RACING CLUB WARWICK 2-1 LUTTERWORTH TOWN: THE MOWDOG'S INDEPENDENT REPORT + IMAGES...

 Racers Frustrated By Dogged Lutterworth…

Racing Club Warwick 2-1 Lutterworth Town

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

RCW certainly deserved to win this match on goal chances alone, never mind the territorial and possession advantages secured on the night but, rather like against Desborough recently, the finishing touch on their own surface was lacking.

Several opportunities were squandered by the hosts, including a penalty but although their guests took the lead with their first attempt at goal, rarely did they cause home ‘keeper Brad Catlow any real concern.

However, Town were dogged and generally defended well and indeed their goalminder, Warren Butlin, didn’t really have any difficult shots to save. Credit then to Lutterworth’s central defenders Dylan Parish and Brandon Williams who not only kept home forwards Matt Reed and Luke Shearer fairly quiet but on the whole managed to survive a succession of Warwick set-pieces.

RCW’s ‘bus-stop’ corner routine brought them a winning goal before the break, whereby an in-swinging flag-kick found its way past Butlin at the near post, whilst previous to that, the impressive, gazelle-like left wingback Archie Hamp had risen to head in an equaliser.

However, Warwick’s general build-up play was deliberate, which led to Town dropping a number of men back to cover the defence, leaving a couple to chase the ball and thus the team known as the Racers often transformed themselves into the Trotters. In truth, the ebullient and excellent Cam Ebbutt, the lively James Hancocks and the industrious Connor Mort in midfield seemed to become frustrated as the match wore on.

Deep-lying midfielder Callum Carsley was afforded lots of space to work in but picking out a recipient for his passes was never easy for the tall playmaker in a crowded opposition half.

The second period…    

It really was a tough watch, for fouls, a couple of injuries, then a plethora of substitutions turned the second 45 into a disturbed and stuttering spectacle. Sure, the hosts threatened to score more goals but there was simply very little flow and sadly the main official took centre stage on occasions.

A couple of early cautions for what appeared to be not very serious fouls set a precedent and subsequently, a few worse fouls went unpunished bar the award of free-kicks. Then the referee’s attitude became a little surly, cautioning a member of the Lutterworth coaching staff and sin-binning one of their players. He was asked loudly but ‘politely’ late on several times by folks in the Town dugout how much longer remained in the contest and it took quite a while before he suddenly snapped back, “FIVE…”

The confused and irritating second period chugged on, stopped, started again and finally yawned to a close with the Racers wasting time in a corner…

The Lutterworth offense… 

The visitors won a deep free-kick on the right after they had coped with some early Warwick flurries and when the ball was delivered by Brad Coleman, somehow central striker Kyle Crawford (did he really have a tattoo of a lion’s head on his back?) chested the ball towards Hne Wilson, who took an inadvertent shove from home skipper Kyle Barnett, freeing him to get onto the ball in traffic and turn to poke a low shot towards goal, which Catlow likely saw late, dropped left for but could only turn the ball against the inside of his left post and into the net. Shock…  

0-1 BUT IS WILSON RINGING HOME & IS THE COACH CONFUSED BY THAT?

That effort apart, during the first-half, Catlow fielded a long Tom Marrs shot with a bit of a fumble, then caught a shot from the, er, combative Lee Tyers but really, after the recess, the only real threats stemmed from the dangerous Ben Adomako, whose one shot was blocked and several threatening rushes by lively forward Divine Emmanuel Okeyere. Late on, replacement Paul Omotosho might have done better than smash the ball across the penalty-box from a promising position.

The Warwick attacks…  

Before the interval, Hancocks nodded a strong low header past the left post from a fine Ebbutt free-kick, Mort twice drove shots wide and Reed saw a penalty stopped by the legs of Butlin. The ‘keeper had fallen right but the ball seemed like it became wedged between his legs, acting like a giant pair of pincers. Reed had won the penalty with his pace, which saw Williams trip him… Reed then went clear again at inside-left but angled his right-footer which drifted well wide of the right stick, whilst his left boot seemed saddened not to have been called upon…

Oddly, Hamp had a goal disallowed before scoring RCW’s opener and Hancocks’ right-wing corners had previously caused mayhem before he netted the winner direct from one. First, Ebbutt’s splendid left-flank free-kick saw Hamp rise and head the ball out of Butlin’s reach into the left side of the net to regain parity for his team, then Hancocks’ swerving left-footed corner grazed Town defender James Sanderson’s head at the near post and sneaked inside the upright as Butlin tried in vain to keep it out. 

1-1...

2-1...

After the break for bread and water, the Racers’ efforts were irregular. Hamp shot, then headed way too high, an Ebbutt shot was deflected vertically for Butlin to catch, then he later shot wide of the left vertical, before his free-kick from downtown was smuggled behind for a corner by Butlin at the foot of his right post.

Late on, substitute Charlie Jones shot over the bar but Hamp will be wondering how he didn’t grab a brace during the latter stages. In a melee at the right post, Butlin became grounded and Hancocks poked the ball towards the goal-line. It seemed to be blocked but then rolled on along the goal-line and appeared to hit Hamp’s foot but it didn’t enter goal and somehow a defender hacked the ball clear… 

The final words…  

A great welcome from the staff at RCW again but I was very surprised to be reacquainted with one of the most decent blokes I know from the non-league circuit: ex-Coventry United striker Brian Ndlovu, now on the Lutterworth squad. I used to dub him a ‘very naughty boy’ (Life Of Brian) but he was undoubtedly one of manager Edwin Greaves’ most reliable players from the Coventry area…

He was the Messiah…

Images...

THE BUS STOP...

TYERS IN TROUBLE...

LIVELY IN DARK BLUE: BUDU & ADOMAKO... 

THIS CHAT WITH ADOMAKO WAS HARSH ON THE PLAYER...

LOOKS LIKE GOALIE BUTLIN IS HOLDING UP THE OTHERS...

THE TOSS...

I WONDER WHICH LUTTERWORTH PLAYER IN THIS PICTURE HAS COMMITTED A FOUL? 😳

MORE PUNISHMENT IS HANDED OUT...

REED IS GUARDED BY PARISH & WILLIAMS...

SOMEONE WANTS TO PLAY WINDMILLS AND NOT JOIN THE RACERS' HUDDLE...