BRETFORTON O.B. 4-1 REDDITCH BOROUGH: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

 Redditch Leave Bretforton With Little To Show

Bretforton O.B. 4-1 Redditch Borough

Steve Edghill had sent me a list of his starters and replacements during the afternoon but of course, not the numbers worn, which we set about checking from a touchline whilst the players were still warming up. This challenge entailed Steve yelling a player’s name and asking what number he was wearing beneath his training top, such as: “Dicko! What number?” The reply: “9…” and “Beddoes! Number?” The reply: “4…” And then another player was called. Steve bellowed: “Number?” The reply: “07………” His mobile number… Brilliant… Loved that.  

UNWIN: "I WON'T PUNCH TOO HARD, I PROMISE..."

So, three Redditch players arrived some 10-15 minutes into the match: goalkeeper Dan Thompson, defender Darryl Foster and robust forward Anton Bennett, but by then the team was 1-0 behind to a first minute flick by home striker Mani Singh. Covering goalie Grant Dodd wasn’t called into much action however, whilst Adrian Thomas did well enough in defence until Foster replaced him, but ‘timekeeping’ was to rear its head again during the evening…

DODD WONDERS WHY HE AGREED TO PLAY IN GOALS FOR A WHILE...

The game started at 6.45pm and despite stoppages for six cautions, another to facilitate the dismissal of Bennett to the bin for sinners, plus a half-time break of perhaps eight to ten minutes, I was in my car and heading out of the car-park by 8.22pm. Hence, the timekeeping anomaly… Two lots of 45 minutes, the break, the stoppages added up to 97 minutes. Also, the cautions handed out seemed to belie the spirit in which the game was played but then again who am I to question officialdom? 

THOMAS: COVERED AT THE BACK UNTIL FOSTER ARRIVED...

However, Redditch grew into the opening 45 and deservedly regained parity in the final minute of the half, cancelling out Bret’s opener netted in the first minute. However, despite their strong improvement before the interval, the visitors failed to build upon this and faded rather tamely from the contest, managing only three attempts at goal after the recess. Bret pushed on though and were rewarded with a free-kick goal by Tom Dixon and another by the same player, whose pace had caused Boro’ some first period worry. They were flattered by goal four though, when Sam Beddoes’ shot from downtown was allowed by Thompson to squirm between a glove and a leg into the net on the goal-line. 

DIXON (LEFT): A CONSTANT WORRY WITH HIS PACE...

Cautions were inflicted upon Redditch’s Dan Bryant, Aljerome Clarke, Callum Ribbans and Dodd, whilst Bret’s Beddoes and Singh saw yellow too. 

Beddoes fed Adam Stanley on the Bret left in the opening minute and his left-side centre saw Singh thrust out a boot when challenged by Boro’s central defensive lynchpin Matt Capewell and the ball fizzed into the right corner of the net, leaving Dodd as helpless as namesake Ken without his tickling stick…

ALL SMILES AT THE KICK-OFF.
NOT AT THE END, THOUGH...

Dixon’s runs on the Bret right, JD Cole’s energy and Beddoes’ influence kept Redditch down for a while, as they settled in their latecomers, who had not been able to warm up. Dodd made a decent punch and then saved at Dixon’s feet and when Thompson took over between the poles, he fell to save a low Dixon effort. The goalie also smothered another shot by Dixon from an angle at his near post, thus denying the lurking Stanley and watched a Steve Edghill free-kick rise too high. A free-kick delivery by Edghill beat Max Tarry’s jump but again Stanley was hovering at the right stick but Thompson made another smothering save. Late in the half, as Thompson prepared to kick clear from near his goal-line, Singh thrust out a blocking boot and the ball ricocheted onto the base of the left post, just about sparing the ‘keeper’s blushes…  

SINGH (14): AN EARLY GOAL...

