Self Inflicted Wounds Cause Defeat For Greens At Villa
Fairfield Villa 2-0 Coton Green
The Mowdog’s thoughts…
So, I drove to Fairfield listening to One Republic’s new album, released on August 27th. Having seen them live, I liked the new offering and every track title will appear in this match report, which is somewhat bereft of mentions about exciting goalmouth incidents, of which there were disappointingly few. The titles will appear in italics, for I’m only ‘Human’ (the album’s name…)
Coton Green were the more progressive first period outfit, although after they conceded a ludicrous own-goal in the second-half, then a scrambled goal by home forward Connor Perry-Holmes, the hosts certainly became the more offensive crew.
The highlight of the game was probably when the referee awarded Villa a free-kick, jogged away from the ball backwards and tripped himself over, falling like a gymnast after a particularly awkward landing following a vault. My images of the incident show Villa’s Luke Dugmore waiting to take the free-kick and looking on like he had spotted a drunk tumbling into the gutter following one shot too many.
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| REF: "JAMIE, I'M GONNA SHUFFLE THESE CARDS AND IF YOU GUESS WHICH ONE IS VISIBLE WHEN I CUT THEM, I'LL TAKE A TUMBLE DURING THE GAME..." |
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| TRUE TO HIS WORD, THEN... |
Sadly, during this encounter, shots were too few…
The own-goal…
This incident deserves its own section of my report. A booted clearance by home defender Jamie Hatfield travelled a Distance & with Elliott Weston on the Run, chasing hopefully, a kick back towards his own goal by Greens’ defender Rich Munday, on a Monday, not Someday, ‘keeper Bobbie Biddle raced to the edge of his 18 yard box to kick clear. However, he has seen Better Days, but on this one, the ball bounced up awkwardly and his kick struck his retreating skipper Joe Smith and ricocheted 19 yards into the open net. No Coton player could get back and be the Savior…
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| JOE SMITH, CENTRE, HAS BEEN CREDITED WITH AN OWN-GOAL... |
Told you it was ludicrous, Didn’t I?
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| BOBBIE BIDDLE: UNFORTUNATE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE OWN-GOAL FIASCO... |
Biddle simply looked for Somebody To Love and surely he was thinking, “OK guys, Take It Out On Me…”
Smith looked embarrassed and seemed to be thinking: “Rescue Me…”
Joe Smith…
He played well for the Greens, mixing decent anticipation with some splendidly struck long passes, aiming to get central striker Charlie Stanton running into offensive channels. He did not deserve to be a loser on the day. He Wanted success but with players suspended or unavailable, his team came up short.
Hendry, Hatfield & Hawkins…
Strung across the home rearguard, these guys contributed so much to their club’s victory against their fellow high riding opponents. Hatfield in particular won so many headers when a succession of Stuart Hendrie set-pieces threatened. In fact, home goal-minder Tom Walker was rarely troubled, being worried only by two efforts at goal.
A far post block from Greens’ long-throw expert Brad Lindsey and another stop from a low Jack Doak header, were his only tough moments in truth.
Otherwise, a pair of Joe Halsall headers dropped tamely wide for the visitors and a very late Munday header rose too high, whilst Stanton shoved a volley well wide. Corey Powell, who played hard for the Greens, really ought to have scored before the recess, smacking a right footer over the target from inside-left, on the run.
Connor Perry-Holmes…
Hardly involved before half-two, bar a contested far post header which fell wide, the Villa forward always seems to score when my camera is about. He had two low drives deflected off target but most importantly, netted the crucial second goal.
Weston did well on the left-byeline and crossed quite low, Will Hawkins fell to head the ball goalwards but it squirmed towards the far vertical, where Perry-Holmes shot in from a few yards with his left boot.
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| CONNOR PERRY-HOLMES, SECOND FROM LEFT, AFTER MAKING IT 2-0... |
The look on a marking defender’s face seemed to say, “Forgot About You…”
Luke Dugmore…
Neat feet, quick rusher, astute passer, although he was off target with two shots from downtown before the interval. In possession, he found it no real problem to Lose Somebody for his control was generally impressive.
His influence for Fairfield could be critical this term…
Bobbie Biddle…
The Greens’ stopper made two good saves for his team, first pushing a low ‘shot’ by Keith Draper, which was going wide anyway, across towards his left pole then dropping to prevent Luke Wyatt from scoring from the rebound, who was being harassed by Munday.
He saved very early in the encounter too, when Ryan Gittings got away at inside-left and he rushed out to block the effort with his legs, no doubt thinking “I’ll Take Care Of You…”
He did, too…
The Wild Life…
A couple of cautions were handed out to Greens’ Connor Wright and Fairfield’s Will Hawkins whilst there was some anger about, when a ball was kicked into some tree-tops and another aimed at folks near a dugout. Playground antics only, sadly…
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| HAWKINS IS BOOKED... |
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| WRIGHT IS CAUTIONED... |
The final words…
Not a huge amount to write about in all honesty but a result which was so important to Villa, who had led the league from Coton by a goal difference of +1 before the match began.
I was impressed by the efforts of Coton’s Curt Shiels in midfield however, for he battled until the final whistle, albeit in vain. He was busy, inventive and combative on the day, receiving a caution also. Even in the latter stages with two target-men in attack, in Dan Wain and Jack Henry, the visitors failed to utilise them and subsequently lost a game they could so easily have tied or won…
Me? In the long moments it took for the fallen referee to recover his feet, composure and control, I was thinking of a game in Norfolk I hope to attend in mid-September: Mattishall v Heacham and my mind wandered to Wells-next-the-Sea nearby and those “Ships + Tides…”
TEAMS:
FAIRFIELD VILLA:
TOM WALKER, AARON SORRELL, KEITH DRAPER, BRAD HENDRY, JAMIE HATFIELD (CAPT), WILL HAWKINS, CONNOR PERRY-HOLMES, RYAN GITTINGS, ELLIOTT WESTON, LUKE DUGMORE, JAKE WICKETTS.
SUBS:
LUKE WYATT, JAMES WYNNE, SAM HAWKER, GEORGE TOLLEY, MAX TIBBINS.
COTON GREEN:
BOBBIE BIDDLE, CONNOR WRIGHT, JOE SMITH (CAPT), RICH HOPKINS, RICH MUNDAY, COREY POWELL, STU HENDRIE, CURT SHIELS, CHARLIE STANTON, JOE HALSALL, BRAD LINDSEY.
SUBS:
JACK MOSS, MATT HILL, JACK DOAK, DAN WAIN, JACK HENRY.
