STOURPORT SWIFTS 3-3 BEWDLEY TOWN: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

 Bewdley Make A Point In Severn Derby

Stourport Swifts 3-3 Bewdley Town

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

Bewdley’s awful, point-less start to their MFL Premier Division campaign looked like continuing at Walshes Meadow, as first period goals by Stourport’s Bailey Fuller and Matty Gardner left them 2-0 behind at the recess. After the interval, what might have been construed as a consolation goal for the visitors, when Sam Lester’s 22 yard drive took a vital deflection upwards and over Swifts’ goalie Josh Bishop, still provided no clue for the decent attendance at the ground as to what might be simmering for later in this eventful local derby.

It was very warm, night fell and the guests presumed to turn the scoreline upside-down with a brace by striker Dylan Hart, including a penalty. Incredibly, Town winger Jordan Graham might have claimed all three points for his team straight after the spot-kick but he was unable to score in a breakaway situation.

A FIST BUMP FROM SLEVIN TO A LINESMAN IS BASICALLY A PUNCH IN THE CHEST...

Swifts did not deserve to lose this match and Gardner made sure they didn’t, nodding the ball over the goal-line following a scruffy, calamitous goalmouth melee.

Thus it was an often low key encounter, for Swifts had led for much of it and many spectators were simply allowed enjoy their alfresco beers, check their mobile phones and walk the walk. Then suddenly the match erupted into what a local derby should be about: end to end offense and some thrills…

"WHAT'S UP, MATE?"
"I JUST WANNA BE A WICKETKEEPER..."

Bewdley nicked a point and will take some comfort from their hard working display, whilst Swifts’ boss Quentin Townsend must still be shaking his head in disbelief at how his outfit managed to fold and relinquish a comfortable lead. Gardner though would be his saviour…

Matty Gardner…

The new signing must have thought that his contribution alone deserved a victorious outcome, for after firing too high early on, it was his fine drive which struck the Bewdley crossbar in the lead-up to Fuller’s goal. The right-sided offenseman with the shooting left boot, picked up possession and scored with a fine curling shot from downtown high into the left side of the net, leaving Town ‘keeper Joe Sidaway wondering whether another awful night was in store for him. 

Gardner soon rose to head a left side-centre by Ben Tilbury into goal from beyond the far upright to increase the Swifts’ lead and all seemed settled for Stourport before the half-time mug of cocoa and plain biscuit were served.

The look on Gardner’s face when Hart’s penalty was about to be taken was that of someone whose flight to a mate’s stag-do has been cancelled at the last moment (check the video clip) but he would have the final word, albeit a stumbling one. 

THE FACE THAT FELLED A CONIFER...

Home skipper Martin Slevin, ignoring his right boot’s wish to pass the ball into the right side of the penalty-box for Fuller, played the ball instead with the outside of his left boot. Fuller’s subsequent rising drive was beaten across the 6 yard box by the leaping Sidaway but bounced up for Tilbury to nod goalwards from 4 yards. Sidaway attempted to gain ground, flailing his arms about like he was a windmill in a school play but the ball bobbled against the crossbar, allowing Gardner to stoop and head the ball across the goal-line from a yard out. All very careless, untidy and for Bewdley, unfortunate.

Gardner also nearly capitalised upon a miscue by Town defender Steve Clarke but Sidaway blocked well and the forward lifted his rebound over the target from a crowded space near the left upright.

Gardner though was the partial hero for Stourport, not the match winner but the match leveller…

Bailey Fuller v Joe Sidaway…

Good contest this: the right-sided, left-footed Fuller versus the overworked visiting gloveman. Before the break, Fuller shot straight at Sidaway, then when Gardner’s drive struck the face of the horizontal bar, the winger scored the fine rebound described above. He struck the crossbar himself with another effort from inside-right, before forcing Sidaway to dive right and beat away a free-kick.

"HURT YOU? NAH, I'M JUST PULLIN' YOUR LEG..."

After the interval the rivalry continued and Fuller hit a low, deflected effort at the ‘keeper, drove a fierce shot off target then in the waning moments, forced Sidaway to plunge right again to beat out what would have been a winning strike. 

His, er, right-footed shot, saved by Sidaway which was the prelude to Gardner’s equaliser was yet another example of this contest which went on all night long, as Lionel Ritchie would say. (Who’s he?)

