IMAGES FROM ALONG THE CANAL AT YARNINGALE COMMON, WARWICKSHIRE, 5TH FEBRUARY 2025...

 

PROUD AT PROUTS NECK... (My new poem about Winslow Homer's 1883 painting of Prouts Neck, Maine...)

 Proud At Prouts Neck…

(From Winslow Homer’s 1883 painting of Prouts Neck, Maine…)

A stormy sky, charcoal grey, swirling and thunderous

Threatens two fishing vessels agitated upon a fitful, 

Restless high tide, their crews buffeted by a merciless

Gale, huddling through the unforgiving squall, wildly callous.

A sturdy woman defies the affray, lingering and courageous,

Upon dull, damp, dun rocks, a figurehead, a vengeful

Siren, a proud fisherwoman, under no perceived stress,

Oblivious to the chaos, undeterred, rebellious.

A boat’s sail bulges as the wind blusters in the rising tide,

Forcing her apron to lift and curl away from her long, heavy skirt;

Industrial footwear anchors her, confident, proud and pert,

An icon, awaiting the catch, her stance steady and astride.

She clutches an empty basket, pale shirt sleeves rolled

High upon strong, working arms and her long hair at the neck is neatly tied;

But her red scarf, incongruous in the almost sepia deluge, cold

And forbidding, is striking, whilst her pose seems strangely sanctified…  

Pete Ray

5th February 2025…

Really like the strength surrounding the powerful image of the woman on the rocks. 

Her hair, her red scarf, the wind-blown apron and her immense durability are spectacular.

The storm seems even more evil in contrast… 

MALVERN TOWN 4-0 HELSTON ATHLETIC: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT + SCREENSHOTS FROM MY OWN VIDEO CLIPS...

 Hillsiders Ease Past Well Beaten Blues…

Malvern Town 4-0 Helston Athletic

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

Helston flickered in both the opening and closing stages of this encounter but in-between they struggled to deal with Malvern’s offensive efforts. The odd thing was that it took around 35 minutes for the hosts to score the first goal but they liked it so much that within another 8 minutes, they led 3-0 by the time the half-time whistle was blown. 

The second period, played in worsening light was disappointing in truth and few goal chances were created, as the usual many substitutions littered the half with stoppages and restarts.

Despite some heroic defending by the Blues’ Jordan Bentley and Callum O’Brien, the movement in the Town attack was wily and smart at times, with the Clarks, Harry and Sam, causing problems from deep, Alex Bell showing fleet of foot on the offensive right and central striker Jack Watts being ably supported by the two midfield runners, Lewis Spurrier and Joe Tumelty.

Visiting goalminder Kyle Moore did as well as he could but was actually beaten by four very well executed goals netted by four different Hillsiders.

The Helston offense…

In the opening exchanges, a low, deflected effort from 18 yards by I think Jacob Smith, flicked off the boot of a Town defender which forced a flying reactive save by home goalie Josh Bishop and the fast Athletic start continued when the powerful O’Brien lifted an awkward header over the target from a set-piece. 

THE EXCELLENT BISHOP SAVE...

The only other notable shot came between Town’s third and fourth goals, when Ryan Smith’s low drive was stopped by Bishop.

Late in the second period, at 3-0 behind still, finally Jack Crago looked a threat on the break for the guests, first unselfishly attempting a pass when a shot might have been more beneficial, then shooing low for Bishop to save and finally, after Bishop had collected an effort from downtown by Ryan Smith, Crago drove the ball across the face of goal from inside-right.

BISHOP MAKES A DECENT CATCH...

Subsequently, Malvern licked and sealed and posted the envelope with a smart fourth goal and Helston’s players looked thoroughly well beaten… 

The Hillsiders’ first period offense…

Sam Clark nodded a chance from a right-flank delivery downwards but past the foot of the left upright but it had taken Malvern a while to get into gear, in truth. A final pass was missing too often but on 35 minutes, that all changed.

SAM CLARK HEADS WIDE...

A measured pass through inside-right from Harry to Sam Clark pierced the Athletic defensive line and Sam quickly shoved a pass across the face of goal, where the lurking Watts had ghosted in behind the covering Dylan Mitchell. Watts took his chance smoothly and first-time with the inside of his right boot, steering the ball back across the desperately scurrying Moore and low into the right corner of the net.

SAM CLARK FASTENS ONTO HARRY CLARK'S PASS...

...THEN WATTS SHOOTS...

...FOR 1-0...

