AFC COVENTRY RANGERS 1-2 COVENTRIANS: THE INDEPENDENT, WET, MALFUNCTIONING-UMBRELLA-INFLUENCED MATCH REPORT...

 Storms Weathered As Coventrians Find Success At Rangers

AFC Coventry Rangers 1-2 Coventrians

This was an absorbing match played in testing conditions and players from both teams were very physical, resulting in several cautions. Someone reckoned beforehand that the suspect weather had finished for the day and before the 6.45pm kick-off it appeared that his forecast might just be accurate. Until that is banks of cloud crawled ominously across the Coventry sky. BBC’s weather for the area had been described as light showers and a gentle breeze but after 20 minutes or so, a raucous wind got up in a kind of flurry and initiated a persistent deluge before the interval.

REF: "DO YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT I'VE GOT IN MY POCKET, AARON?" AARON: "ER, NO, YOU'RE ALL RIGHT REF..."

I had stood on a fake-grass covered ‘stage-block’ to offer a slightly elevated view for my hand-held camera but as the rain lashed from in front of me, the lens was constantly spotted with it, leaving me wrestling with a cloth in my right hand and an unruly umbrella in the other (it had already made an unsuccessful attempt to take off from the ground…) It tossed, thrashed and fractured two of its own spokes, which sent one side of the brolly flapping over upon itself and thus left me more exposed to the storm. I was unable to use my dictaphone, I was soaked by half-time, I had no clue whether I had captured any decent footage and thus simply prayed to the god Thor that I had done so by clutching his hammer which hangs on my necklace. Had I had managed to film Liam Connolly’s goal? As it happened, yes, amazingly…

MY SOON TO BE DELUGED TERRACING...

After the break, the rain eased, the wind dropped somewhat but I had been able to change my jacket in the car and dump my brolly, heading for the opposite touchline with a small umbrella and a drier camera to film part two. At least the rain was prevented from wetting the lens but my jeans were heavy from the drenching they had received. My new umbrella, purchased the following day cost £28, so it had become an expensive night out…

SOMEONE IN THE HOME DUGOUT LOOKS RATHER FORLORN...

Oh, yes, there was a match too… 

And one character was particularly instrumental in his team’s success: Coventrians’ left-back and skipper Aaron Donaldson, whom I shall praise later… 

The strange thing about this match was that being there, it seemed that Coventrians were the stronger, the more threatening and probably deserved victory but after thinking about the encounter and checking the video footage, it was clear that Rangers had conjured up enough chances to have won with something to spare. Rarely was home goalie Ross Davis truly tested and both goals credited to Coventrians were eminently avoidable. Despite their forwards, Joel Heeley, Jeremy Agholor and Nathan Cadby looking the livelier set of offensemen, only Cadby really went close to scoring. The two goals were scored by visiting midfielder Liam Connelly, following a handling error by Davis and central defender Dan Hume, after Cadby’s header had been hacked from the AFC goal-line. 

SWAIN & BRANDISH...

However, Rangers had seen chances for Connoll Farrell (their eventual scorer), skipper Jordan Powell, Liam Doyle, defender George Swain, Joe Gardner and Luke Comasky go begging, with an array of poor accuracy, close things and miscues. Visiting ‘keeper James Connolly made two or three scuttling and scooping stops but he wasn’t forced to make any flying saves, as too many AFC efforts simply missed the target. 

Corners were concerning for the home defence early in the game, when the fully immersed midfielder Ben Newport’s first flag-kick was clipped back across goal by Coventrians’ midfielder Luke Wilson for Hume’s downward header at the right stick to be stopped by Davis’ standing legs. After Agholor’s neat skill, his low cross-shot was deflected wide by a defender, before another right-side corner by Newport Gwent, er, went straight onto Wilson’s head but with Davis beaten, the alert and very influential AFC midfielder Ryan Alexander hacked the effort from his goal-line.

LIAM CONNOLLY, 2ND FROM LEFT, WOULD SCORE FIRST FOR COVENTRIANS...

The opening goal came after the weather had turned and I was frantically trying to clear the lens of my camera but fortunately, one can see on the footage that Cadby’s pass through inside-left was chased by Heeney and although Davis slid to claim the ball, having advanced along his right byeline, he failed to gather it. Heeney did though and clipped a right-booted cross into the 6 yard box where both Liam Connolly and Rangers’ left-back Toby Curran slid towards it but the Coventrian reached it first and the ball rolled inside the left upright. 0-1 and that seemed about right, following the visitors’ strong start. 

However, little else was actually created by the guests before the interval, although their concentration, physical prowess and teamwork were all evident in bundles. Ryan Conneeley (his Hinckley AFC bro’ was there to watch) and Hume protected James Connolly rather well but a succession of close shaves frustrated Rangers as the weather worsened.

POWELL IN POSSESSION...

Farrell was blocked at the right post by Conneeley and the goalie, from Comasky’s service on the right, Farrell turned at the near pole but Hume deflected his shot wide with a flailing left shoe and the AFC striker even cleared Hume’s back-header off the Coventrians’ goal-line when he simply couldn’t get out of the way… Doyle’s low volley was somehow shovelled past his own right post by James Connolly, like he was attempting to shift his vomiting pet dog out of the back door and Doyle shot another decent chance poorly wide.

AGHOLOR, FOREGROUND: USUALLY LIVELY IN POSSESSION...

