PERSHORE TOWN 1-1 STUDLEY FC (3-5 IN A PENALTY SHOOTOUT...): THE INDEPENDENT, HONEST & LIGHTHEARTED MATCH REPORT...

 Bunn’s Penalty Interventions Ease Bees Past Plums…

Pershore Town 1-1 Studley FC (3-5 in a penalty shootout…)

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

I am surely wrong but it did appear that some players weren’t really bothered much about this Bluefin Sports Challenge Cup tie at the Community Stadium near the River Avon’s banks, bathed in early spring sunshine. The reaction of Bees’ playmaker Jack Creswell to scoring the winning shootout penalty summed up my suggestion. It was like he had just downed a very pleasant pint and had stepped outside to to see which neighbours were mowing their lawns. However, Studley were not good on the day, mixing poor defensive marking, a lack of midfield creativity and a penchant for allowing Pershore’s two central defenders Matt Nutt and Kirk Layton acres of space in which to venture forward without any kind of ‘pressing’, along with ‘downtown’ another term borrowed from the NBA…

PUMPING FISTS...

The Clarks, Sam and Aidan could have wrapped up victory for the Plums by half-time and then again after the interval but misfired their acceptable chances. Cruel then, that their guests, whose offense was mostly redundant, took the lead with seconds left of the opening 45, when Sean Brain shoved a low penalty past the gymnastic Eddie Cox. 

The Clarks and replacement Roland Krol missed more opportunities as the game stuttered on in the second period, then wouldn’t you just know it, a Jordan Jones corner found the unchallenged head of Sam Clark in the 6 yard box and with a partial assist from the right post, the tall midfielder regained parity for the Plums.

The shootout was a strange one in truth, for visiting ‘keeper Bren Bunn saved Pershore’s first penalty from, ahem, Aidan Clark but appeared to hurt himself in the process and was unable to make much of an effort to save the other three spot-kicks he faced. Subsequently though, his team-mates rallied round to convert their penalties with aplomb, as did Bunn himself and so it was that the Bees stung the Plums’ comeback hopes harshly and progressed in the competition.

The Clarks…

It was odd that these two Plums seemed destined not to score. Before the break Aidan drove a free-kick from 23 yards so far over the crossbar that Asda’s windows looked in danger for a few seconds. He also missed from 3 yards with an awkward unchallenged header from Sean Cooke’s fine centre, sending it wide of the far stick.

Sam nodded a short James Baldwin centre disappointingly wide at the near post, totally unchallenged, as several Bees stood off him in the opening seconds of the game. He also shot weakly at Bunn, miscued an effort and saw another blocked from, er, downtown.

However, after heading another unchallenged and acceptable chance over the bar from 6 yards after the recess, his towering, er, unchallenged header in the final seconds dropped against the foot of the right vertical pole and bounced into the Studley net to regain the desired parity… He did not take a penalty, however.

RELIEF AT THE EQUALISER...

Aidan did though and shot to Bunn’s right, who dropped quickly to make what proved to be the decisive save of the match.

Other offense by Pershore…  

Layton shot too high from 23 yards, striker Matti Klich drove well wide before the break, then Baldwin lifted a bouncing ball over the target after the restart.

Jones bobbled an effort wide but tenacious substitute Krol was heavily involved, not only being thrown into the net by Bunn, as a corner was awaited, not only verbally abusing the younger of two linespersons and escaping the punishment of a card but he might also easily have netted a few times.

WELSH & BIRCH: RUGGED FOR STUDLEY...

A left-flank Baldwin centre took a touch off Ben Birch’s head and fell to him, unmarked near the right stick but somehow, the Bees’ really effective left-back Jake Bloomer cleared the forward’s header from the goal-line. Bloomer played really strongly for the guests and his long throws were the only real threats offered by a team badly missing Robbie Bunn in midfield.

Krol had another shot blocked but in the scramble which ensued, Sam Clark was flagged offside. After having a weak shot picked up by Bunn, Krol hooked a left-footer, which presumably then took a touch on Bunn’s gloves as the goalie tried to reach the ball and it ricocheted for a corner. 

