Untidy Encounter Fails To Produce Goals…
Hampton FC 0-0 AFC Coventry Rangers
The Mowdog’s thoughts…
This difficult to watch Midland League 2 contest was riddled with errors and lacked goalmouth incidents for the most part, although in truth, Rangers produced more offense, only to be thwarted by Hampton’s goalkeeper Dom Edwards who saved well from AFC’s Ryan Alexander and Curtis Cutts. Both Boggery central defenders, Conor Bird and skipper James Morris, performed with huge concentration and ability during the encounter.
Keeping AFC’s Fola Fagbemi quiet was no mean feat for Hampton but Rangers, despite maintaining a good deal of possession, failed to achieve much penetration in the attacking zones. This allowed the hosts to break a few times in the latter stages and in fairness, left-sided attacker Marcus Brookes was twice close to stealing a victory for Hampton.
Certainly the Hampton coaches enjoyed the match and told me so afterwards but despite being called a ‘purist’ as I walked away, I have to admit that from a reporter’s unbiased point of view, the blustery wind, the hard pitch and a good deal of inaccuracy displayed by both teams offered little in the way of entertainment. If your team has done well to achieve a point, then that is fine…
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| THE TOSS... |
The Hampton offense…
Little was achieved before the break but after the recess, Brookes nodded wide from a centre by replacement Luke Allen, midfielder Tom Mitchell lobbed way too high from downtown and Brookes was sent clear at inside-left by substitute Brad Hall but dragged his low shot a few yards wide of the far stick.
Ciaran Lawless made several rushes too but he was unable to really test visiting gloveman Jack Hartopp, although a few set-pieces might have been more conclusive for Hampton, had it not been for the aerial defending of AFC’s Cutts and George Swain.
Hartopp was rarely harassed, punching one cross clear and following hesitant Rangers defending, he palmed a bouncing ball for a corner along the byeline, whilst being chased from behind.
Otherwise, Hampton were well served on their left-flank by Jack Chapman at left-back and of course Brookes, who also won several aerial challenges.
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| HALF-TIME & SOME RELIEF... |
How Rangers appeared to play from a reporting point of view…
Twice AFC were unable to benefit from first period spills by Edwards, first from a Joe Gardner centre and then from a shot by influential midfielder Callum Regan who deserved to be in a winning team on the day. Regan also drove too high late in the match.
Fagbemi ballooned a shot, rugby-style but following a fine run and stepover by Alexander, only the fingertips of Edwards nudged the midfielder’s low centre behind Fagbemi, although he might have been flagged offside anyway. After the interval though, one decent left-booter by Fagbemi drifted just wide…
Regan’s header from skipper James Chappell’s corner before half-time was nearly smuggled over the goal-line at the left post by Cutts but apart from Alexander’s excellent drive which was flicked over the crossbar by Edwards, as already mentioned, it was Cutts, The Tank, the central defender, who threatened most of all for the guests, which rather tells the reader something.
Cutts saw a long free-kick turned away from under the right angle of crossbeam and vertical pole by Edwards, he nodded wide and then late on, nodded over the target from a pair of Chappell corners and another free-kick by Cutts from way downtown was smothered awkwardly aside by the sprawling Edwards.
AFC seemed to huff and puff in possession in deep zones but spluttered when it really mattered when reaching some 40 yards from the Hampton goal. Hence poor service was afforded Fagbemi, Liam Doyle and Gardner…
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| CHAPPELL HAS ALERTED EVERYONE TO THE BADGER SETT BENEATH THE GRASSY BANK... |
Subsequent thought has made me wonder just how effective Cutts might have proved as a ‘number 10’ on the day…
The officials…
Consistency, that is all players can hope for in non-league football and indeed some of this was lacking during the game. An assistant apparently guessed which way one particular throw-in should be awarded, then a foul by the effective home defender Jason Albini led to no immediate advantage for AFC, so the referee cautioned the offender and awarded Hampton a throw-in… So, frustration for Rangers…
Doyle, for chucking the ball to the ground like he was celebrating a touchdown, was cautioned (an assistant had flagged for handball) and Bird was also booked by the referee, who also wasn’t averse to bellowing at anyone who disagreed with him…
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| HOW IT FEELS AFTER A 0-0 DRAW... |
The final words…
Hardly enthralling, this game will not live in most folks’ memories but still I have muddled together some video action from my favourite vantage point, over the badgers’ sett, so anyone who wants to experience the better moments will be able to do so…
I won’t bother…
TEAMS:
HAMPTON FC:
DOM EDWARDS, JASON ALBINI, JACK CHAPMAN, CONOR BIRD, JAMES MORRIS (CAPT), TOM MITCHELL, DAN MCGRATH, MATT GARBETT, CONOR BAGSHAW, CIARAN LAWLESS, MARCUS BROOKES.
SUBS:
BRAD HALL, LUKE ALLEN, MATT ALLELY.
AFC COVENTRY RANGERS:
JACK HARTOPP, COREY PERKINS, TOBY CURRAN, RYAN ALEXANDER, GEORGE SWAIN, CURTIS CUTTS, JOE GARDNER, JAMES CHAPPELL (CAPT), FOLA FAGBEMI, CALLUM REGAN, LIAM DOYLE.
SUBS:
ALFIE HILL, OWEN SUDDICK, CALLUM MACK, JORDAN POWELL, JEAN PATRICK SILVA GOMES.