The ball bounced off Gardner’s boot in front of goal on one occasion and the ‘keeper gratefully picked it up, Swain nearly connected with a diving header from a left-flank free-kick then headed over the target with a thrust from 6 yards following Doyle’s provision. Powell though was unfortunate, for three times he went close with headers; the first he couldn’t get above and the ball rose, then fell into the roadside bushes, the second, from a left-side free-kick was glanced just beyond the far upright and the third was fumbled past his right stick by James Connolly, as if once again his pet dog was about to throw up.

REF: "YOU CAN HAVE A LOOK AT WHAT'S IN MY POCKET, OR YOU CAN GET A CAUTION..."

The referee finally blew his whistle for the recess and the rain became less of a hinderance although the light was not conducive for filming or snapping pictures. Coventrians though scored quickly from Newport’s right-wing corner. Cadby rose superbly to head goal wards, Alexander cleared from his goal-line for a second time but the ball bounced off Davis’ face for Hume to almost apologetically poke it into the vacant net from a few yards out.

0-2 NOW: HUME'S ASSIST WAS FROM AFC GOALIE DAVIS' FACE...

The guests threatened only on the break from then on and Cadby’s low drive, following Agholor’s run and pass was the best goal attempt, which flew just wide of the left vertical. Agholor was blocked twice at inside-left, first by the attentions of Ash Knights and Swain, then by Knights alone, who played a strong game for Rangers. A Wilson piledriver from downtown was stopped by team-mate Cadby on the 18 yard line and substitute Jordan Brandish’s glancing header drifted wide late on.

The hosts battled hard but once again their finishing let them down. James Connolly spooned a low Gardner shot behind his right post, Powell might have won a penalty after a holding incident with Cadby, then glanced another header just wide of the right stick, before yet another Powell header was blocked by the visiting defence. Farrell had already smacked an angled shot from the left which had been blocked at the near post, before he struck a left-booted cross-shot from the same flank over the gloves of James Connolly and deep into the Coventrians’ net to reduce the arrears.

THE RAIN ON THE LENS LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE HAS JUST FIRED GRAPESHOT AT FARRELL AND FAGBEMI.
(FARRELL HAS JUST SCORED FOR AFC...)

Try as they did, AFC failed to regain the parity they likely deserved, for Comasky missed the ball completely from replacement Alfie Boylin’s long throw and then miscued from Farrell’s resulting assist, so that Coventrians were able to clear. A one-two between substitute Fola Fagbemi and Gardner saw the former denied by the outrushing goalkeeper, then Fagbemi clipped the ball just wide of the right post, after Powell had nearly got his head to a left-wing cross, which Hume had scrambled away.  

A right-wing corner struck the near post, as Swain challenged and from replacement James Chappell’s cross, a defensive miscue maybe struck a Coventrian arm but it was likely accidental anyway. Subsequently though, the guests held out to claim a very important victory and next Tuesday the teams meet again, with Rangers the visitors… One not to miss…

BOYLIN (14) MARKS NEWPORT (8)...

So, what of Donaldson? He tackled ferociously and the timing of his challenges was exemplary in the majority of cases. Comasky received little change from the Coventrians’ leader, whose example was like that of a Roman Centurion who once trained his Legionaries at Lunt Fort nearby. He was so effective on the night and yet when I passed a stray ball back to him during the second period he greeted me, as The Mowdog… Odd that. Missing only were his gladius and helmet to be fair… 

DONALDSON: EXCELLENT ON THE NIGHT...

So, Newport and Liam Connolly did sterling work in midfield for Coventrians, right-back Harvey Middleton was quick and lithe, whilst Cadby and Agholor were always likely to create something, despite neither of them really working Davis.

Rangers missed Boylin from the start and in truth, Fagbemi looked adept when he appeared as a replacement but both full-backs, plus Swain and partner Phil Chesters, also midfielders Alexander and Gardner put in decent shifts. Powell led by example for the hosts but really, his team’s finishing was profligate on the night…

HAS A COVENTRIANS PLAYER BEEN ATTACKED BY THAT HUGE DOG ON THE SIDELINE?

Cautions, according to both clubs were as follows: Wilson, Conneeley, Newport and Liam Connolly for Coventrians, whilst Chesters and possibly Boylin were yellow-carded for Rangers, although if those statistics are incorrect, then I claim no responsibility, for the information was sent to me post-game!

TEAMS:

AFC COVENTRY RANGERS:

ROSS DAVIS, ASH KNIGHTS, TOBY CURRAN, RYAN ALEXANDER, PHIL CHESTERS, GEORGE SWAIN, LUKE COMASKY, JOE GARDNER, CONNOLL FARRELL, JORDAN POWELL (CAPT), LIAM DOYLE.

SUBS:

FOLA FAGBEMI, ALFIE BOYLIN, JAMES CHAPPELL, SOL BLOOMER, ADAM FINCH.

COVENTRIANS:

JAMES CONNOLLY, HARVEY MIDDLETO, AARON DONALDSON (CAPT), LUKE WILSON, DAN HUME, RYAN CONNEELEY, LIAM CONNOLLY, BEN NEWPORT, JOEL HEELEY, JEREMIE AGHOLOR, NATHAN CADBY.

SUBS:

LEE KELLY, JORDAN BRANDISH, REECE STOWE, JOSH DIXON, EBENEZER FASORANTI.