RUBEN ASTHEIMER.