AFC COVENTRY RANGERS 3-0 LANE HEAD: THE MOWDOG'S MATCH REPORT...

 The Evening Of The Left-Footers…

AFC Coventry Rangers 3-0 Lane Head

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

This match was deservedly won by Rangers, who dominated much of the 90 minutes, squandered a number of chances and found that scoring goals was the responsibility of largely left-footed players, for Rory Turnbull, Alpha Wurie and Connoll Farrell nabbed the three goals. However, headed chances often went begging and when a few opportunities fell to the weaker feet of a couple of players, Lane Head escaped further punishment to their goal-difference column.

Home skipper Jordan Powell was unable to find the target with several headers, whilst Fola Fagbemi nodded two attempts well astray. The striker might have grabbed a hat-trick in the opening quarter-hour in truth but he did win the spot-kick which allowed Turnbull to convert a penalty with, er, his left boot. Harry Parrish tripped Fagbemi and Turnbull’s penalty-shot flew into the top left corner of the net, leaving Head’s goalie Dale Hough helpless.

1-0...

1-0 became 2-0 when Powell slipped away smartly to the left byeline and fed the ball to the nearest left boot available, Wurie’s, who side-footed the ball neatly and sensibly into the bottom left corner of goal with Hough and the Head defenders wrong-footed.    

2-0...

Fagbemi was soon knocked to ground at the left byeline, which Rangers claimed a penalty for but the referee was unmoved and the AFC forward limped from the encounter, allowing, ahem, a left-footed player, Connoll Farrell to replace him. He just had to score, didn’t he? 

After the break, Farrell wrestled onto some slack Head defending, veered, er, right, past Hough, reached the byeline but with the unmarked Turnbull awaiting an assist, Farrell simply bludgeoned the ball into the net from a narrow angle with that left boot of his… 

FARRELL, RIGHT, A LEFT-BOOTED SCORER TO MAKE IT 3-0...

The wasted opportunities…

Undoubtedly, visiting defenders Parrish and Ben Gardner made some timely interventions, challenges, blocks and headers but there was some lax marking by the guests too, leaving Hough exposed on occasions.

Fagbemi began the game like a greyhound from a trap but when one-on-one with Hough, his right-footer was stopped by the ‘keeper’s boots. Fagbemi then headed wastefully wide twice, before sliding awkwardly to get in a right foot shot, when maybe that left-boot could have brought a better reward than rolling the ball to the untested Hough.

POWELL & GIWA...

Powell struggled to get his headers on target too, despite fine deliveries from Ashton Honeyghan at right-back and from Turnbull’s set-pieces. Head’s Lateef Giwa managed to block a Powell shot too, whilst replacement Farrell and Wurie both drove efforts too high in a one-sided opening period.

After the break, the finishing problems continued, this time for Farrell’s unfavoured foot, which slipped a near post effort past a post and then forced a defensive deflection at the same upright, which looped over the crossbeam for a corner.

Turnbull headed a Farrell corner into the side-netting from beyond the far stick and another Powell header lacked a good connection. Ryan Alexander, pivotal for Rangers, was always seemingly on the ball and was the most creative player on view but his one real shot at goal was taken low by Hough.

The real danger later in the match came from a decent cameo performance by substitute Joe Gardner on the right-flank, who oozed danger. He forced Hough to tip away a dangerous centre but also took aim with his left foot but, er, he clipped the effort wide. Maybe I shall forget that one…  However, he looked lively, smart and quick on the ball.

WORRIED WURIE...

Wurie was clever on occasions and it was likely a good move to replace him before things became too heated and nasty between himself and Head’s Dan Bell. Bell had caught Wurie a few times as the winger had tried to trick him but the Rangers player was fortunate not to be cautioned for a retaliatory challenge on Bell during the second period… It became quite unpleasant. It really did…

LITTLE CHANCE OF THOSE TWO MAKING UP...

STILL AT IT...

Lane Head’s offense…  

Not much to report, although central striker Alex Henry did force a first period parry from home gloveman Jack Hartopp, after sloppy possession by Rangers had offered the powerful forward an angled shot from the right. Busy visiting skipper Tom Embrey twice shot off-target from downtown whilst substitute Wes Grey slipped as he shot just wide from 18 yards in the latter stages of the second-half. 

However, little trouble was experienced by home central defenders George Swain and Phil Chesters, who were ably supported by full-backs Honeyghan and the hard tackling Toby Curran. Hartopp was rarely exerted all game in truth and subsequently it became a matter of how many goals AFC could score.

HONEYGHAN, FOREGROUND: A GOOD ALL-ROUND EVENING FOR HIM...

The final words…

A comfortable win for Rangers, if a profligate one but certainly guests Parrish and Ben Gardner didn’t deserve to be on the end of a hiding, for their efforts were sterling throughout.

POWELL: "WHERE'S GIWA?"
BEHIND YOU, MATE...

Alexander really stood out for the hosts, Wurie was entertaining to watch, Joe Gardner supplied a fresh approach and James Chappell played a sensible fetching and carrying game in midfield. 

Giwa looked useful on rare occasions for Head and tussled strongly with Powell, whilst goalie Hough could hold his head high after his performance. 

ALEXANDER & EMBREY...

A mention of the Lane Head number 7, Tommy Lawton… Wow, what a famous name to carry as a football player…

So Rangers stay in the mix for the league title with Sutton, Knowle and Cadbury and this evening (26th April) I hope to be at the Knowle v Cadbury clash at Hampton Road…