CENTRAL AJAX 1-4 AFC COVENTRY RANGERS: THE HONEST, INDEPENDENT, LIGHTHEARTED MATCH REPORT...

 Rangers End Up With The Wind In Their Sails…

Central Ajax 1-4 AFC Coventry Rangers

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

The strong wind prevailed along the length of the Ajax Park pitch, resulting in tactical strategies being calculated by both teams, in terms of using the following wind to an advantage and also how to manage against the blustery gusts. 

Ajax scored early, when Keeling’s long free-kick drifted over the Coventry defence and defender Lew Kuster guided the ball past the helplessly leaping Dave Allen. With the league leaders out of sorts from the start, Ajax must now be rueing the fact that they failed to make more of the elements. Indeed, Rangers’ passing was poor, their control was often loose and the team seemed totally out of sorts, until that is, the most voracious performer on the day snaffled a goal from a really awful error by Ajax. As two opponents hesitated, Alexander swooped like he was pilfering sweets from under the nose of a confectioner…

SWAIN & DYKE SEEM REMARKABLY RESPECTFUL...

At 1-1, although for some reason they still needlessly hurried to fetch balls which blew away past the facilities, Rangers began to look more assured and really Ajax missed the opportunity to press their guests back and attack them, or even shoot from distance. Allen was barely troubled at all in the Coventry goal throughout the afternoon in fact…

It was a poor first period in truth but the second-half sparked into life through the form of Rangers’ Connoll Farrell and Fola Fagbemi. Fagbemi, the basketball stylist had begun the match rather shoddily but he began to show his ability with some smarter control after the break. Farrell simply caused Kuster and home skipper Tom Dyke severe problems and smacked two goals to settle the issue before the hour.

FAGBEMI: A BETTER SECOND-HALF...

One superb left-foot strike by Farrell and another low drive saw his team lead 1-3 but it was fitting that Fagbemi claimed the assist for Alexander’s second goal, with an extended one-two. More Coventry shots from downtown flew off target but not by much and Ajax were well beaten by the end, despite some spirited play by Aidan Foley and Reece Homer, with Jack Keeling often looking creative in midfield.

Missing their skipper and another couple of starters, Rangers also lost James Chappell in the warm-up and skipper George Swain during the first period, both with hamstring problems.

SWAIN (5): LEFT THE FIELD WITH A HAMSTRING PROBLEM...

Connoll Farrell…  

The Rangers’ striker was involved in a leaning, shoving, pushing match with the home defenders, rather like sumo wrestling but with one contestant behind the other and although Farrell received scant first period service, he exploded onto the second-half scene with his two goals. 

A long shot by Alexander bounced in front of home goalie Sean Wilson, who could only parry it away but as both Fagbemi and Joe Gardner fought for possession around 16 yards from goal, the home defence managed to stop them. However, the ball rolled away, possibly off Gardner, into Farrell’s path at 18 yards and he simply belted a first-time left-foot shot which seared into the top left corner of the net from left of centre. It really was a fine strike…

FARRELL: A BRACE FOR THE PROLIFIC STRIKER...

He did the spadework himself for his second goal and drove a low shot this time from 18 yards inside the right post with Wilson well beaten.

Later, Farrell drove a powerful effort just too high and another which shook the black pole, positioned to keep a rope taut which was hoisting up the net.

Ryan Alexander…

Pivotal for his team, the busy and fearless midfielder was rewarded for his efforts with two goals. His first came as he chased a neat pass by Rory Turnbull. Home midfielder Nick Dyde attempted to shield it back for Wilson to collect near the byeline, two yards away from the left upright. However, there was hesitation from both and Alexander snapped at them and freed the ball, allowing him to slot it into the net as Kuster slid to challenge. 

ALEXANDER, LEFT: A FINE GAME...

His second goal was the result of a one-two with Fagbemi which covered about 20 yards. Alexander ran after the return pass, allowed it to bobble towards the 18 yard line and struck a low left-booter past Wilson into the right side of the goal.

He also shot well off target, wind-aided in the second period, as did Fagbemi and Curtis Cutts, who had replaced Swain. Cutts had also nodded a chance too high before the break when he challenged for a Gardner set-piece delivery. Wilson then did really well late on to tip aside a dangerous corner from Alexander who continued to menace Ajax until the end. 

Gardner might have done better with a first-half free-kick shot which struck the legs of the home players in a defensive wall.

Ajax…

When Keeling’s left-side free-kick drifted over all the jumpers in the penalty-box, it fell onto Kuster’s right boot and ended up in the left corner of the net past a surprised and diving Allen. It was so easy and smartly taken that it seemed like a training move involving only the two of them…

AJAX ENJOY THE MOMENT...

That had put Ajax deservedly ahead but only four more goal attempts were subsequently recorded by the home team. A Foley shot was deflected for a corner which was duly wasted, Harry Edgington-Furlong poked a right-footer way off target from distance, striker George Stevens, who worked tirelessly, nudged a left-footer past the near post from a right-flank centre and Matt Green drove an effort way off target.

LOOKS LIKE STEVENS IS TESTING THE WIND DIRECTION...

After the interval, visiting defender Phil Chesters blocked Stevens at his right post but that was all the hosts could muster, despite some hard work by replacements Jake Montgomery and Scott Nicholson.

The referee… 

WHICH OF THESE MEN WAS CAUTIONED FOR KICKING WATER?

He kept control well enough but maybe he was lenient a couple of times towards players, despite booking an Ajax coach for, er, kicking over a water bottle/container? One of his assistants also gave a foul to Ajax when Farrell and Wilson went shoulder to shoulder, neither complaining but getting on with it. However the linesman was well behind play when that happened and he almost apologetically wagged his flag upon arriving level with the incident some seconds later. Hilarious. But wrong…

DYDE MAGICS A TEAM-MATE ONTO THE BACK OF AN OPPONENT...

Final words…

Certainly home right-back Craig Robins worked his flank well enough on occasions and Rangers’ Toby Curran played strongly for his team, whilst Coventry’s right-back Chris Hayden was heavily involved, with, er, mixed fortunes…

Thanks to Ajax for the fine welcome… It really was appreciated. Good to see Rangers’ manager Kev Kingham again too and if anyone deserves some success in non-league football, he does…

A GOAL, A HUG, A SMILE...

TEAMS:

CENTRAL AJAX:

SEAN WILSON, CRAIG ROBINS, HARRY EDGINGTON-FURLONG, NICK DYDE, LEW KUSTER, TOM DYKE (CAPT), MATT GREEN, JACK KEELING, GEORGE STEVENS, REECE HOMER, AIDAN FOLEY.

SUBS:

ALEX MORRISH, RICH LAYTON, JAKE MONGOMERY, SCOTT NICHOLSON.

AFC COVENTRY RANGERS…

DAVE ALLEN, CHRIS HAYDEN, TOBY CURRAN, FOLA FAGBEMI, GEORGE SWAIN (CAPT), PHIL CHESTERS, JOE GARDNER, RYAN ALEXANDER, CONNOLL FARRELL, CONNOR HALTON, RORY TURNBULL.

SUBS:

CURTIS CUTTS, DAN MONGER, LIAM DOYLE, ROSS DAVIS.