Ryan Grosvenor…

Now this guy was a train. Not exactly HS2, but then again we hate HS2 but Grosvenor’s running with the ball through midfield for Bewdley was often promising and streamlined, and he gave the Riversiders real scope in the creative areas. Sadly, his front men were unable to threaten much at all, until that crazy second period time capsule which brought the guests three largely unexpected goals. 

GROSVENOR (6) CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THE LINESMAN IS STILL ABLE TO RUN WITH A FLAG PLANTED IN HIS KNEE...

Before the recess, Grosvenor lifted a free-kick too high, a weak overhead effort by Clarke was picked up by home ‘keeper Josh Bishop and a tame header by Hart had earlier drifted wide. But things would get better later…

Five real chances were created and three were scored from by Bewdley; one of the others was missed by Graham and of course from the remaining opportunity, Hart was felled by Bishop to earn the spot-kick, which the striker rapped into the middle of the net.

Earlier, Hart had crossed from the right, Town’s Josh Carpenter and a home defender had challenged for the ball, which rolled out to Lester and his 19 yard strike lifted higher off a defender’s boot just enough to alter the trajectory and force the ball to drop over Bishop’s head and into goal. 

SLEVIN: "YEAH, SAM, I WAS 7 ONCE TOO, BUT I'M GROWN UP & 8 NOW..."

Hart of course had regained parity for the visitors at 2-2 by roaring in at the front post, totally unmarked, to glance a right-flank centre into the far corner of the net. Cue frowns from Quentin Townsend, wondering who to blame…

Martin Slevin…

The home skipper was seemingly always available, he slid in some smart passes too, also nodded wide from a left-side corner, as well as hitting a low volley which Sidaway fumbled but then grabbed.

SLEV FINDS IT TOUGH TO MOVE WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S HEAD GROWING OUT OF HIS SHOULDER...

The midfielder was critical to Swifts’ play, backing up Tilbury, whose forte was making deep runs, although in truth, both Jordan Cox and Jack Downing were also often lively for Stourport in attack. Indeed, Cox would rue a couple of high curling shots which both flew past the right side of the goal-frame.

The final words…

The home defence, in which Kirk Layton, Taylor Cordell and full-backs Joe Hanson and Matt Jackson had been decent enough until the late cave-in, had protected young goalie Bishop well enough before their resolve was dismantled by Hart. The ’keeper was cautioned for conceding the penalty, joining Bewdley’s Dan Hadley and Laurie Morris in the referee’s notebook, whilst Jackson might be considered fortunate to escape punishment for, er, an ‘eager’ challenge on Carpenter…

And although Gardner might have saved the game and Fuller might have won it for the hosts, the rapid Graham so nearly added a fourth goal for Town, soon after Hart’s spot-kick. He raced clear of the home defence but Bishop got a hand to his shot at pace and in a race for the loose ball, Graham’s attempt to convert was slightly deflected, enough to take his shot behind for an unproductive corner. 

Good to see some occupations mentioned on the team-sheets too… We had a Bishop, a Fuller, a Gardner, a Cox (rowing), a Binner, a Clarke (clerk), a Morris (car manufacturer), a Grosvenor (hotelier), a Smith, a Carpenter and of course a beer maker: Worthington…

And wildlife got a couple of mentions too, with a Hart and a Rudd in the Riversiders’ starting eleven…

I liked that…

TEAMS: 

STOURPORT SWIFTS:

JOSH BISHOP, JOE HANSON, MATT JACKSON, KIRK LAYTON, TAYLOR CORDELL, BEN TILBURY, BAILEY FULLER, MARTIN SLEVIN (CAPT), MATTY GARDNER, JACK DOWNING, JORDAN COX.

SUBS:

HARRISON YATES, NATHAN BINNER, EDILSON ANTONIO, DREW CANAVAN, MARK DANKS.

BEWDLEY TOWN:

JOE SIDAWAY, STEVE CLARKE, LAURIE MORRIS, ZAC KOUROUYIANNI, DAN HADLEY, RYAN GROSVENOR, SAM LESTER, SIMON RUDD (CAPT), JOSH CARPENTER, DYLAN HART, JORDAN GRAHAM.

SUBS:

CHRIS SEEKINS, JOE TRINDADE, TOM SMITH, BEN WORTHINGTON, JOE STOCKTON (GK).