MATTISHALL 0-3 HEACHAM: THE INDEPENDENT, LIGHTHEARTED MATCH REPORT...

 Flanagan Finally Fires Hardworking Heacham Home…

Mattishall 0-3 Heacham

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

Yes, this match was hard fought but it was also one which Heacham deserved to win on shots at goal alone. Two-goal forward John Flanagan made ten attempts at goal, six before the break, so to score twice after the interval meant a 50% scoring rate for him during the second period. He also produced an assist for Sam Lammiman’s goal.

FLANAGAN & RAMM: A DECENT CONTEST...

Strange things happen all the time in soccer and after Flanagan had opened the scoring, the hosts really ought to have regained parity but for the heroics of Magpies’ skipper Ed Tann (apologies for calling him Tanns on the commentary but you should have seen the team sheet, which appeared to read Tanns… Ah, well…) He cleared Alex Curran’s effort from his goal-line, after the Blues’ striker had rounded visiting ‘keeper Sam Pishorn near the right byeline and shot from a narrow angle. This happened immediately before Lammiman netted to give the guests a 0-2 lead…

The third goal, by Flanagan, assisted by Josh Winner, killed the encounter as a contest and thus league leaders Heacham left Mattishall with their 100% record in the Anglian Combination Premier Division in tact.  

RAMM & TANN SEEM A LITTLE SURPRISED BY THE REFEREE'S SUGGESTION THAT THEY SHOULD CHEST-BUMP BEFORE KICK-OFF...

My driving route from Wighton to Mattishall took me through Little and Great Snoring. I liked that fact…

BEN HOLDS THE BALL, ER, DEAR...

John Flanagan…

Yes, others worked really hard for Heacham and played their parts in a crucial victory but Flanagan was the vanguard. Three times he shot with little venom at home goalie Jay Tiplady before the recess, once he nodded too high and one fine drive from downtown took a deflection just past the left upright with Tiplady stranded. The sixth Flanagan effort before half-time was a low deflected effort from the left corner of the 6 yard box which so nearly squirmed between Tiplady’s legs.

After the interval, Flanagan’s overhead shot flew to Tiplady but the ‘keeper prevented a hat-trick with low save at his left stick, following an assist by a Magpie substitute, Connor Young, who managed to get himself cautioned later. Subsequently though, the left-sided Heacham striker plundered the opening goal from an astute Lammiman pass through the centre and Flanagan clipped a confident finish over the partially advanced Tiplady.

0-1...

The decisive third goal stemmed from a left-booted hooked pass by Winner, which freed Flanagan again to rap a rising shot past the home goalie.   

0-2...

Flanagan’s smart pass from inside-left to free the rushing Lammiman through the centre caused goal two for the visitors, neatly flicked past the outrushing Tiplady by the industrious Heacham midfielder.

0-3...

Tiago Pascoal & Lagshan Sivakumar…

The two Blues’ wide-forwards were often threatening but in truth, little came from their good work, although Pascoal did shove a low cross-shot wide of the far post before the break.

SIVAKUMAR: SMART ON THE BALL...

Both Heacham full-backs were involved in busy afternoons therefore but Freddie Collison, who troubled Tiplady with an early hitch-kicked shot and Liam Mitchell could be said to have done their marking jobs rather well against two potentially tricky Blues.

Ben Dear…

The Magpies’ defensive midfielder played like he hated the colour blue and never shirked even the most unpleasant looking of challenges. He took some free-kicks too, although little stemmed from them. 

One of his opposing midfielders was Tom Hill, who has a very steep road named after him in Tanworth-in-Arden, near Solihull where I live. 

Just sayin’… 

Elliott Gibbs & Luke Gray… 

Good duel this… Gray was all strength and effort but not only could he have scored with a low effort which Tiplady smothered, he also walloped two other efforts well off target. Actually, one almost uprooted a corner-flag, suggesting the crossbar-challenge is too easy for him, so what an effort it was to hit a thin stick from 30 yards… Seriously though, Gray was the ideal foil for Flanagan and Winner but Mattishall’s Gibbs and he got on not at all and both were fortunate not to have been cautioned. Another later foul by Gibbs moved the referee to say loudly, “4, go steady…” 

PLAYGROUND SCRAP...

...BUT GRAY, 3RD FROM LEFT, LOOKS DISGRUNTLED...

That’s all right then…

The enigmatic Xavier Huckle…

THE MAGPIES' GOALIE PISHORN WONDERS WHETHER HUCKLE REALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISMISSED, NOT CAUTIONED...

This guy might have scored three times for the Blues but he might also have been dismissed for the feet-off-the-ground early ‘tackle’ he was booked for. However, his brilliant volley from Pascoal’s right-flank corner was expertly turned over his crossbar by Magpies’ gloveman Pishorn, another curling shot before half-time was just off target and after the interval, his well-struck 16 yarder flew too high. 

HUCKLE DIDN'T BUCKLE FROM HEAVY MARKING BY THE MAGPIES...

How different the outcome might have been for Mattishall, had the early efforts resulted in goals…

"I SAW THE BALL & LUNGED.
WELL, KIND OF..."

Huckle was a hustler and I liked that…

SPLENDID BRANDISHING BY THE REFEREE...

The final chapter…  

Visiting defender Royce Rawlings was cautioned for a very late foul-challenge on Pascoal but the Magpie was solid alongside Tann throughout, although Curran’s caution for the Blues seemed a trifle excessive on the busy forward. 

Home left-back Josh Macann was prominent throughout and did fire a shot from distance off-target but his left foot was generally used well. A late Josh Denny shot for Mattishall was deflected for a corner but he will be remembered for bravely blocking a Heacham drive with his head.

YOUNG IS YELLOWED...

...AS IS RAWLINGS (ROYCE, THAT IS...)

Lammiman had shot well off target for Heacham and then could get no power behind an 8 yard effort, both incidents occurring before the recess for barley wine and Moroccan custard cakes, whilst George Rawlings clipped a low shot just wide for the guests after the feast had been devoured.

LAMMIMAN: APPLAUDED FROM THE FIELD BY ALL FROM HEACHAM...

In the dying embers of the match, a Flanagan cross reached the head of the speedy replacement Magpie Alex Clunan but Tiplady saved comfortably on his goal-line.

A good welcome from all at Mattishall, so I thank them for that!

TEAMS:

MATTISHALL:

JAY TIPLADY, JORDIE RAMM (CAPT), JOSH MACANN, ELLIOTT GIBBS, RORY JUDD, JOSH DENNY, TIAGO PASCOAL, TOM HILL, XAVIER HUCKLE, ALEX CURRAN, LAGSHAN SIVAKUMAR.

SUBS: 

JORDAN HAYWARD, JAMES PEGG, ALI BANGURA.

HEACHAM:

SAM PISHORN, FREDDIE COLLISON, LIAM MITCHELL, BEN DEAR, ED TANN (CAPT), ROYCE RAWLINGS, GEORGE RAWLINGS, SAM LAMMIMAN, LUKE GRAY, JOSH WINNER, JOHN FLANAGAN.

SUBS:

ALEX CLUNAN, CONNOR YOUNG, CALLUM HOWE.