Swifts Nearly Squander Victory Over
10-Man Swans…
Lutterworth Town 4-3 Newport Pagnell Town
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| THE TOSS: WHEN NOBODY AT ALL WAS BARRACKING THE REFEREE... |
The Mowdog’s thoughts…
The Swifts had snatched a 2-0 interval lead over the visiting Swans and in truth, when a minor second period incident led to a push and shove scuffle, like water birds scrapping for bread crusts on a local lake, not only did Pagnall have a player dismissed, they also then conceded a third goal. Cue comfort for Lutterworth? Er, no…
The guests began to move the ball better on the tricky, hard, often slippery surface with more intent, with midfielder Matt Harriott certainly more involved than he had been. Despite being a man short, the Swans eventually regained parity at 3-3 in an unexpectedly lively second 45 but just when it seemed that the visitors would steal an unlikely victory, The Messiah took a hand in the proceedings…
Brian ‘He’s a very naughty boy…’ Ndlovu was introduced by the Swifts and he managed an assist for fellow replacement Callum Morris who gleefully netted a late winner for his team.
Not only did the final result set off the incongruous squawking of gulls nearby but the local garden cock was so shocked that it almost choked whilst crowing…
Pagnell looked dispirited near the end but their comeback had been admirable, with Dan Walker and Jack Bowen real threats to the home defence as the game had progressed.
That opening period of discomfort for the visitors…
Untidy and error-riddled, the Swans misfired before the break, being caught out twice by the industrious Swifts. In all honesty few real goal chances were created by the two teams but when Swifts’ Nick Reeves won one of a number of headers against the stressed Pagnell defence to set the tricky Hne Wilson free through the middle, the winger’s low shot from 16 yards beat the advancing ‘keeper Lewis Patching to open the scoring.
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| CELEBRATING 1-0 IN FRONT OF A SPONSOR'S NAME... |
Patching had already plunged like a cormorant beneath water to somehow keep out a close range effort by Swifts’ Harvey Westwood and had soared high like a buzzard as Elliot Butler’s drive from downtown had flown just too high.
However, a spot-kick was awarded to Lutterworth just prior to half-time when Charlie Stirland’s lunge at the very effective home right-back Brad Coleman sent the defender into the icy turf like a great crested grebe plunging after a small newt. Westwood took the responsibility of taking the penalty but his low shot was saved by Patching, falling right and although the gloveman jumped up like a fighting cock, he couldn’t prevent the alert Westwood from rising like a lark to nod the rebound into the right corner of the net. Patching flapped desperately like a flailing shoebill stork but he just couldn’t get to the ball…
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| 2-0... |
Home goalminder and skipper Warren Butlin had rarely been bothered by the Swans but in fairness, a few decent blocks had been made by Coleman, the ebullient Luke Wilson and the tall Callum Rai, whose neck often stretched like that of an ostrich to head away crosses from the likes of Walker, Kieran Barnes and Ben Ford.
The trouble, the dismissal and the fightback…
Walker had already been dangerous on a few occasions for the guests, cutting inside from the left flank in sprightly manner like a lily trotter upon tropical lily pads and subsequently he would affect the match dramatically. Before that, however, Coleman fell and covered the ball, seemingly with his body, possibly with an arm too, which led to an attempt by Barnes to extract the ball with a poking boot acting like a shoveler’s intrusive beak. Coleman and midfield colleague Ben Bradshaw took exception, the three chaps began an altercation and like mallards scrapping for bread crusts on a pond, others piled in, not wishing to duck out of the action.
Luke Wilson’s late arrival at the scene was suddenly interrupted by that of Pagnell’s Jarvis Wilson who appeared to shove the home number 17 from behind, like the magpie which tends to remove a jay from food scraps in my garden. Luke Wilson turned and seemed to shove Jarvis Wilson away, amid a constant barrage of advice being bellowed from the sideline at the referee that Luke had in fact thrown a punch. I can’t say that I saw a punch, only the quick turn-round by Luke and his arms/hands being thrust out at the taller Jarvis’ chest.
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| CALMING DOWN... |
It appeared that only Barnes was cautioned, although others were fortunate to escape punishment. Jarvis Wilson was dismissed, however… The referee was constantly harangued from the touchline about his performance and when Swifts’ Butler hooked the ball left to Westwood and the home forward managed to avoid a tackle and shoot past Patching, the guests were three goals and one man down…
However, driven on by Harriott and skipper Christian Smail, the visitors gained heart and some dominance, with Smail reducing the arrears when a low 18 yard drive was pushed onto the inside of his left upright by Butlin, only for the ball to roll across the goal-line and nestle in the opposite corner of the net.
Soon it was 3-2 as finally Walker’s promise turned into a brace of goals. First he rolled the ball beneath the advancing Butlin from inside-left, after Luke Wilson was caught in possession then from Bowen’s header, reminiscent of another footballing magpie in my garden which leaps and head-butts the bird feeder to shake out the sunflower hearts, Walker bundled in a dramatic equaliser near the right stick. Sadly as I was filming in the weaker light, Swans’ replacement Kai Decious O’Keefe was warming up and moved across me, taking the camera’s focus, which meant that the clip of the goal is unclear… Apologies to Newport Pagnell…
Despite more offense, including a header wide by Bowen and a foot save by Butlin from Smail’s low effort, it was the hosts who took the three points, soon after The Messiah arrived in his hallowed number 5 jersey. He would drive a powerful angled shot from almost on the right byeline late on which Patching beat away but more importantly he set up Morris for the seventh goal of the encounter.
Both substitutes, Divine Emmanuel Okyere and Brian The Messiah Ndlovu had headed on a ball out of defence by the combative Coleman. The lively Hne Wilson took possession knocked the ball in from the right but Pagnell’s suitably named Josh Swan blocked The Messiah’s poked shot and the ball rolled left for Morris. He really couldn’t miss and like the sparrowhawk which swoops across my garden, Morris swooped away to take the congratulations of his joyous colleagues.
Defeat for Pagnell but the response to the dismissal of Jarvis Wilson and to going three goals behind was totally admirable and they so nearly toppled a jittery Lutterworth outfit in the latter stages of the match. Patching joined the offensive throng for a late corner but O’Keefe’s delivery from the left was headed clear by a clearly relieved Swifts’ massed defence.
The final words…
Thanks to Lutterworth for the great welcome again and I arrived just when a linesman was leaving the ground, having turned up on the wrong day. Hmm… It was good to meet representatives from Newport Pagnell too, a ground I still haven’t visited…
Perhaps soon…
Walker and Harriott, aided by the aerial work of Bowen, had helped to get the Swans back into the match but the home defence just about kept them at bay in a show of resilience like that of penguins in the worst of storms. Luke Wilson, James Sanderson and Coleman, alongside Rai but aided by midfielders Tom Marrs and Butler, not to mention the very able Bradshaw, who had a frown like a hungry grey heron’s, all rallied round to protect the lead in the closing stages…
And the cock crowed once more after the final whistle and the nearby gulls screamed in their foraging excitement…
The images...
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| EXPRESSIONS... |
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| REEVES DOING WHAT REEVES DOES... |
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| 'KEEPER BUTLIN PLANTS A PERENNIAL... |
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| WALKER IS STILL SALUTING... |
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| REEVES & HARRIOTT... |
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| BUTLER'S CAUTION... |
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| SOMEONE ISN'T TOO BOTHERED... |
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| HOW TO PARACHUTE INTO THE GROUND... |
