STUDLEY FC 1-4 MALMESBURY VICS: THE INDEPENDENT, HONEST & LIGHTHEARTED MATCH REPORT...

 Offensively Challenged Bees Wiped Out By Zebroski

Studley FC 1-4 Malmesbury Vics

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

The league leaders crumpled under the lively and creative Vics’ midfield section. They had the wily, experienced and clinical Chris Zebroski in attack though and he punished the Bees four times. True, Studley had skipper Dan Carter and midfielder Jack Creswell suspended and defender Will Beach still injured but despite Robbie Bunn’s promptings the home forwards lacked any venom. 

ZEBROSKI: 4 GOALS...

The home bench included three seasoned attacking players, Dale Edwards, Sean Brain and Alfie Bloomer but Edwards arrived too late to affect the outcome and Brain scorned two opportunities with the score at 1-2. Bloomer wasn’t used because defender Ben Birch had been replaced early on by Dave Edwards. The Bees’ rearguard guys were loose and careless in their marking for Zebroski’s goals but they were given a real workout by Vics’ wingers Ollie Crosby-Clark and Kyle Witt too. 

BIRCH WOULD BE SUBSTITUTED...

However, the dominant player in the encounter was unquestionably the visiting skipper Jack Hobson-McVeigh, who ran things at a canter, for the home midfielders were often too busy attempting to check the nifty efforts of Malmesbury’s Ash Alchin and Chalmers Phin.

The wind was a factor on the day but certainly the guests passed the ball more competently on the surface and totally deserved their victory in the end, although Studley will doubtless grimace when they watch the video action to see their wasteful finishing and careless defending.

THE TOSS...

Interesting that at one point in the second period there were three players in the Bees’ line-up with the surname Edwards (Matt, Dave and Dale) and three with the surname Bunn (Brendon, Aaron and Robbie…) 

A commentator’s nightmare. 

Chris Zebroski…

Well, the guy did the business at the Beehive… Not only did he shoot four killer bees, sorry, killer goals, he defended two corners with saving headers also. Ben Welsh, Birch and Dave Edwards were all severely tested by his know-how and he took his goals stealthily, three from very close range and one, the first, from 14 yards.

He began the move for goal one, passing towards Crosby-Clark on the right, who made for the byeline. The home defence seemed to forget Zebroski, being more concerned about the winger’s ability on the ball and consequently the return pass to Zebroski was despatched into the left corner of the net from an unmarked position at inside-right, 14 yards from goal.

The striker had seen a header deflected by strong Studley left-back Jake Donnelly in the first-half too but after the break, Hobson-McVeigh shoved a forward pass to Phin and he slipped a smart assist right of centre into Zebroski’s path between Welsh and Donnelly and as the striker neared goal, all three players seemed to come together but the ball squeezed past Bren Bunn inside the right stick.

Next came a free-kick, left-side from Hobson-McVeigh, whose low near post delivery was touched in at the near post by Zebroski, with several Bees somewhat taken aback…

His fourth goal was mainly due to some very lax home defending, simply watching the striker move towards the middle of goal onto a fine left-wing centre by Witt, before lifting his right boot and angling the ball into the net off the inside of the right pole from close range.

I don’t recall any other goal attempts by Zebroski… 

Nice.

Other goal attempts by the Flying Monks…

Before the break, after being pushed sideways by Welsh in the early moments but earning no spot-kick, winger Witt dispossessed Aaron Bunn but shot past the left upright from distance, then with so many taller players in the 18 yard box, he nodded a Hobson-McVeigh corner over the left angle of crossbar and post. Alchin went close with a shot from 23 yards too, which fizzed past the left stick…

Hobson-McVeigh shot too high from 19 yards and ballooned another effort but also saw a right-flank corner tipped away by Bren Bunn.

A couple of sorties by Crosby-Stepover-Clark in the second period, his legs dancing like he was performing in a rap video, ended with one shot straight at Bren Bunn and another over the target from an angle.

