RACING CLUB WARWICK 1-0 WELLINGBOROUGH TOWN: THE MOWDOG'S INDEPENDENT REPORT & 9 SCREENSHOTS...

 Burke Slides In To Hurt The Doughboys…

Racing Club Warwick 1-0 Wellingborough Town

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

Warwick’s Kory Burke slid forth to convert a low cross by Josh Willis late in this important United Counties Premier League South clash to give the hosts a victory. The Racers needed to win the game really, whilst the Doughboys would likely have taken a draw but with RCW having asked most of the second period questions, suddenly the visitors attacked aggressively. However, an important block by home midfielder Ryan Andrews and a clearance from his goal-line by Warwick replacement Dom Perkins preserved the hosts’ lead as time ran out in this rather tense encounter.

Visiting defender and skipper Jack O’Connor was impressive and very effective for his team, alongside the vastly experienced Brett Solkhon. In truth though, the Racers not only needed their patient possession-based tactics to conjure up an occasional chink of a chance but they also found Town ‘keeper Adam North in decent form.

The second period was certainly less tense and the substitutions made by RCW paid dividends, for not only did Luke Shearer’s running cause some bother for the Town defence but also Perkins not only hacked the ball from his goal-line, as mentioned above but he was also instrumental in the scoring of the winning goal.

A cagey opening half…

Simeon Cobourne was a lively forward for RCW and twice cut inside the penalty-box from the left but his first effort was deflected off target and his second attempt clipped the outside of the left upright’s base. Burke fired in two rising shots from almost identical positions at inside-right but the first flew past the left vertical pole and the second was well parried away by North.

COBOURNE'S EFFORT WOULD BE DEFLECTED...

...& THIS ONE WOULD CLIP A POST...

James Hancocks was a willing ball carrier and midfield scoundrel for RCW but he was cautioned for ‘simulation’ after tumbling inside the Town penalty-box, which was unclear to the merely humble spectators present. Hancocks then had a low drive deflected for a corner by the stretching Solkhon.

Warwick also went close with an awkward Willis header from a set-piece, which was deflected past the left stick for a corner. North did well to knock away two or three flag-kicks which were generally well flighted by Callum Carsley from the right and Cobourne from the left. The fact that no goals ensued from Warwick’s dangerous corners into the queue almost on the goal-line was a credit to Wellingborough.

Town managed a couple of efforts at goal by Jomin John, who lobbed a right-footer too high and then benefited from a fine run on the left by Jessi Obeng but the advancing home gloveman Sam Lomax blocked the effort smartly. Visiting striker Neo Richard-Noel nearly got a diving headed touch to a near post set-piece delivery by Lloyd Buckby, before driving his only real shot wildly across the face of goal from an angle on the right.

The Racers begin to threaten more…

Although Obeng had two successive shots blocked in a rare attack by the guests, much of the second period offense came from RCW. Charlie Jones shot at North from downtown, a Carsley near post corner clipped the upright, Shearer drove too high and Willis suddenly erupted as an attacker. First he slid forward but was unable to reach substitute Archie Hamp’s low centre, then soon afterwards the midfielder lashed a volley well wide of the right stick.

CARSLEY'S CORNER STRIKES THE UPRIGHT...

A COMBINATION OF PERKINS (15) & ANDREWS (4) WOULD BLOCK THIS OBENG SHOT...

And then Willis assisted Burke to score an emotional goal for the hosts. Credit must go to Perkins though because he rushed forward, fed Cobourne outside the 18 yard box and continued running. Cobourne’s pass went right for Willis though, whose low cross was stretched for by Perkins at the near post, which North reacted to, only for the ball to roll on past both of them for Burke to slide in and convert from a yard or two.

THE WILLIS ASSIST...

THE BURKE WINNER...

Town replacement Tom Laciofano shot weakly at Lomax as the visitors mounted late assaults on the home goal and left-sided defender Rico Alexander sliced wide of the left upright from 16 yards. Richard-Noel saw a shot deflected over the target, then the number 9 raced into the left side of the penalty-box threateningly but a superb sliding challenge by Andrews blocked the striker’s release and Lomax dropped upon the loose ball at the near post.

RICHARD-NOEL GETS AWAY...

...BUT ANDREWS DENIES HIM...

Finally, with time running out, the Doughboys went tantalisingly close to regaining parity, when Richard-Noel nodded the ball across goal from beyond the right post. Buckby rose at the left stick almost on the goal-line with Lomax and the ball dropped from them, only for the alert Perkins to hack it clear and save the day for his team…

PERKINS MAKES HIS CLEARANCE...

The final words…

Thanks to RCW for the kind welcome and the tussle was a worthy one to watch, although one had the feeling that a single goal might win it. Both defences were largely in control to be fair and O’Connor really did stand out for the Doughboys, ably supported by Charlie Green, Solkhon and Alexander. Midfielder Sean McBride was willing in his midfield industry, as was Buckby but some clever wing play was often evident from Obeng and he was the main threat to Warwick’s skipper Kyle Barnett, alongside Oli Mulders. 

Harry Sawyer was decent at right wingback for the hosts and when he was replaced by Hamp, the tall Racer settled in to play an influential role late on. Clearly, RCW have a strong midfield at this level, for Hancocks, Andrews, Willis and Jones all played their parts in this victory.

How the defeat affects Town in subsequent matches will be interesting to follow but they are a strong outfit, of that there is little doubt…