Villa Dominate Outmanoeuvred Park…
Meadow Park 1-4 Fairfield Villa
The Mowdog’s thoughts…
So Villa largely outplayed Meadow Park with an effective mixture of passing, strength, anticipation and finishing power, much of which was lacking in the rather timid approach of the hosting team. Villa striker Dan Elwell proved tough to track for the home defenders and he was instrumental in the better offensive moves by his team.
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| DAZ GREEN LOOKS SURPRISED AS AN OPPONENT GETS INTO HIS HEAD... |
The experienced Fairfield skipper Daz Green and the vociferous Kieran Fitzgerald, who was so talkative that I could have left my commentary for him to do, totally destroyed Meadow Park, lurking as wingbacks and they usually escaped any real attention from opponents on the flanks. They were given far too much space, time and respect, as both made regular surging runs. Fitz was still talking as he won possession, used his stature to fend off Park’s players and often switched play from left to right, often pinpointing Green.
He gained the assist for the opening goal too by passing to Elwell, who far too easily turned on the ball, sidestepped Jack Sutcliffe and drove in a hard rising left-foot effort from 18 yards, which home goalie Ethan Welch was unable to keep out.
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| 0-1... |
There was too little offense engendered by Park but their midfield, normally bolstered by Nathan Benson and Mason Taylor, was simply overrun and little creativity emanated from any of their playmakers. It was a tough afternoon for home skipper Sam Horton, who at least was rewarded by scoring a true consolation goal near the end. He rose smartly to head a firm effort into the bottom left corner of the net from Benson’s really decent left-flank free-kick.
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| 1-4... |
A late rally by the hosts against a Villa team with a number of replacements affecting their superiority slightly was to no avail, except maybe to limit the damage caused by Fairfield’s attacking play.
Mark Steele…
The Villa forward netted a brace of goals, both predatory and he was assisted both times by his skipper. In truth it was a sublime flick by Elwell which slipped Green away on the right to initiate the first of the striker’s goals, whereupon Steele slid in with more intent than the home defenders to turn the ball past a helpless Welch.
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| 0-2... |
His second goal, Villa’s fourth, stemmed from a run on the right by Green but the two lame Park challenges which Green skipped by won’t prove pleasant watching on the video clip for the Meadow Park coaching staff. Both James Lev and Jon Price were left trailing by Green and Steele was offered time to control the ensuing low centre and shoot low into the right corner of the net from 8 yards. Welch was again helpless to save…
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| 0-4... |
Goal three by Connor Doyle…
Doyle was prominent throughout the match and had already seen a low angled effort in the opening period saved smartly at his near post by Welch, then had fired just off target from distance. After the break, he had shoved an angled attempt across the goal-face before Elwell nudged the ball on into his path at inside-left. Doyle stepped past Price and nudged a clever finish from an angle over the falling body of the advancing Welch to give the visitors a 0-3 lead.
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| 0-3... |
Other goal chances…
There were few for Park, although central striker Connor Powell battled manfully for little reward, rather like a badger struggling to find earthworms beneath the sun-baked earth. He lost control of the ball on one occasion early on when making a break and then a really fine second period run by midfielder Jake Waterfield culminated in a low drive from 18 yards which was parried by the replacement Villa goalie but Powell’s close range back-heel from the rebound was blocked.
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| WATERFIELD & AHMED... |
Lewis Burford had directed a decent left-side cross by Lev past the right stick from a good position when the game was scoreless and Benson’s late free-kick from downtown was pushed aside by the goalkeeper, falling right.
Villa saw a shot by their industrious midfielder James Wynne smothered by the Park gloveman and ‘keeper Welch also saved well with his feet from Elwell and Steele. Steele glanced a header wide and Green shot wildly too high from a promising position. Fitzgerald drove well over the crossbeam and shot another effort straight at Welch but his overall contribution was excellent, as was Green’s and defender Joe Sims, who bossed the middle of the Villa defence so effectively that it was like he was controlling a level crossing for a railway company… He was sturdily supported by Josh Gilmore and the eager Liam Taylor. Midfielder Magdy Ahmed picked up many loose balls in front of his defence and in all honesty he anchored the Villa team without being flashy…
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STEELE, LEFT IN BLUE: A BRACE...
ELWELL, RIGHT: A SMART GOAL & A DECENT PERFORMANCE... |
Two bizarre defensive blunders early on by Park went unpunished and although the hosts certainly improved later in the match, their earlier undoing was never going to be righted.
Final words…
The failure of some home individuals to compete physically on so many occasions, or to cover Villa’s players in space were critical. The number of times that retreating Park players were beaten to the ball in 50-50 challenges and the ease with which opponents often ran past them added to the realisation of a rather poor performance by the hosts, despite their undoubted effort.
The guests subsequently enjoyed their workout, whilst Meadow Park will have learned much from their afternoon…
SQUADS:
MEADOW PARK:
ETHAN WELCH, JACK SUTCLIFFE, SAM GREEN, SAM HORTON (CAPT), BAILEY EADES, JAKE WATERFIELD, LEWIS BURFORD, MASON TAYLOR, CONNOR POWELL, NATHAN BENSON, JAMES LEV, HARRY BARRATT, JON TROTH, ALFIE TAYLOR, JON PRICE, OISIN MORGAN, HARVEY NEATH.
FAIRFIELD VILLA:
ELLIOT HART, DARREN GREEN (CAPT), KIERAN FITZGERALD, JOE SIMS, JOSH GILMORE, LIAM TAYLOR, MAGDY AHMED, JAMES WYNNE, MARK STEELE, DAN ELWELL, CONNOR DOYLE, RYAN BURKE, CAMERON JONES, REUEL PRESCOD, STUART BLAINE-SMITH, ED QUILTY, MARCUS MALCOM, CONNOR BIRD.
