MALVERN TOWN 2-2 BISHOP'S CLEEVE (4-5 IN A PENALTY SHOOTOUT...): THE INDEPENDENT, LIGHTHEARTED MATCH REPORT & MORE IMAGES...

Gold Award For Gilder As Mitres Edge Out Hillsiders In A Penalty Shootout…

Malvern Town 2-2 Bishop’s Cleeve (4-5 on penalties…)

This Bluefin Sports Challenge Cup Quarter-Final held at Langland Avenue was a good encounter, sprinkled with four goals, two dismissals, some unpleasant injuries, several superb saves by visiting goalkeeper Sam Gilder and it ended in a tense penalty shootout which was won by Cleeve. No penalty saves were made and only the very first one was missed, by Matt Fusco, who had only appeared as a replacement minutes before the end of regulation time. His placed spot-kick struck a post, whilst the other nine kicks were scored decisively.

THE TOSS...

Sam Blackie, Tyrone Tucker-Dixon, Jake Parrott, Kevin Slack and Stephen Davies netted Cleeve’s penalties and for Malvern, both Sauntsons, Matt Turner and Harry Clark were successful. Certainly Clark might have won this game on his own but he missed with an acceptable header and was denied a couple of times by fine Gilder saves. Both Cleeve goals stemmed from breaks but Tucker-Dixon might have won the game at the end for his team too, shortly after having a fine effort tipped onto the crossbar by home goalie Kieron Blackburn. He got away from Jamie Saunston and was only scuppered by a strong, low save by the advancing ‘keeper.

JAMIE SAUNTSON ASKS FOR AN UMBRELLA TO BE AT THE READY...

The two dismissals were, I guess, understandable, for visiting defender Mark Pritchett certainly baulked Turner as he bustled clear towards the penalty-box and when Hillsider Phil Harris slid into a challenge on Blackie, revealing the sole of his shoe, there was little choice for the referee… Subsequently though, Town were unable to make the extra player count for quite some time and in fact the visitors retook the lead when they were shorthanded. Maybe Malvern will rue the form of Gilder but Cleeve will surely be pleased with the grit shown. Two influential visiting players left the field with injuries too: defender Leroy Odiero and forward Ieuan Crowe. Crowe was lying hurt for some time and in fact the match didn’t finish until just about 5pm.

THE REF SIGNALS FOR A TISSUE, AFTER PICKING HIS NOSE...

I hope both Cleeve players recover soon, also Malvern’s first goalscorer, Louis Loader, who limped off during the tense latter stages of quite a cup-tie.

LOADER GOES OFF...

After an early Bullock drive from 18 yards was palmed aside by the leaping Gilder, Curtis Smith nodded well off target from the lively but  unrewarded Joe Bates’ corner and when Clark’s lobbed delivery from the left flank caused trouble at the far angle for the ‘keeper, Gilder won a free-kick from Bates’ challenge. Twice George Hayes was denied by Gilder, the second shot being from an angle, following Bates’ pass but Clark was lurking unmarked at the edge of the 6 yard box.

CROWE (10): AWKWARD TO MARK AT TIMES...

Clark saw a low right-wing centre pushed out of the way by a tumbling Gilder, then headed a fine opportunity wide of the left stick from the eager, wily and effective Lewis Platt’s centre. Clark would also take an assisted pass from Hayes but again Gilder saved really well from his shot. Despite his hard work and willingness to drop back and pick up possession, central striker Turner was rarely offered a sight of goal but when he did threaten, on two occasions, first an offside flag thwarted him and then Pritchett dragged him down to earn a red card. 

MALVERN MARKING...

The guests had been competitive but really, until they scored, their only efforts at goal had been a tame header too high by the curiously unmarked Jake Rhodes, a low Blackie shot straight to Blackburn and a left-footer off target by the surging right-back Lindon Dovey. Waugh had already rushed to the left byeline and tested Blackburn before he struck a goal for the Mitres. Rhodes cleverly breezed past Adam Sauntson on the right byeline and passed a crucial assist across the 6 yard box for Waugh to convert with some ease. 

0-1: WAUGH'S GOAL...

Tucker-Dixon had also tested Blackburn and defender Odiero had headed wide from one set-piece, before Smith cleared another Odiero header from his goal-line.

ALFRESCO SHOWERS AT MALVERN...

The incident which resulted in the Mitres going one man down also resulted in them going one goal down too, for home skipper Loader smacked a low free-kick which cruelly fizzed across the rain-soaked fake grass then flew beneath Gilder’s dive to his left and into the corner of the net. 1-1 at the break then, which was signalled just as Loader loaded his boot again and saw a shot from downtown career into a defender.

LOADER: HIS FREE-KICK REGAINED PARITY...

REF: "I DON'T LIKE YOUR BEARD..."

"SO..."

"YOU CAN GET LOST AND HAVE A SHAVE..."