So, what of Redditch during that half? Well, an early Ribbans shot drifted well wide and following a pass by George Morris, who was finding a good deal of room on the offensive left-flank, Dan Smiles saw his rising shot tipped onto the left angle of crossbar and upright by home goalie Jack Wood. No smiles from the Boro’ man, just frowns… Capewell nodded the resulting corner straight to Wood and soon, hard-grafting midfielder Clarke rapped a low angled shot against Wood’s legs. However, much of Redditch’s good work was repelled by the home defence in which Morgan Ballinger was in fine fettle. 

CLARKE (3RD FROM RIGHT) IS ABOUT TO BE CAUTIONED...

On the stroke of half-time however, the guests equalised and Morris on the left-side of attack provided the assist with a low pass into the penalty-box, where busy midfielder Ethan McEown swept it on across the face of goal, beyond Wood’s dive and into the bottom right corner of the net. 

The whistle sounded for the end of the opening period immediately, clouds had begun to form masses in a duller sky and I returned to my car to pick up my umbrella…

MAX TARRIES AS THE SECOND PERIOD IS ABOUT TO START...

After the break though, Boro’ struggled to get going again, despite the promptings of the efficient Jason Quinn and of course McEown. Cole clipped a shot too high for Bret, then visiting central defender Capewell pulled up soon afterwards with what looked like a hamstring problem, allowing Stanley a shot from an angle which Thompson blocked. Edghill’s 23 yard free-kick from inside-right was pushed aside well by Thompson, plunging right but yet another free-kick was awarded to the hosts, this time at inside-left. Despite a six-man defensive wall, Dixon’s 22 yard drive flew belly-high into the right corner of the net for a smart goal and 2-1 to Bret.

RIBBANS & UNWIN...

Thompson’s legs saved at the near post, after Dixon had slalomed along the right byeline and on a quick break, Singh drew the ‘keeper at inside-left, squared the ball to Dixon and he had the simple task of converting from close range. 3-1 and the game was very much over for Boro’ although they did make some inroads after that, without really causing too much trouble for Ballinger and company.

Smiles will be disappointed with his header from McEown’s corner which flew much too high, Ribbans drove wide of the left stick and Clarke tested Wood from an angle on the right but subsequently it would be Bretforton who troubled the scoreboard, which, er, didn’t actually exist…

Thompson had kept his team in the game I would suggest but he will rue goal four getting past him. A clearing Boro’ kick found the feet of Beddoes at 23 yards and he shot knee-high from there, straight at Thompson but the ball appeared to drop and skid on the freshly rain-wet surface and squirm between his leg and gloves as he attempted to collect it… Having played in goal a lot myself, I felt really sad for him…   

So, Bret took the three points and although a good number of names have been mentioned so far, neither number 2 has been… In fact Callum Marshall for Bret was often the instigator of long forward clearances which set Dixon running and Redditch’s skipper Jake Chinn made some telling  blocks, especially after the interval. 

THE RISING CLARKE & STANLEY...

Thanks to both clubs for providing names, numbers and some decent entertainment but commiserations to Redditch, who were encumbered from the start by late arrivals, then recovered well but ultimately failed, although Capewell’s injury was one of the likely causes, as was the 10 minute removal of Mr Bennett for dissent, both second period incidents…

SQUADS:

BRETFORTON O.B.

JACK WOOD, CALLUM MARSHALL, JOE KEYTE, SAM BEDDOES, JAKE KEYTE, MORGAN BALLINGER, ADAM STANLEY, STEVE EDGHILL, TOM DIXON, MAX TARRY, JD COLE, MANI SINGH, STEVEN CLARKE, IAN UNWIN (CAPT).

REDDITCH BOROUGH:

DAN THOMPSON, JAKE CHINN (CAPT), DAN BRYANT, GRANT DODD, MATT CAPEWELL, ALJEROME CLARKE, CALLUM RIBBANS, JASON QUINN, ETHAN MCEOWN, DAN SMILES, GEORGE MORRIS, ADRIAN THOMAS, DARRYL FOSTER, ANTON BENNETT.