Robbie Bunn…

ROBBIE BUNN POINTS TO WHERE THE GOAL IS...

The home skipper, along with Donnelly could not be faulted for his efforts on the day. He shot wide of both posts before the interval, drove a fine wind-assisted free-kick from downtown only just too high and smacked a good effort from 25 yards too which forced a flying save from visiting gloveman Adam Clatworthy.

Clatworthy also dived smartly to turn away a decent drive by Sam Jackson, who regained parity for his team near half-time from a Robbie Bunn pass. Vics thought that home forward Odane Barnes had fouled central defender Ant Brown in the build-up but the rather cautious and undemonstrative main official saw nothing amiss. Jackson made ground into the left side of the 18 yard area and clipped a low right-footer past Clatworthy into the bottom right corner of the net.

Near stings, er, things for the Bees…

Welsh hooked wide following a first-half set-piece, central-striker Mark Magee shot too high from 22 yards and Birch headed a huge Donnelly throw from the left touchline centimetres over the crossbeam.

However, there was an odd incident during the first 45 too, which saw Bees’ winger Josh Westwood rush towards goal, Clatworthy advanced but the ball wasn’t quite claimed by the ‘keeper on the ground as Barnes challenged him. The ball then appeared to go into the net via Vics’ defender Ben Patey but the official, a long way behind play, disallowed the goal. I can’t argue with that, for the footage isn’t clear, in truth…  

THE SECOND PERIOD WOULD WORSEN FOR THE BEES...

After the recess, Studley were denied when Westwood’s angled drive was smuggled round the near post by Clatworthy and Donnelly fired too high but four more times the Bees messed up in front of goal and subsequently, Zebroski punished them…

Replacement Sean Brain was assisted twice by Magee, first mis-kicking totally with only Clatworthy to beat, then as he closed in on goal at inside-right, he smacked his shot against the near post.

Jackson later made a superb and long run on the left but his eventual shot veered well wide of the right post and finally, Dale Edwards’ smart left-side cross found the head of Magee right in front of goal but to his dismay, he somehow glanced it wide of the far post.

The final words…

Whatever folks say about artificial pitches, players can display their passing skills on them and certainly Phin, Alchin and the excellent Hobson-McVeigh did just that. Vics impressed throughout but in reality they took their chances well, whereas Studley blew their goal opportunities when they came along. 

Liked Witt and Crosby-Clark on the flanks for the Vics and of course, Zebroski enjoyed his day out at Solihull Moors’ training complex. A shame only 59 folks turned up to watch…

THE VICS ENJOYED A SUCCESSFUL ROAD TRIP...

From defenders Brown and Patey, to full-backs Andy Baker and Luke Curtis, plus replacements Archie Walsh, Harrison Archer and the brilliantly named Will Power, who all slotted in comfortably, Malmesbury managed the game better than their hosts…

The Bees still have a game in hand over the threatening Worcester Raiders and that is on Tuesday evening against a much changed FC Stratford outfit, so with the type of weather forecast for next week, I will attend the Beehive again to see how things pan out…

Well done to Vics. I must return to the Flying Monk ground soon…

TEAMS:

STUDLEY:

BREN BUNN, AARON BUNN, JAKE DONNELLY, BEN BIRCH, BEN WELSH, MATT EDWARDS, JOSH WESTWOOD, ROBBIE BUNN (CAPT), MARK MAGEE, ODANE BARNES, SAM JACKSON.

SUBS:

SEAN BRAIN, ALFIE BLOOMER, DAVE EDWARDS, OWAIN TAYLOR, DALE EDWARDS.

MALMESBURY VICS:

ADAM CLATWORTHY, ANDY BAKER, LUKE CURTIS, ASH ALCHIN, ANT BROWN, BEN PATEY, OLLIE CROSBY-CLARK, CHALMERS PHIN, CHRIS ZEBROSKI, JACK HOBSON-MCVEIGH (CAPT), KYLE WITT.

SUBS:

ARCHIE WALSH, HARRISON ARCHER, WILL POWER…