The second goal arrived quickly and Helston were clearly stunned by it. The Clarks were again the assisting duo, for Harry’s subtle lifted pass into Sam’s path, moving left towards the corner of the 6 yard box, saw the tall forward chest the ball onto his volleying left boot, only for Moore to react superbly and turn the shot away to his left. Unfortunately for Helston, Spurrier was moving towards the far post and stuffed the loose ball into the net, to Moore’s clear disappointment.

HARRY CLARK'S NEAT ASSIST FOR SAM CLARK...

...BUT ALTHOUGH MOORE SAVES CLARK'S VOLLEY SUPERBLY...

...SPURRIER TUCKS THE BALL INTO THE NET...

...FOR 2-0...

Bell lashed an angled drive into the side-netting, Watts smacked a cross shot from the right beyond the far stick and then a delightfully clipped right-footed centre from the left by Watts was flicked on by home defender Charlie Johnson, whose header from between visiting skipper Steve Colwell and O’Brien looped neatly into the right side of the net from 7 yards, with Moore likely muttering about his bad fortune. 

BELL'S DELIVERY HITS THE SIDE-NETTING...

WATTS' SMART CENTRE...

...JOHNSON'S HEADER...

...& IT'S 3-0...

There was still time before the interval for O’Brien to head a dangerous delivery away from his goal and for Sam Clark’s looping header to drop just over the crossbeam.

The rather disappointing second period…

Clearly the game was going to be controlled by Town after refreshments had been taken but actually, Helston simply couldn’t get into any offensive rhythm and indeed, it was home replacement Joe Bullock who looked really lively, after Sam Clark had been taken out due to injury. Home skipper Luke Payne drove a shot from distance too high, O’Brien blocked a shot by Bullock and Harry Clark shot wide of the left post but to add insult to injury, after Athletic’s three late attacks, Malvern scored a fourth goal.

Another substitute Levi Francis, passed the ball from the right, along the 18 yard line towards fellow replacement Ryan Brunt, whose strength allowed him to cleverly hold off a defender and flick the ball into the path of Bullock who lashed a smart, curling left-footer from 14 yards into the left side of the net.

BRUNT'S FLICK...

...RELEASES BULLOCK...

...FOR 4-0...

That was a well created goal by three Town substitutes…

The final words…

Will Sullivan played strongly on the flanks for the Blues, as did O’Brien and Bentley in defence but Colwell was too often called upon to defend from midfield and his opportunities to create became more and more limited. Baga Mariko was prominent early in the game but as Malvern began to dominate, he, like his skipper, was given little scope to engineer any penetrating offense.

Miles Ferguson, Johnson, Dion Molyneux and his half-time replacement Adam Sauntson were tall, formidable defenders for Malvern and the comparatively lightweight Helston attack was offered little leeway.

Brunt’s cameo appearance, holding up the ball with guile and setting up goal three cleverly was enjoyable, as Malvern deservedly secured the three points… 

The following morning…

I managed to film highlights of the match at Malvern on my small hand-held Nikon bridge camera, commentating live and the clips I kept are still on the SD card.

I made a movie of the saved clips before going to bed and posted it on YouTube early the following morning. 

I posted a link to my movie on my blog, then posted a number of my images too.

Then I posted all four Malvern goals on X/Twitter, in real time and in slow motion.

I was then confronted by demands from Mark Huckle of Piran Films that I should delete the goal clips because I had used his copyrighted footage…

Each clip was similarly responded to…

I was aghast…

I was standing 15 metres or so to the left of Huckle and his commentator Steve Massey, the ex-Stockport and Plymouth striker, now I believe a director of Helston Athletic. They were positioned at the half-way line and they chatted to me pleasantly before the match. Clearly therefore, the Piran Films’ footage was filmed from a totally different angle from my own. 

I became very angry that I had been accused of stealing Huckle’s footage and yet when I asked on a direct X message if indeed his messages were aimed at me, he replied, 

‘Obviously. You’ve clipped my video which is copyrighted. Please could you delete your tweets.’ 

When I responded angrily that the clips were my own videos, that I had commentated on them at the time and that I was disgusted at his insinuation, he replied:

‘I didn’t have the sound on’

I messaged him that he could have checked my earlier full video on YouTube and that an apology was necessary both personally and on X.

He eventually wrote in a reply to my X post about the accusation of stealing:

‘Profuse apologies. All credit to your filming ability and modern technology. I didn’t have the sound on and it was a late night.’

So, no public apology and that’s all right then?

I hope Mr Massey and Helston are suitably embarrassed by Mr Huckle’s behaviour. 

Interestingly, the club hasn’t responded to any of my coverage of the game.

Badly done, I reckon…