NEW DALES VALE 5-2 NEWTON FC: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

 DALES GRIND DOWN COMPETITIVE NEWTON…

NEW DALES VALE 5-2 NEWTON FC

This Cheltenham League North Division 1 Junior Cup-tie (quite a mouthful) was played on a lovely April day, in the very decent surroundings of Grange School in Claines, Worcester and beneath a sky in which a number of buzzards soared and called all afternoon. 

At the half-time recess, there was no suggestion that the hosts would achieve such a winning margin, for they had gone behind to Nathan Esson’s low strike near the interval in a bitty, often untidy match but had equalised almost immediately with a superb goal by midfielder Joe McGorman. He simply jumped onto his skateboard and made his own slalom route past four Newton defenders before smacking a demonstrative goal past the rather surprised visiting goalie Ryan Goodson.

BRIN WOODWARD & JAMIE JONES TOSS...

During the second period, Vale asserted themselves more with replacement Rio Janic looking dangerous through the middle and contributing to the breaks made by the two wide offensemen Alex Bradley and Martin Fowler. All three attackers would score…

HALL, MACE & FOWLER: A FIRM OF UNDERTAKERS?

The final home goal was snaffled by defender David Hadden, who had just squandered one chance and demanded that I didn’t include his miss in my video highlights but hey, to score immediately afterwards shows that practice really does make perfect, despite the aid of a post to get his shot to count… Just joking, really…

A deserved reward for Newton’s effective skipper Brindley Woodward came in the form of a fine low drive late on, another strike in-off an upright but in truth, the guests couldn’t complain about the result. Vale thus moved on from the group stages of this competition which continues in a fortnight…   

JAMIE & NICK JONES...

Both teams were well served by defenders, for Woodward was a stalwart for the visitors and Nick Jones was a trooper for the Dales, even managing to capture a caution. Nick Jones, alongside his skipper Jamie Jones was caused some unrest by the tall and awkward-to-mark Esson but some of Nick’s challenges were integral to the victory. At the back for Newton was Milton Brito (surely not one of the Flying Brito Brothers rock band?) And he, like Nick Jones for Vale, would make some important tackles.

MILTON BRITO & MATT CURTIS...

Lee Cooper and Ryan Upson wore 7 for Newton and Vale respectively and both contributed usefully in midfield for their groups. Newton’s Cooper showed talent on the ball, was industrious but missed one fine second period opportunity by heading over the crossbar from Woodward’s deep free-kick. Upson was a busy player for the home team, always rushing to support his forwards but his chance to score, also after the break, was wrecked by Brito’s clean tackle.

HALL & FOWLER: A GOOD TUSSLE ALL AFTERNOON...

In that ordinary first 45 for Vale, Fowler shot across the face of goal from the right flank when Goodson’s inaccurate kick clear fell at his feet, before he drove too high from downtown and then blundered a shot into the left side-netting following Upson’s rush to the right byeline. Nick Jones had been unable to reach a deep free-kick, midfielder George Corbett had seen one header deflected over the target from an Upson delivery and then headed wide from a good position when Fowler’s right-wing corner dropped to him, unmarked.

CAUTION FOR MARCUS EDWARDS, FOLLOWING A PULL ON ALEX BRADLEY'S SHIRT...

The guests had not really engineered too much, although the chattering, laughing midfielder Luke Mace was astute with some of his passing. Brad Edwards had got clear at inside-left but home ‘keeper Harry Leach advanced to block the effort, although Esson might have done better with the rebound which he lifted high and wide of the left stick.

CURTIS & WOODWARD: WHEN STRENGTH MET STRENGTH...

Esson drifted past the goalie on the right side of the 18 yard box but he was denied by a fine Nick Jones tackle and he did find the net, although Cooper had apparently passed the ball across goal after it had gone out of play. Leach dropped to his knees to shovel a 20 yard shot by Woodward upwards and over the crossbeam and Cooper shot way too high, although Esson did manage to open the scoring with a low shot into the left corner of the net… 

0-1: ESSON...

The equaliser was something else… The thoughtful passing of the deep lying McGorman had been his stock play thus far but when he fastened onto the ball at inside-right, 28 yards out, he slinked past Brad Edwards, Brito, Luke Cole and Woodward, then smashed the ball into the left side of the net with his démarrage gauche… Goodson had fallen the other way… Interesting that Hadden was screaming for the ball to his left but hey, this was to be a filmed magic moment and who could deny McGorman his solo role in it?  