The visitors were certainly well drilled after the recess, for Town created fewer chances than they had earlier in the game. On offense, the guests had to rely on counter-attacking and on one occasion, Waugh beat Hayes on the right but his low centre was behind Tucker-Dixon’s supporting run. Waugh then drew a low save from Blackburn, before a break was initiated by Parrott, who slipped a pass forward for Davies. He managed to reverse an assist left for Tucker-Dixon to get onto and his low angled drive might possibly have nicked off Loader on its way past the ‘keeper to give the guests a 1-2 lead.

1-2: TUCKER-DIXON...

Tucker-Dixon of course also fired a superb effort onto the home crossbar, which probably took a touch off Blackburn’s glove too but then very late on, he raced clear of Jamie Sauntson but as Blackburn narrowed the angle, the winger’s low drive was well turned aside by the goalkeeper. 

TUCKER-DIXON GOES IN THE NAUGHTY BOOK...

Malvern went close to scoring on a few occasions too, for Hayes curled a good effort just wide of the right pole, then sliced another effort well off target, whilst Bates’ pass from a left-side corner was struck first time by Loader’s right boot and the ball flew like an arrow goalwards but Gilder was alert and did so well to tip the ball over his crossbeam. Adam Sauntson headed wide and was also cautioned late on for a studs-a-showing challenge which was luckily not too accurate upon Mitres’ replacement Edward Ward’s shin. 

THE REF HAS ASKED FOR VOLUNTEERS TO SING IN THE LOCAL CHURCH CHOIR...

WELL, ACTUALLY HE WAS BOOKING ADAM SAUNTSON...

"HE'S JUST UPSET THAT HE'S GOT TO BE THE BACK END OF THE PANTO HORSE AGAIN THIS YEAR..."

HYPNOTISM IN ACTION...

Clark though, was again the main danger for Town, despite being gang tackled a few times. He attempted an audacious shot from the left touchline which dropped wide, struck an effort from the left byeline straight to the goalie and then he curled a really excellent 25 yard effort which Gilder leapt left to turn away in fine style. 

POINTING.BUT ARE THEY WATCHING?

The equaliser stemmed from a deep right-flank centre by Clark which evaded the goalkeeper and there was Turner near the left upright to head into an empty net, as well as fall against an advertising board and hurt his elbow. Hmm, takes elbow bumping to the next level, methinks…

2-2: TURNER...

One break by Turner proved his unselfishness, for instead of shooting from inside-right, he attempted to find a supporting colleague but the Cleeve defence smothered the situation. So, the game ended even and the difference in the penalty shootout was an upright…

HARRIS IS EXILED...

BLACKIE IS CONSOLED...

Praise to Bullock for his enterprise in the home midfield, Platt for his general all round play, Hayes and Clark for their attempts at goal and Turner for his workmanlike performance. For the visitors, Waugh became invaluable, Tucker-Dixon proved dangerous, Blackie and Davies were inventive whenever possible and Parrott was a pain in the bum to the opposition. Tucker-Dixon was also cautioned for kicking away the ball when Town were awarded a free-kick. Dovey was decent at the back and Pritchett’s replacement Slack certainly wasn’t, er, slack. Odiero was solid but was hurt late on and Crowe clashed with Harris to earn both his caution and a tough injury.

"WE'LL MAKE THIS GURNEY WORK..."

...BUT NO-ONE WANTS IT...

So, a stretcher was called for. Two chaps went a-hunting for it below the grandstand where I was installed to cover the encounter. There was the rattling of a lounging ladder, then other odd noises like on a comedy radio programme in the 1950s, before eventually a gurney appeared, topped with what looked like some kind of soft surface. In these days of Covid precautions, surely an injured player would choose not to lie on this contraption? A ‘Volunteer’ actually swept the surface with, er, a broom, then it was wheeled onto the pitch via a distant touchline gate.

CROWE HAS BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE STRETCHER...

By this time Crowe, who had battled manfully in attack for the Mitres, was ignoring the approaching ‘carriage’ and being helped to the tunnel by three comrades. I don’t blame him either…

SO, CROWE DEPARTS...

TEAMS:

MALVERN TOWN:

KIERON BLACKBURN, CURTIS SMITH, LEWIS PLATT, ADAM SAUNTSON, JAMIE SAUNTSON, HARRY CLARK, LOUIS LOADER (CAPT), JOE BULLOCK, MATT TURNER, JOE BATES, GEORGE HAYES.

SUBS:

HARRY WICKETT, NATHAN CHOWNES-HIGGS, MATT FUSCO, JOE BILLINGHAM, PHIL HARRIS.

BISHOP’S CLEEVE:

SAM GILDER, LINDON DOVEY (CAPT), LEROY ODIERO, JAKE PARROTT, MARK PRITCHETT, SAM BLACKIE, BLAINE WAUGH, STEPHEN DAVIES, JAKE RHODES, IEUAN CROWE, TYRONE TUCKER-DIXON.

SUBS:

EDWARD WARD, KEVIN SLACK, ASH CALDWELL, ELLIOT KENNEDY, OSCAR BIGNAL.