AFC SOLIHULL 4-2 AFC COVENTRY RANGERS: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

 Unsavoury At Tudor Grange

AFC Solihull 4-2 AFC Coventry Rangers

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

Rangers were without main striker Connoll Farrell, left-back Dan Monger, plus central defenders Phil Chesters and George Swain for this trip to AFC Solihull, who had beaten Bartley Reds 9-1 just seven days before. The Coventry defence thus struggled to settle and in fact gifted their hosts three of their four goals. Home forward Abdul Adegbola nabbed a neat hat-trick but infuriated the Rangers defenders with what they described as ‘use of the elbow’ on occasions. In fact, both Adegbola and Coventry’s James Chappell were warned about their behaviour and visiting skipper Jordan Powell was fortunate to escape one booking for a late hack at an opponent, as things went wrong for his team after taking an early lead. He was yellow-carded later for punching the ball into the Solihull net…

TOSSIN'...

The consequences of Rangers’ complaints included some unpleasant exchanges between the two dugout areas and a succession of stoppages, infringements and delays whilst the referee ‘had words with’ players. He was heard to say at one point “Stop the moaning, it’s getting on my nerves…” He missed several foul challenges though and received scant support from the smaller of his two linespersons.

I moved at half-time from my viewing position between the two ‘technical areas’ which stretched some way forwards in ‘portrait’ mode, rather than ‘landscape’, meaning that spectators around the half-way line had their views of the two goalmouths impeded by the teams’ coaches, who were standing at the front edges of their long rectangular spaces. The pitch was certainly rather narrow, therefore…

RANGERS: A STRUGGLE IN DEFENCE...

To describe such a strange encounter will be awkward but suffice to say that Solihull scored one smart goal and capitalised upon three Rangers errors to claim the points. Rangers were unable to get the speedy Fola Fagbemi into their offensive play, Curtis Cutts was no replacement for Farrell and the midfielders found passing tough on the small, bumpy pitch.

Indeed, home ‘keeper Brad Preece punted a bunch of clearances straight to Coventry goalie Dale O’Donnell in the second-half which was as puzzling as it was boring and Rangers relied on long throws by Cutts, mainly from the left flank but to no avail, a promising tactic on a narrow pitch which was understandable but rather uninventive.

WARNINGS...

Solihull offered little after the break, when they led 3-1, another puzzle but perhaps Powell had marshalled his troops enough to make more of a game of it. However, as attackers, Oli Manoochehri, Cutts and Liam Doyle were disappointing as a group.

With Rangers launching throws and home ‘keeper Preece watching defenders Tom Altay and Will Lucas having to contest headers to clear the danger, the hosts actually went close to one other goal, following a corner and then scored a fourth goal with assists from both Chappell and fellow defender Toby Curran. And that was that…

COMASKY & PARSONS...

Abdul Adegbola… 

The Solihull forward was busy, physical and scored with three from four shots. He did fire badly wide too, although in truth, strike partner Ollie Parsons was in support but Adegbola didn’t look up. His first goal was badly filmed by me, as the viewfinder was too low, for which I apologise to AFC Solihull. I don’t watch the game through the hand-held camera, so I can write what I see, not what the camera offers afterwards. 

WARNING FOR POWELL...

There had been an awful mix-up in the visiting defence, when both Chappell and Axel Ahouzan became entwined, albeit some way from goal but in a messy scramble, the ball was miscued by Ahouzan and that freed Adegbola, who ran on to beat the advancing O’Donnell with little difficulty.

1-1...

His second goal was a total disaster for the guests, as from what it appears was a goal-kick by Preece, Parsons lingered behind Chappell, thus lurking onside and when the Rangers man mis-headed the ball, Parsons was onto it quickly and passed right for Adegbola, who, er, ran on and beat the advancing O’Donnell, again…

3-1...

