Racers Hold Off Aylestone & Win Promotion…
Racing Club Warwick 2-1 Aylestone Park
(United Counties League, Premier Division South Playoff Final…)
The Mowdog’s thoughts…
Two goals proved enough for the Racers to see off Park’s second period challenge and win promotion from Step 5 at a well attended Townsend Meadow. 1024 was the official crowd figure and those in attendance witnessed a tense match which saw Park break out from their first period doldrums and a 1-0 deficit to threaten the hosts on several occasions during the second 45.
When RCW scored a second goal after the break, typically from an in-swinging right-flank corner, all seemed lost for the guests but they plugged away and managed to pull a goal back near the end. However, in spite of a couple of melees inside the home 18 yard box, when several headed clearances were made by RCW’s desperate players, it wouldn’t be enough for the Declan Towers inspired visitors.
The celebrations at the ground were relished by the players and staff, plus the limited number of spectators who were able to squeeze into a position to see the presentation table clearly in one corner of the pitch.
The busy but inconsequential opening half…
Home ‘keeper Sam Lomax was rarely troubled in truth and only really had to punch away one set-piece, before ex-pro Billy Kee, once a prolific goalscorer at both Burton Albion and Accrington Stanley, lobbed a volley too high from way downtown as the half-time whistle sounded.
The Racers played their usual style of possession football across and from the defensive line which meant that very few genuine goalmouth incidents were recorded. Louis Monaghan, who was quick and strong in spearheading the home attack, managed a header wide of the left stick but even corners taken on the right-side by Callum Carsley failed to succeed with the bus queue on the goal-line.
However, around the 17th minute mark a burst infield from the left flank by Monaghan offered him a shooting chance, even though he was some 30 yards from goal but his low drive skidded past the gloves of the plunging Park ‘keeper Nykah Liburd-Hines and found the bottom left corner of the net.
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| MONAGHAN PREPARES TO SHOOT... |
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| ...& SCORES... |
1-0 and still AP hadn’t really got going, yet all the hosts could manage until the interval was a shot from Simeon Cobourne which was deflected away for a corner.
Although little in the way of scoring opportunities had been created, there was enough in the way of physical attrition, tackles and errors to keep those folks who weren’t fetching beers from the clubroom, or checking their cellphones, to relish.
The Park revival & the Racers’ nervous finish…
After almost conceding from a Carsley set-piece when the ball might have bounced off Towers’ arm towards goal and Park skipper Justin Peace headed it from his goal-line, the visitors really did speed up and improve their game.
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| PEACE CLEARS THE BALL FROM HIS GOAL-LINE... |
Replacement James Snedden, who was purposeful throughout for his team, struck a fine effort wide of the right stick and when forward Louis Samuels found space in the penalty-box, his low shot was blocked by Lomax’ legs. Corey Bucalossi was instrumental in the Park creativity and Towers’ experience was invaluable as the Racers were pushed back and forced to play on the counter attack.
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| SNEDDON'S SHOT GOES WIDE... |
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| SAMUELS' SHOT IS SAVED BY LOMAX'S LEGS... |
Samuels drove a low shot just wide of the right vertical, after a Cobourne shot had been easily saved by Liburd-Hines at the opposite end but then Warwick struck back. After the Park gloveman had allowed a right-wing centre to slip through his gloves but fortunately not dangerously, Cobourne ran clear at inside-right but his low shot looped upwards from the goalie’s boot, allowing the inspired Peace to get back and nod off his goal-line for the second time.
Another Carsley corner from the right was the downfall of AP, when Josh Willis moved a yard backwards to the 6 yard line in a crowded bus queue goalmouth, leaned and deftly glanced the ball downwards into the left corner of the net, beating both Sam Preston and also Kee to the ball.
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| WILLIS' HEADER... |
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| ...CREEPS INTO THE NET... |
Monaghan broke clear centrally but his rising drive past the advancing Liburd-Hines rebounded from the right post and then the guests really went for the Racers and Lomax did well to save a low, left-footed effort by right-sided attacker Hollis. Maybe that moment was integral to how the match panned out, for when visiting substitute Ryan Seal expertly set up Hollis again with a neat header, this time the forward poked the ball between Lomax’s feet and it was 2-1.
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| MONAGHAN FIRES AGAINST THE RIGHT POST... |
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| HOLLIS SHOOTS THROUGH LOMAX'S LEGS... |
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| ...& IT'S 2-1... |
Cue lots of deliveries forward by the despairing visitors but the Racers, skipper Kyle Barnett and sidekick Oli Mulders in particular, stood very firm to see the final moments out.
The final words…
Emotion was evident at the final whistle but in truth, the hard fought tie had featured some decent individual efforts, including James Hancocks, Ryan Andrews and Cam Ebbutt in the home midfield, who never stopped working, whilst Willis won numerous headers for his team in and around centrefield.
Replacement Rico Taylor looked neat in the final portion of the encounter too and of course Carsley and right-back Jay DLionga were often useful outlets.
Both Park full-backs, Charley Kilburn and Dom Watts had good games and indeed, Kilburn was often able to exploit the space afforded him on the offensive right. Samuels maybe lacked service, as did Kee but Bucalossi and Towers were industrious and often inventive playmakers for Aylestone.
Subsequently though, it wasn’t enough and the Racers raced through to Step 4 in the fine, persistent rain…
When Carsley finally ended a conversation then stepped along the touchline to join his team-mates and accept his medal, the Warwick joy began…
I couldn’t see it all very well from my hemmed in position but the bubbly certainly did flow…
