BEWDLEY TOWN 0-2 LYE TOWN: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

 Flyers Finally Ease To Victory Over Troubled Riversiders, Despite Joe Sidaway’s Heroics…

Bewdley Town 0-2 Lye Town

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

Right from the start of this encounter it was evident that Bewdley were going to struggle. And struggle they did, barely getting in any shots at goal for the duration of the match. Lye squandered a number of chances but eventually took two, one scored by the influential Ben Billingham, the other created by him and netted by the poorly marked Jaden Owusu-Nepal, with both goals coming after the half-time interval.

The Riversiders had already lost an FA Cup tie and their first league game 3-0, both on the road but after two league matches they now languish 18th of 19 teams in the MFL Premier league table with a goal difference of -5. However, despite losing to Lye, they have actually moved up one place from bottom of the standings because Wolves Casuals conceded six in their match at Shifnal on the same night… Lye have scored twice in all three of their games now, having been eliminated from the FA Cup 3-2 v Hanley and losing at Stone by the same scoreline in their first league outing. They are now in mid-table…

Certainly George Taylor, wearing 19 in the Lye attack displayed some real pace, worrying home defender Zak Kourouyianni but he was unable to poach a goal. In truth though, Lye dominated the midfield area, where Billingham was impressive. The support he received from Ryan Bridgewater and skipper Sam Tye was strong, effective and subsequently too much for Bewdley’s rather underwhelming midfield performance. 

SKIPPERS RUDD & TYE...

The home defence was under pressure for much of the evening and it was fortunate for their goal difference that ‘keeper Joe Siddaway was in decent form. He had been chosen by Gresley and Uttoxeter as the Riversiders’ MVP in their previous two games and it’s not really possible to look elsewhere for a more deserving ‘best Bewdley player’ from this contest either. 

My apologies for the lack of screenshots from the game but when the light began to fade around kick-off time, capturing stills from the video clips was not possible due to a lack of clarity. After half-time, when the floodlights were on, the general darkness interfered and I was forced to film on ‘night landscape’ mode to avoid lapses of focus.

I was surprised however at the number of folks in the grandstand who spent much of the match bent over their mobile phones. Surprising that, after paying to get into the match and likely buying drinks/food too…

KOUROUYIANNI & TAYLOR...

The characters: 

1/ Ben Billingham…  

His set-pieces often asked questions of the home defence and he was involved in most of Lye’s creative/offensive play. He scored the opening goal too, by running towards the left side of the 18 yard box from centrefield and slipping a low shot past the advancing Sidaway.

The assist for goal two was well executed, getting in a fine centre from the left byeline but the marking by Bewdley was inept, as Owusu-Nepal jumped unattended to nod the ball down past Sidaway from 2 yards. Three defenders were meant to be marking three attackers inside the 6 yard box and Sidaway must have thought afterwards that he might have done better to have chucked a fist at the ball, rather than hope for effective defensive challenges.

SIDAWAY EITHER HAS A NOSE BLEED OR HE'S PRACTISING DRINKING SHOTS ON A NIGHT OUT...

2/ Joe Sidaway…

He used his voice well, his handling was good and he made saves, including two first period tip-overs from angled efforts, right of goal from Taylor and Tye. After the recess he blocked with his legs from Tye, following a mazy run by the Lye skipper but he could do little about a fine effort from downtown by Flyers’ replacement Oli West which bounced away from the crossbar.

The ‘keeper played well but the team’s attacking ventures were rare and ill constructed, although several rushes by striker Josh Carpenter were eye-catching. Both he and sidekick Luke Morris received scant service throughout the match but subsequently it was sad to see the lively Morris being helped off the field hurt during the final moments. 

"NO, STAY HERE, I WANT TO READ YOU A PASSAGE FROM GEORGE ORWELL'S '1984'..."

3 & 4/ Sam Tye & Ryan Bridgewater…

These two were menaces and their lean, long striding running proved rather awkward for the home team to contest. Their safety valve was Bekir Halil, who foraged, offered a secure option in a deep position and he said lots on the pitch too, it appeared… 

5/ The referee… 

It was good to see a young official who kept up with play and he did a decent job, although to allow the hurt Halil, accompanied by his physio’ to make such a sluggish diagonal ‘walk’ to the Lye dugout, when he should really have exited the pitch at the nearest point to get the game going again, was as annoying as it was unnecessary. Taylor’s caution was also a trifle odd, in relation to some of the tackles which were only punished by free-kicks.  

WHAT MARKING IS...

6 & 7/ George Taylor & Jaden Owusu-Nepal…

This pair caused the home central defenders some real hassle but really, both might have scored before the break, for Sidaway tipped Taylor’s smart chip over the goal-frame but then the forward shot weakly at the ‘keeper from a decent position and drove too high, both shots coming after he had cut inside from the left section of the 18 yard box. 

Taylor was cautioned for knocking the ball out of play too as he lost control of it, which must have galled him because several fouls worthy of bookings during the match were not punished in the same manner.

CEESAY IS EITHER BEING TREATED, OR HE'S LOST HIS CHEWING GUM...

Owusu-Nepal shot wide from an open position with his left boot, following some speedy approach play by Taylor but in the end, he took his headed goal well enough.

Final comments…

Bewdley’s Luke and Laurie Morris both wasted second period free-kick deliveries from 22 yards or so, albeit from beyond the right corner of the penalty-box, whilst Calum Martin had a shot blocked by the sturdy and rarely troubled Flyer Jack Pearlman. Industrious skipper Simon Rudd skied a shot from way downtown and later in the game Kourouyianni fell as he lifted an attempt over the crossbar from 7 yards following a set-piece. Otherwise, the two strikers managed only one really direct shot between them, as Lye’s Pearlman and Musa Ceesay largely ruled the roost. Carpenter’s low drive, after smoothly cutting across the 18 yard line from the right, was weak however and rolled straight to the visiting ‘keeper Brad Mayo.

RIVERSIDE...

So, all in all, a bread and butter win for Lye, who were rarely stretched by a team lacking pace and guile when it really mattered and it was only going to be a matter of time before their dominance was rewarded with goals. It took three-quarters of the encounter to happen but they will not often find three points easier to claim during this season… 

TEAMS:

BEWDLEY TOWN:

JOE SIDAWAY, STEVE CLARKE, LAURIE MORRIS, ZAK KOUROUYIANNI, DAN HADLEY, BEN NAPTHINE, SAM LESTER, SIMON RUDD (CAPT), JOSH CARPENTER, LUKE MORRIS, CALUM MARTIN.

SUBS:

TOM SMITH, BEN WORTHINGTON, RIO BAKALA, JORDAN GRAHAM, LUKE SIDAWAY. 

LYE TOWN:

BRAD MAYO, SAM TYE (CAPT), JASON CHILTON, JACK PEARLMAN, MUSA CEESAY, RYAN BRIDGEWATER, JOE LAWLEY, BEKIR HALIL, GEORGE TAYLOR, BEN BILLINGHAM, JADEN OWUSU-NEPAL.

SUBS:

OLI WEST, DAN DANKS, WILL MASSEY, HAROON KASSIM, CHRIS RABONE.