OJM BLACK COUNTRY FC 5-2 ASHBY IVANHOE: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

 Muckley’s Finishing Devastates Ivanhoe’s Hopes…

OJM Black Country FC 5-2 Ashby Ivanhoe

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

There really was no clue during the opening period that this match would feature seven goals, including a four-goal haul for OJM’s speedy forward Ethan Muckley, whose pace and clinical finishing saw him race away to score three times after the interval. At 1-1 when the opening half ended, Ashby had grown into the encounter, regaining parity from one of the few chances they managed to create, although in fairness, the hosts had started the game in a more lively fashion.

LOOSE HUDDLE: OJM...

There was much scrappy, even careless play evident throughout and I witnessed five cautions handed out by the referee, although one or two naughty challenges escaped bookings and in fairness, OJM’s Callum Nimmo was surely harshly treated when he was yellow-carded… Mark Lawrence of Black Country, then Luke Thorogood, Jordan Wilson and Sam Hankin of Ashby were the others who were cautioned.

TIGHT HUDDLE: IVANHOE...

The visitors equalised an early Muckley goal through Wilson’s first meaningful contribution and he would drag Ivanhoe back to 3-2 immediately after Muckley had completed his hat-trick but there was still more drama ahead involving the Ivanhoe centre-forward…

Wilson nodded a right-side centre goalwards and somehow the ball ended up in the OJM net at the far stick but a flag was waving for offside, which remains a mystery, even from checking the video coverage.

THE REF TELLS THE TWO SKIPPERS HOW TOUGH IT WAS BUYING FUEL LAST WEEK...

However, home skipper Dave Meese’s header and a fourth goal for Muckley settled the outcome, despite Ashby’s efforts but in truth 5-2 seemed harsh on the guests.

Ethan Muckley…

The quickness he possessed on the night was pivotal to OJM’s victory, although his first goal was a trifle fortunate. A low centre from the right by Lawrence evaded visiting ‘keeper Tyler Williamson at the near post and the ball ran to Muckley, whose slight miscue rolled into the left corner of the net.

He also set up his lively strike partner Jarad Daniels for a lobbed effort from inside-left which beat Williamson then bounced awkwardly as Hankin got back to clear the ball but the defender did really well to hack the ball away with a wafted boot.

After the break, a Meese pass sent Muckley racing through the middle to shoot low past Williamson into the bottom right corner of goal, before the winger supported central striker Jack Martin, who managed to mug visiting defender Nathan McAllister. The tall forward passed right to Muckley, who shot a low angled effort past the ‘keeper from inside-right. 

MUCKLEY SPREADING JOY...

The hat-trick thus completed, Muckley later outpaced the visiting defence out onto the right-flank, chasing a long clearance and saw Williamson way out of his goal and helpless. The OJM man lobbed the ball from way downtown and his effort bounced just in front of the goal-line to bulge the roof of the net. Remarkable…

Tyler Williamson…

The Ivanhoe goalie made a snatching save from an early Connor Fellows header at his left upright, then conceded the opening goal, as described above but he dived to his right later in the first period to beat away a fine 27 yard free-kick by the industrious home midfielder Kundai Munyama. Jack Martin was unable to react to the rebound and the gloveman nabbed the ball.

After the break, Williamson saved splendidly and low twice from Daniels, the second one a brave stop, which hurt, for Daniels’ low volley was fierce. Munyama’s splendid run to the right byeline had set up that 10 yard opportunity. Daniels drove another effort too high but his general involvement had certainly deserved a goal which didn’t materialise.

ACOTT (3): "I TIED MY BOOTS BEFORE THE GAME STARTED..."

Muckley was also denied by the goalkeeper, who dived at his feet to block well but in truth, Meese’s goal came as a result of Williamson’s unwise 17 yard rush from goal to deal with a deep free-kick, which glanced off the OJM skipper’s head and bounced into the empty net, despite the frantic attempts of a retreating defender.

Muckley’s late lob had left the ‘keeper stranded but subsequently the linesman on the cricket-square side of the pitch and I agreed that Williamson had actually prevented a greater margin of defeat for plucky Ashby.  

"YOU SEE REF, I WAS CARRYING A TRAY OF DRINKS LIKE THIS AND MY ELBOW FELL..."

Luke Thorogood…  

His form was at times ‘thoroughly good’ as his name suggested but his pass which led to Wilson’s first goal was excellent, picking out Sam Grouse on the right, who made ground to the byeline and drew the home goalie Adam Marusiak, before squaring the ball to the unmarked Wilson. The centre-forward’s shot got past the despairing Nimmo, who was defending the otherwise empty goal. 

Thorogood worked hard for his team but somehow the breaks which came OJM’s way, failed to materialise for his own team, although Wilson did get onto one long clearance, outmuscled Nimmo and poked his second goal past Marusiak. 

That goal led to a good spell for the visitors but when Wilson’s header was discounted, Black Country benefited from their good fortune and netted goals four and five.

Jack Martin & Jordan Wilson, the two number 9s…  

Both had strangely muted games, although Wilson did score twice and had that other effort disallowed, as mentioned above. Both centre-forwards were defended stoutly for the most part and OJM’s Martin in particular was offered sparse supply. He managed a curling second period shot wide but was mostly involved in jumping for headers with visiting skipper Macauley Holmes, or Ashby’s McAllister on his back. His assist for Muckley’s third goal was unselfish however.

JACK MARTIN: NO REWARD...

Wilson’s main involvement in the contest came during the final quarter of the match, bar his first-half goal and he became more of a threat when his second goal dragged his colleagues back into contention. He did fire weakly wide with a left-footer too but Ivanhoe defender Jacob Conkay was unable to get power behind a shot late in the match, following a left-flank corner.

Wilson’s co-attacker Sam Grouse had a goal disallowed in the first 45, then shot tamely at Marusiak and also smashed a half-volley too high from Holmes’ volleyed assist. 

Final words…

It wasn’t to be for Ashby, after their awkward journey to Lye but strong latter periods in the two halves by the visitors kept the Black Country lads on their toes until the game’s MVP Muckley lobbed his spectacular fourth goal to settle the issue…

TEAMS:

OJM BLACK COUNTRY FC:

ADAM MARUSIAK, MARK LAWRENCE, MATT MARTIN, KUNDAI MUNYAMA, CALLUM NIMMO, CONNOR FELLOWS, DAVE MEESE (CAPT), MICHAEL SCARLETT, JACK MARTIN, JARAD DANIELS, ETHAN MUCKLEY.

SUBS:

JOE FITZPATRICK, MATT HOGG, LEWIS HANDLEY, FERID MUSSANURE, SEAN GEDDES.

ASHBY IVANHOE:

TYLER WILLIAMSON, SAM HANKIN, CHRIS ACOTT, JACOB CONKAY, MACAULEY HOLMES (CAPT), NATHAN MCALLISTER, LIAM DONAGHY, LUKE THOROGOOD, JORDAN WILSON, SAM GROUSE, MITCH WOODBINE.

SUBS:

HARRY STEWART, LUKE GARNER, JAMES GROUSE, ROSS MCGARRY, WILL ROBSON.