His hat-trick involved an unchallenged Chappell header, after Rangers had pulled back the scoreline to 3-2 in the second-half but he mistimed it upwards and left, forcing Curran to jump and head the ball back into his penalty-box towards O’Donnell. But wait… Adegbola was there to volley a low, acute effort past the helpless gloveman. Oops.

4-2...

The tricky footwork and showboating by Adegbola, plus the use of his arms for advantage irritated a number of folks but he was the match winner and he took his goals splendidly. 

Ryan Alexander…

A smart early goal for the visitors, some industrious work but he didn’t deserve to be on the losing side. He exchanged passes on the left with Doyle, then lifted the ball over a defender to reclaim possession inside the 18 yard box, before slotting a low, angled right-footed shot into the bottom right corner of the net.

0-1...

Curtis Cutts…

His game included long throws, a couple of headers over the target and a penalty goal, after replacement Ebenezer Fasoranti had been fouled, although it was tough to see where the offence had been committed. Subsequently Cutts sent Preece diving left but placed a low left-footed spot-kick into the bottom left corner of goal.

3-2...

Ross Kaar…

The Solihull left-back was decent, although his two second period free-kick shots from downtown were disappointing and too high. His third, although not going into goal was tipped for a corner by the advancing O’Donnell and the resulting flag-kick saw Altay’s header bounce near the left stick for Lucas to head goalwards but his colleague, substitute Dane Reid stopped the effort almost on the goal-line.

PENALTY GIVEN...

He created goal two though when he fastened onto a pass by Adegbola on the left, cut inside, beating Luke Comasky and his low centre was rapped into the roof of the net by Matt Hobbs from close range.

2-1...

Jordan Powell…

The Rangers skipper was a danger aerially although he was unable to trouble Preece but he, like Solihull’s number 4 Louis Andrews, never shirked a tackle and both midfielders would leave the field with some credit. Powell also got in the way of Curran’s low centre at the near post and then his own angled delivery from the left byeline struck Kaar. 

YELLOW FOR SHAMEL...

The final comments…

So, Rangers’ day of errors and long throws brought them only defeat and Solihull now find themselves top of the league table on goal-difference…

In Cherno Sey and Josias Kindala, they had neat and skilled runners, although their work was stunted by the way the second period panned out, with Cutts chucking the ball into the crowd like at a round-ball Rugby Union line-out. 

ALL OVER...

The third goal was also reminiscent of another sport, Volleyball, for it was like Chappell dug the ball out, Curran set it up and Adegbola smashed in his volley… Except of course that the goalscorer was not on the same team as his assistants…

Doyle and Kaar were booked for a scrap, following a hook-shot attempt by the Rangers’ singing winger, whilst Louis Shamel was cautioned for an ugly challenge on Luke Comasky, who did well enough at right-back for the guests.

Home manager Joe Ballinger was also yellow-carded…

Unsavoury? Yeah, I guess it was…

TEAMS:

AFC SOLIHULL:

BRAD PREECE, BRAD ANDREWS, ROSS KAAR, LOUIS ANDREWS, TOM ALTAY, WILL LUCAS (CAPT), CHERNO SEY, JOSIAS KINDALA, OLLIE PARSONS, MATT HOBBS, ABDUL ADEGBOLA.

SUBS:

JACK GOODE, DANE REID, LOUIS SHAMEL, ZAK BENNETT, NIALL MCILDUFF.

AFC COVENTRY RANGERS:

DALE O’DONNELL, LUKE COMASKY, TOBY CURRAN, RYAN ALEXANDER, AXEL AHOUZAN, JAMES CHAPPELL, FOLA FAGBEMI, OLI MANOOCHEHRI, CURTIS CUTTS, JORDAN POWELL (CAPT), LIAM DOYLE.

SUBS:

RORY TURNBULL, EMMANUEL EDOGIAWERIE, EBENEZER FASORANTI, LATEEF GIWA, ROSS DAVIS (GK).