DUDLEY TOWN 2-0 ALSAGER TOWN: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT + IMAGES...

 Bullets Halted By Robins & A Lack Of Ammunition…

Dudley Town 2-0 Alsager Town

(FA VASE, 1ST QUALIFYING ROUND)

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

This was a strange encounter, fairly even during the opening half, but in truth, Alsager will want to forget what happened just prior to the interval and all of what happened after their recess victuals. 

They conceded a penalty in the final seconds of the first-half, made two half-time substitutions, then lost striker George West soon after the restart. They only had the ammunition of three substitute Bullets in the dugout and so all were used up before skipper Craig Sigley and dangerous winger Evrard Yao were also hurt and had to leave the field. So, it was eleven against nine for quite a while and really, Dudley’s Robins were home and dry, well before the conclusion for the only real chance Alsager mustered during the second-half was when home skipper Mitch Lawley made a superb challenge on the lurking Yao.

DAN JONES: ONE OR TWO DECENT SALLIES FORTH ON THE ROBINS' LEFT...

A tentative, tense, yet watchable first period saw both teams threaten at times but the spot-kick, scored by Rhys Horton really was a game-changer. The entertainment certainly petered out as time went on but the one blot on Dudley’s day was the unnecessary tackle in the final moments by the ever so loud Lawley, which caused a bit of a punch-up. 

CAUTION FOR VAYRO, AFTER CONCEDING THE PENALTY...

The second home goal was well set up by Jamal Fuller and Horton, scored by hard working midfielder Alex Perry, although in all honesty, he couldn’t miss. He did show anticipation though…

So, Dudley move on to the next round of the FA Vase and Alsager will certainly remain very disgruntled about their time at Sporting Khalsa’s stadium…

Ash Smith…

TAKPE & SMITH...

This guy was a really committed defender for the hosts, displaying toughness, strong tackling and even shooting wide of the target twice when poorly marked at set-pieces but he was also involved in the verbal stuff following Lawley’s challenge. He seemed to enjoy that though… At least it woke some of the slumbering spectators who had turned to their mobile phones for support…

SMITH, RIGHT, HAS A LAUGH IN THE PLAYGROUND SCRAP...

Todd Perry…  

I recall seeing him play a few times in years past and his experience, as well as his stubborn, often commanding defending was a good foil for Smith on the day. Obviously, this solidity allowed full-backs Connor Archer and Fuller to attack with some abandon, for Lawley dropped deeper in case of counter attacks, as illustrated by the skipper’s fine tackle on Yao. 

A BIT OF HASSLE...

Archer was so close to scoring late in the tie, having two efforts deflected and another batted away by visiting ‘keeper Tom Scott. Fuller of course played a one-two with Horton during the second forty-five, neared the left byeline and shoved a low delivery across the 6 yard box which Scott might have got fingers to but the ball rolled on for Alex Perry to convert in a truly gleeful manner to settle the outcome.

2-0 & A HAPPY ALEX PERRY...

Jacob Edwards… 

The Alsager right-back played a fine game, mixing some decent tackles with some heads-up defence and he certainly didn’t deserve to be a loser on the day. George Coleville didn’t appear after the break but he had been available and busy during the opening half and his involvement wasn’t replaced with like for like. 

The inconsistencies…

Certainly the Robins’ Hinesh Patel and the Bullets' Ben Darby were either prominent or redundant it appeared, for they were either effective or missing from the game. Patel didn’t threaten much but made a few first period rushes which looked smart but he did set up central striker Kaine Butler in front of goal, only for Sigley to haul him about. No penalty was awarded that time but when Luke Vayro managed to trip Butler later in that first-half, a spot-kick was given. Vayro was cautioned, Horton slotted the penalty into the bottom left corner of the net and the Robins were singing. 

1-0, AFTER HORTON'S SPOT-KICK...

Indeed, Horton was likely relieved for he had shot too high from a decent position in the first moments of the game, then shot straight at Scott and was crowded out on another occasion. His penalty and part-assist for goal two were contributions though.    

Darby was really influential early on for Alsager in the match but subsequently he did fade, as his team was perhaps considering damage limitation. He got past home goalie Joe Gilbert once only to be denied by a superb saving Alex Perry tackle.

THE DRAMATIC ART OF SHOWING A YELLOW CARD.
THIS TIME TO LAWLEY...

Kaine Butler…

His sheer persistence was a pain for the Bullets and he won one penalty, should have been rewarded with another, rolled a first period shot wide and struck a later effort into the side-netting but he never flinched from his duties as the central striker. He was unselfish too…

BUTLER IS BEHIND SIGLEY...

Opposition Bullets…

Apart from the Darby miss, Enoch Takpe shot into the right side of the goal-frame, Gilbert made a save from West at his near stick and West’s 33 yard free-kick sailed past the right angle of post and crossbar. Yao had an angled shot kicked clear by Gilbert but the winger was hurt twice in the second period and limped almost half-way round the pitch to reach his team’s dugout. Sad to see…

SIGLEY: "IF I DO AN IMPRESSION OF AN AEROPLANE, WILL YOU NOT BOOK ME?"

The character… 

Mitch Lawley was a constant verbal and physical presence, absolutely essential for his team’s successes and he nearly scored with a low drive from downtown near the end, a shot which Scott fell right to save smartly.

Yes, Lawley instigated the small scrap and was rightly was cautioned for that but he is the kind of skipper a team needs, for even if he should have a bad game occasionally, his influence is immense…

Late home substitute  Jayden McCalla saw a shot strike the base of a post but a third goal would have been cruel on a visiting team which although defeated, remained spirited.

Final thoughts…

A great welcome for me by Dudley Town and what a fine match programme they had produced…

And I saw Ian Rowe, the Sporting Khalsa manager at the match too. Now there’s a brilliant character on the sidelines…

ROWEY...

TEAMS:

DUDLEY TOWN:

JOE GILBERT, CONNOR ARCHER, JAMEL FULLER, ASH SMITH, TODD PERRY, MITCH LAWLEY (CAPT), RHYS HORTON, ALEX PERRY, KAINE BUTLER, HINESH PATEL, DAN JONES.

SUBS:

BEN LAWLEY, SOMS SIBANDA, BRAD WARD, RYAN THOMAS, JAYDEN MCCALLA, LEWIS MITCHELL, SHANE MAYDEW. 

ALSAGER TOWN:

TOM SCOTT, JACOB EDWARDS, NATHAN BARRY, GEORGE COLEVILLE, LUKE VAYRO, CRAIG SIGLEY (CAPT), EVRARD YAO, BEN DARBY, ENOCH TAKPE, GEORGE WEST, LUKE WILSON-JONES.

SUBS:

JORDAN STAFFORD, JASON CLARKE, HUNAISH ESSA.