STUDLEY 4-0 COVENTRIANS: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

 Coventrians Beaten By Edwards’ Left Boot

Studley 4-0 Coventrians

The Mowdog’s First Thoughts…

Yes, Dale Edwards nabbed a hat-trick for Studley, although he might have scored more times and yes, the Bees were more adept than their visitors, two levels below them in stature. Yes, home replacements Dan Carter and Alfie Bloomer squandered late chances but what must have rankled with the Coventry team most of all was how they felt the match had been refereed. 

It did seem odd that when Cov striker Nathan McGarrity broke clear at inside-left during the opening half, when a long clearance had beaten Studley defender Ryan Keen, no foul was given after Keen’s clumsy challenge from behind sent McGarrity sprawling. Not only was that contentious but Keen was the last defender too… 

MURPHY: A PRESENCE IN ATTACK FOR STUDLEY...

During the opening exchanges of the second period, Edwards lost out in the Cov penalty-box to defender Harvey Middleton, whereby the referee whistled with little or no direction as to what he was signalling. In fact, Cov central defender Dan Hume placed the ball down to take a free-kick himself, at which point, the official, standing on the left corner of the 18 yard area, pointed vaguely and with what seemed some embarrassment to the penalty-spot… It all seemed rather odd.

Coventrians were apoplectic, already 2-0 behind and working hard to get back into the game, they felt they had been treated in a shambolic manner. I was an independent but I felt for the visitors… 

Two players, Jack Cresswell of Studley and the rapid Cofi Staples of Cov, had been booked for squaring up to each other in the first period, after Cresswell had aimed a kick at Staples, following the Cov man’s harsh challenge. However, during the second-half, another squaring up of players, this time Hume and Studley’s Kieran Donnelly (following a foul by Cov skipper Aaron Donaldson on Donnelly) was allowed to go unpunished, leaving the few spectators wondering whether the word ‘consistency’ is missing these days from refereeing manuals…  

INNOCENCE...

CHOOSING PARTNERS...

Certainly, the flavour of the evening was sour for Coventrians who had agreed to play this fixture as a late replacement…

Dale Edwards…

This guy benefitted from an early break, first by Sean Cooke but I think it was Liam Fullerton who finally fed him at inside-left and the forward squeezed between Middleton and Luke Mason before a gentle left-footer beat the advancing James Connolly in the Cov goal and rolled into the right corner of the net.

1-0...

He shot too high from an angle too, before fine approach work on the right by Danny Murphy led to an assist and so much time 12 yards out that it made my slow motion replay of the goal seem in slow, slow, slow motion, as Edwards side-footed the ball into the net with ease. A strange goal, in truth…

2-0...

Edwards also had a low angled effort deflected for a corner but he competed his hat-trick in the second period with a firm penalty, resulting from the incident mentioned above and his shot flew hard into the bottom left corner of the net. He clipped an effort wide from downtown, after James Connolly had saved well from Kieran Donnelly, then the ‘keeper beat away an Edwards shot, before saving again from the winger late on, although Carter fumbled the rebound.

Consequently, one has to say that the rather laconic Edwards was the match winner for Studley and he will surely go into the season’s opener at Clanfield 85 in Oxfordshire on Saturday as a real threat for his team. 

Studley…  

Liked the midfielders. Cooke is always neat to watch in possession and he found himself in a fine tussle with Cov’s Staples on occasions but neither gave any quarter. Kieran Donnelly, Max Loveridge and Cresswell were involved in a number of smart moves, although only Donnelly looked to shoot on the night, forcing a low but easy save from James Connolly and firing wide as the half-time whistle sounded. Cooke was unable to turn a far post cross anywhere but into the side-netting but the liveliness of those guys was unmatched by their guests for long periods.

HIDING...

Goal four was lifted in by the outside of Fullerton’s right boot from 19 yards, the ball of course swerving out of the ‘keeper’s reach in its trajectory, as it curled high inside the left upright. 

However, the late misses by Bloomer and Carter in particular would have disappointed both players, although substitute Jack Cresswell planted a decent headed chance too high also. Bloomer grabbed the ball to take a free-kick from 23 yards but shot way too high, then a linesman maybe missed the forward being offside but James Connolly saved the clear striker’s low drive with a left glove anyway. Bloomer clipped another effort wide and also placed a soft chip into the goalie’s hands but Carter, as described above, didn’t have the best of fortunes in front of goal. 

When Cooke went clear but was denied by the advancing James Connolly, Bloomer really should have buried the rebound but he tried, unselfishly to feed Carter. The assist was unexpected though and the danger was cleared by Cov. Late on, Carter smacked an angled effort into the right side-netting.

Will Beach swept as the middle defender of three, rather successfully, but he has pace too, which is so essential for a defender these days. He was flanked by the strong Tom Fishwick and Keen.

BEACH & MCGARRITY...

Coventrians… 

Always a tough ask for them and of course their coaches became agitated about the refereeing, plus the reactions of and decisions taken by some of their players. Subsequently an interval chat took place in a corner of the pitch a long way from anyone. It sounded harsh. And the manager still has my pen… 

McGarrity shot too high in the opening minute, then badly wide after his corner had been blasted back to him by Luke Wilson’s miscue. Donaldson shot wide and then too high, following a decent run and Warren Dakouri headed well off target from a McGarrity corner.

MCGARRITY, DAKOURI & KEEN...

Beach tackled replacement Sola Adiko near the right byeline after the recess but at least the tall forward added a little enterprise to the visiting attack, as did Josh Dixon. Home goalie Ryan Young saved an angled McGarrity shot late on and Liam Connolly headed too high from a deep McGarrity free-kick. Replacement Lewis Chester was also lively for Cov on the offensive right and he was denied by the smothering Young in the latter stages following a decent run.

Wilson was reliable though for Cov, as was Donaldson and later, Hume. James Connolly of course made fine saves during the second period…

Reflections…

Thanks to both clubs for trying to provide me with the names and numbers of their players but apologies to Adiko, for I thought the coaches had shouted that his surname was ‘Adibo’ and of course I called him that on the video clips… Oops…

Coventrians play Balsall & Berkswell on Saturday, so it remains to be seen how they will replace the departed Agholor, Newport and Heeley…

Studley look a challenge for any opposition at their level, so the results of the opening games in the new season will be fascinating to assess… 

SQUADS:

STUDLEY:

RYAN YOUNG, MAX LOVERIDGE, WIL BEACH, KIERAN DONNELLY, JACK CRESSWELL, ALFIE BLOOMER, JACK DONNELLY, LIAM FULLERTON, DALE EDWARDS, DAN CARTER, TOM FISHWICK, RYAN KEEN, DANNY MURPHY, SEAN COOKE, MATT EDWARDS. 

COVENTRIANS:

JAMES CONNOLLY, HARVEY MIDDLETON, LEWIS CHESTER, LUKE WILSON, DAN HUME, ANT ALLEN, LIAM CONNOLLY, LEE KELLY, NATHAN MCGARRITY, COFI STAPLES, SOLA ADIKO, WARREN DAKOURI, JOSH DIXON, KIERAN MARTIN, AARON DONALDSON (CAPT).