1-1... (READ JOE MCGORMAN'S LIPS: "PLEASE TELL ME YOU GOT MY GOAL ON FILM?")

So, the break arrived in the sunshine, I changed my chewing gum and we began the second period with changes for the hosts. Samson Arishe was at left-back and Janic had replaced the ‘centre-forward’ Matt Curtis who in all honesty had received poor service for a big guy in attack…

2ND HALF BEGINS...

The visitors did have chances after the short sit down for gulps of water and a quick fag (not really…) but Esson shot across goal from an offside position and later dribbled in McGorman-fashion from the right but he was blotted out by a combination of Hidden, McGorman (insulted by the copycat slalom) and the goalie. Cooper missed with the aforementioned header, Brad Edwards (not Marcus Edwards, who had been booked before the recess) shot low across the face of goal and shot straight at the ‘keeper later in the half, whilst the quick-footed and eager Tom Hall saw a free-kick from distance deflected off target and Mace’s instant volley looped wide from 20 yards.

RYAN GOODSON BELTS THE BALL...

HARRY LEACH MIGHT NEED A PEE...

The hosts were definitely clinical, for after Janic was well denied by Newton’s Joe Locke (a name I had to decipher from the teamsheet, so I’m sorry if it’s wrong…) Vale stole ahead. Janic fed the ball left into the penalty-box, Upson wisely allowed it run for Fowler and he lashed a rising shot past Goodson at the near stick.

2-1, BUT FOWLER HOLDS HIS HEAD LIKE HE HAS MISSED THE CHANCE... HE HASN'T...

It was soon 3-1 when McGorman’s pass right to Bradley led to a low pass across the goalmouth, where Janic was alone to steady himself and shoot low past the helpless Goodson from 5 yards.

3-1 & JANIC CELEBRATES BY LOOKING AWAY FROM THE CAMERA...

Luke Cole had been neat on the ball at times for Newton but his miscued header allowed Fowler to feed Janic again but this time the forward sliced his effort off target. Goodson stopped a Fowler drive with his boots at the near post, Brito denied the foraging Upson inside the 18 yard area and Bradley forced a spill from Goodson. However, Bradley it was who latched onto a Fowler pass, following good harassing by Arishe and got clear of Locke, stumbled round Goodson and from close to the left post, slid home goal 4.

4-1 & THE TRICKY BRADLEY HAS SCORED.
(DO REMEMBER SIR, THAT I RETRIEVED YOUR BOTTLE OF WATER AFTER THE GAME...)

It remained for Hadden to shoot well over the cross-pole from Janic’s assist then convert Fowler’s centre off the right post from 6 yards to end Vale’s scoring, although Woodward added some consolation for Newton by taking his 20 yard chance well, firing an instant low shot into the net off the left upright, past Vale’s replacement ‘keeper Owen Lane, following an injury to Leach.

5-1 & HADDEN, RIGHT, IS STILL TALKING...

5-2 & WOODWARD, CENTRE, HAS SCORED WELL...

So, Vale march on in their cup quest and I left the scene amused by two things… First, just how tough it is having lines-persons from the two clubs, whose flags go up in dramatic flourishes, if ‘offside’ is discerned… Secondly, the referee of this match was asked how long was left during the second period and he replied that there were 21 minutes remaining but he doubted that all of them would be played…

WORDS SPOKEN...

I liked that…

LEE COOPER (7) & NICK JONES...

SQUADS:

NEW DALES VALE:

HARRY LEACH, DAVID HADDEN, HARRY SNELLING, GEORGE CORBETT, JAMIE JONES (CAPT), NICK JONES, RYAN UPSON, JOE McGORMAN, ALEX BRADLEY, MATT CURTIS, MARTIN FOWLER, SAMSON ARISHE, OWEN LANE, RIO JANIC, DEVIN WARD.

NEWTON FC:

RYAN GOODSON, TOM HALL, MILTON BRITO, KELVIN COLE, CURTIS WISE, KYLE WATKINS, LEE COOPER, BRAD EDWARDS, MARCUS EDWARDS, LUKE MACE, NATHAN ESSON, BRINDLEY WOODWARD (CAPT), LUKE COLE, JOE LOCKE.