Coventrians Tick Over Against Plucky Hibs XI
Coventrians 6-0 Leamington Hibs
Fair play to Hibs, with a number of players unavailable, they could easily have withdrawn from this match but eleven players were scraped together and were actually held together by skipper Zach Featherstone in centre defence. He was ably supported by right-back Sam Ajoku and of course the big bugger, Sam Smith. However, it was clear that Coventrians were in better shape to deal with the game and in truth, many more goals might have been scored by the hosts. It was 5-0 at the break and only a more disciplined second period allowed the visitors to regain some pride in their performance. They also missed a few opportunities but didn’t really trouble either of the Coventrians goalies, James Connolly and Ricky Blewitt, who played 45 minutes each.
Much of the early danger from the hosts stemmed from the pace of Nathan Cadby on the right, who relished the support of the wily, industrious and creative Ben Newport. Hibs’ defender Sam Newey was always under pressure but he stuck to his task. On the left, Josh Dixon really did have a good tussle with Ajoku, largely because both possessed pace, as did central Coventrians’ striker Abel Osei Tutu, who like Dixon, Newport and Cadby, snatched a first period goal. The other was a horror moment for me, for I didn’t capture it on film…
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| NEWPORT: "SEE THAT BLOKE OVER THERE? HE'S THE MOWDOG..." |
The only threat to the hosts was the rather speedy and lively Hibs forward Ryan McEvoy but he was often isolated and thus expected to chase lost causes. Home defenders Dan Hume and skipper Aaron Donaldson were very physical and not often hurried into critical action. Clearly, despite the efforts of Hibs players like George Price and Jack O’Leary and with no replacements available on a warm and sunny May afternoon, goals were going to be conceded, although a number of Coventrians’ chances went begging. Substitute Joel Heeley rapped in a late sixth goal for the hosts, which wrecked Hibs’ hopes of a clean sheet for the second 45 minutes.
Hibs saw an Ed Brogan angled shot fly behind the near stick from the right, whilst McEvoy’s clever chip from inside-left, following Price’s pass, landed on the roof of the home goal. McEvoy also reached the right byeline but although O’Leary was unable to get in a shot, Jordan Dodzo lifted his hurried 13 yard effort way too high. And that was it really for Hibs, as their hosts surged forward to net five times before the interval.
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| SMITH COVERS THE RUN OF OSEI TUTU (9)... |
The goals must be considered first and the opener was netted by Newport, who capitalised after Hibs’ goalie Jack Marshall had saved at the feet of Osei Tutu, when Cadby’s mean centre flew into the 6 yard box. Cadby then set up Newport from the rebound, who was able to twist and deposit a low right-footer into the left side of the net from about 10 yards.
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| 1-0... |
Next was Cadby’s finish, who moved onto a pass by Donaldson and raced forth at inside-right to nutmeg the advancing Marshall and score easily.
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| 2-0... |
The third came from a one-two move between Dixon and Newport but really, Newport might have scored himself but squared a pass for Dixon to challenge Ajoku for and the ball went into goal from the two of them. Dixon assured me it bounced off his shin…
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| 3-0... |
Goal four saw Osei Tutu shrug off Featherstone and get through at inside-right, his low angled shot entering the net via the far left upright.
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| 4-0... |
Goal five? Horror. Marshall had advanced to 18 yards, Ajoku’s pass-back went past him and he turned to drop on it, thus handling a back-pass. Liam Connolly took advantage of the quickly taken free-kick before my finger could press the play button on my camera and strike a left-footer into the net. (Let me know next time, my good fellow…) Marshall was likely not properly back in his goal and I wondered whether, with the score at 4-0, the referee might just have been more lenient towards the beleaguered visitors…
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| 5-0... |
Other chances went begging for Coventrians, for Newport had one shot caught and another rose well over the target, whilst Cadby shot too high, just after he had scored his goal and also forced a simple save by Marshall. Osei Tutu had a shot deflected and then lobbed a volley too high, Dixon shot across the face of goal, Liam Connolly saw a 28 yard drive pushed aside well by Marshall, who also plucked a header by the same player off his left angle of crossbar and upright. Connolly also miscued, resulting in Luke Wilson’s shot being blocked and replacement Connor Horrigan shooting too high.
Luke Wilson played a smart game at his own pace and nearly netted with a header after the recess. Like Newport, Wilson finds the sensible pass often…
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| HUME: HE'S NOT A NUMBER, HE'S A BLANK-SHIRTED MAN... |
After the break, Smith did have two goal attempts for the guests, shooting a free-kick straight at Blewitt and firing across the face of goal from left to right. McEvoy shot wide and then lifted a last-gasp free-kick way over the target, to his own disgust, whilst busy midfielder Luke Woolley made a fine run from midfield but shot straight at the ’keeper, as did O’Leary.
Coventrians? Well, Marshall got down well to stop a byeline centre by the quick, effective and lively Harvey Middleton, Newport shot straight at Marshall and then well over the crossbeam and Dixon had a fine shot from downtown fly only just too high, before later firing wide. Donaldson’s very useful replacement Ally Hassan made threats on the left flank and played a good cameo role for the hosts but was denied a goal by a timely intervention from O’Leary, whilst Connolly had a header caught by Marshall and was prevented from scoring at the left stick by a superb Ajoku block.
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| HEELEY (12): USEFUL SHORT TIME ON THE PITCH... |
So many Dixon corners caused problems for Featherstone and company but Cadby was denied by a palmed save from Marshall, leading to Heeley’s shot being blocked and Middleton hitting the third opportunity over the target. Heeley took on the outrushing Marshall but ran the ball out of play, then Wilson had two long, low shots, one fumbled for a corner by Marshall, the other claimed by the stopper. However, Wilson met a left-flank corner by Dixon perfectly with his head, but somehow, O’Leary stopped the ball on his goal-line. A late header wide by Horrigan was the final miss but Heeley did score goal six…
A fine pass by Dixon sent replacement Ebenezer Fasoranti clear centrally but although Marshall saved bravely at his feet, Heeley had followed up and managed to find space with the goalie in front of him to rap a really good drive into the goal off the underside of the horizontal pole from the 18 yard line.
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| 6-0... |
So, Leamington will regroup for the new season, whilst Coventrians prepare for their semi-final next week against Knowle, who were beaten by Fairfield in the other league, allowing Alcester to finish top and thus play AFC Coventry Rangers in the other semi.
Featherstone, Marshall, McEvoy, Ajoku and Price all did OK for Hibs, as did Smith, whilst the others all put in a shift. Coventrians were simply stronger on the day and likely to score each time they went forward but Newport, Middleton, Dixon and Cadby were lively, whilst Connolly and Wilson gave the midfield a quite solid appearance as Newport subsequently steered the team to success…
TEAMS:
COVENTRIANS:
JAMES CONNOLLY, HARVEY MIDDLETON, AARON DONALDSON (CAPT), LUKE WILSON, KEIRON BUTLER, DAN ‘NO NUMBER’ HUME, LIAM CONNOLLY, BEN NEWPORT, ABEL OSEI TUTU, NATHAN CADBY, JOSH DIXON.
SUBS:
JOEL HEELEY, RICKY BLEWITT, CONNOR HORRIGAN, ALLY HASSAN, EBENEZER FASORANTI.
LEAMINGTON HIBS:
JACK MARSHALL, SAM AJOKI, SAM NEWEY, ZACH FEATHERSTONE (CAPT), LUKE WOOLLEY, SAM SMITH, RYAN MCEVOY, GEORGE PRICE, JORDAN DODZO, JACK O’LEARY, ED BROGAN.
SUBS:
NONE…