It was tough to see past Nutt for the Persians’ most valuable player on the day, alongside the equally efficient Layton, although skipper Steve Webb was persistent in midfield, Jones came more into the match after the interval and Jake Cavens was industrious at right-back. 

WEBB HAS TAKEN A KNOCK...

Studley…

Creswell appeared to miss the influence of Robbie Bunn in midfield and seemed rather restricted during the afternoon but he scored the vital fifth penalty for his group, high to Cox’s right to win the tie.

WINNERS...

The offense was so well held in check by Nutt and Layton though and it was only when replacement Harvey Smith saddled up and trotted onto the field that the visitors seemed more of a threat. He hoofed a fine effort from inside-left, 16 yards out against the inside of the near upright, won a few aerial balls and then was cautioned…

I felt uncomfortable about what happened to him though because there were some slightly naughty challenges in the game, whilst Bunn of course chucked Krol into the net as they awaited a Jones flag-kick but nobody else was cautioned at all. Krol’s address to a linesman was far more worthy of a yellow card… 

KROL IS SPOKEN TO...

However, when Smith poked a ball up and over the surrounding fence to waste a few seconds, the referee was there flashing yellow but the only time actually wasted in that instance was when the official issued the booking, for several spare balls lay nearby and in fact Town were waiting to take the ensuing throw during the delay…

SMITH IS CAUTIONED...

Moments later Smith kicked another ball away in the middle of the pitch and that surely was a bookable offence, for no other balls lay close by… The referee merely censured Smith on that occasion… Hmm, consistency…

SMITH IS NOT CAUTIONED...

Dale Edwards and Sean Brain…

Dale couldn’t find the space in which to run at defenders but actually committed several offences, which were not bad fouls at all but by his fifth, maybe a card could have been issued…

Brain took the penalty which offered Studley a 0-1 interval lead. He shot low and confidently past Cox’s dive and into the right corner of the net. Layton had tripped the very quiet Sam Jackson inside the 18 yard box to give the Bees their spot-kick opportunity.

0-1 & A GOAL FOR BRAIN...

The final words…

Cooke was playing as a left-back for Town and he does have the ability to ghost past defenders but being positioned so deeply, he was not given enough opportunities to dribble at Studley’s defenders, which was a shame.

Carter shot well wide for the Bees and Jackson’s miscue landed on the roof of the net before half-time but offensively, Studley struggled, as did their defence, which seemed to lack concentration when the hosts delivered corners or free-kicks into the penalty-box, often leaving players unmarked and not reacting to movement. In truth Town ought to have converted enough chances to have sent their guests packing…

The shootout saw Mark Magee, Carter, rugged right-back Ant Miller, Bunn and Creswell score for the victors and Layton, plus substitutes Elliot Lees and Krol for the vanquished, whilst of course Aidan Clark failed with his effort, courtesy of Bunn’s dive…

SKIPPER CARTER RECEIVED SCANT SERVICE, SO FOUND TIME TO SNACK ON HIS SHIRT...

And yes, there was a Miller, a Bunn and a Bloomer in the Studley team, as well as a Carter…

TEAMS:

PERSHORE TOWN: 

EDDIE COX, JAKE CAVENS, SEAN COOKE, STEVE WEBB (CAPT), KIRK LAYTON, MATT NUTT, JORDAN JONES, SAM CLARK, MATTI KLICH, AIDAN CLARK, JAMES BALDWIN.

SUBS:

DANNY JANES, MATT COMPTON-BROWN, ELLIOT LEES, ROLAND KROL, SCOTT LOADER (GK).

STUDLEY FC:

BREN BUNN, ANT MILLER, JAKE BLOOMER, BEN WELSH, BEN BIRCH, JACK CRESWELL, MATT EDWARDS, DALE EDWARDS, DANNY CARTER, SEAN BRAIN, SAM JACKSON.

SUBS:

MARK MAGEE, MAX LOVERIDGE, HARVEY SMITH, TOM FISHWICK, RYAN SMITH.