WHITCHURCH ALPORT 1-1 1874 NORTHWICH: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT + SCREENSHOTS OF THE ACTION...

 Competitive Contest Can’t Find A Winner…

Whitchurch Alport 1-1 1874 Northwich…

The Mowdog’s thoughts… 

So, en route from Solihull, a 72 mile journey, which was longer than that of the Northwich contingent, I stopped at a garage for a pack of Paracetamol but I was delayed there for ten minutes. Somehow, a young soldier, who had written off his car the night before and was being taken to buy a new one, had paid for someone else’s fuel…

If I hadn’t had a headache before arriving there, I certainly felt I had one whilst waiting to buy the tablets… The poor guy in charge there was trying to work out how it could all be sorted out…

So, Whitchurch v 1874 was a match played at first in bright autumn sunshine, before a rainbow appeared and soon the players were drenched some seeping rain. The distant paragliders I spotted shocked me at first because they looked like huge soaring predatory birds but they didn’t move any closer and thus missed Ollie Holden’s fine finish for Alport and Jacson Coppack’s dumped strike for the guests. 

Whitchurch caused strife for some rather laboured 1874 defending before the break and it was along the right flank that much of the trouble stemmed, with new midfield signing Tom Allen looking assured in possession and with his distribution. Holden had missed a couple of chances before his neat goal but despite some territorial advantage, mainly due to the efforts of Coppack and skipper Mark Jones in the midfield areas, Northwich found testing home goalie and skipper Jack Sheward a real problem.  

A better second period for the visitors brought the reward of an equaliser but again, although some domination was achieved, 1874 might have lost the game, as two good chances were squandered by the hosts.

The timekeeping was was rather strange too, for despite a couple of first period injuries, a goal celebration and several other stoppages, the half ended at 3.44pm. Substitutions, injuries, cautions and a goal scored by 1874 after the interval only brought two minutes of added time, which did seem a little odd, as the teams battled for a winning goal… 

Just sayin’…

The chances which went a-begging & the two which were converted…

A drag across goal, a miscue and a soft effort by Holden, then a shot against the base of the right post, following an incisive Diego Esquivel-McGann pass, all finally came good for the number 9, when visiting skipper Jones was mugged on the right side of midfield. 

HOLDEN'S SHOT...

...STRIKES A POST...

The ricochet sent Holden scampering into the left side of the 18 yard box, from whence he deftly lifted a dinked effort over the advanced, crouched ‘keeper Jack Atkinson and his flaming arms. Clever finish…

HOLDEN APPROACHES...

...& SMARTLY LIFTS THE BALL OVER ATKINSON...

...INTO THE VACANT NET...

...& IT'S 1-0 TO ALPORT...

Ben Wallis pulled a low shot wide and a drive by Esquivel-McGann was deflected by Jones’ lunge but in truth, a few times, the spirited running of the home forwards, Theo Knight, Holden and Wallis, caused some hurried hacks clear by the often ragged 1874 defence.

The visitors first managed a shot way too high by Matt Woolley, following an awkward, downward offensive header by colleague Niall Osborne from a smart Kyle Worsley centre. Later Worsley’s effort from downtown was calmly palmed upwards from beneath his crossbeam by Sheward and safely collected like a falling apple from a tree.

SHEWARD DEALS WITH WORSLEY'S EFFORT...

So Alport had been more threatening with their guile and pace, whilst despite the industry of Jones and Coppack, the 1874 forwards barely bothered home defender Aaron Simms and company, whilst the Northwich defence had been caught napping a few times.

After the recess, the guests threatened more, although central striker Michael Hayes suffered a very frustrating afternoon, whilst Worsley often looked a danger on the ball and the other wide player, Ben Furlong pleased the travelling fans with his pace, his impish skills and probably most of all, his sheer effort and stubborn unwillingness to be bullied off the ball. He really deserved credit for his efforts…

The equaliser stemmed from a deep cross from the right by defender Rob Hopley, which was challenged for on the 18 yard line by Hayes and his marker Braden Webb. The ball took a touch off them, possibly Hayes and that wrong footed Simms, allowing it to run kindly for Coppack, who rammed the ball low into the left corner of the net from 16 yards. 

HOPLEY'S CENTRE GETS BY HAYES & WEBB...

...FOR COPPACK TO STRIKE...

...DEEP INTO THE NET FOR 1-1...

1874 left-back Isaac Burgess shot wide from just beyond the right stick, a Hopley header was off target, Tom Morris’ header dropped onto the roof of the net and late in the encounter Morris shot into the net smartly, only to be ruled offside.

MORRIS' LATE STRIKE WOULD BE RULED OFFSIDE...

So, apart from Coppack’s goal, it was Burgess, Hopley and Morris, all defenders for Northwich, who were responsible for their team’s second period efforts at goal…

At the other end, playing on the counter attack, Knight lofted a great chance over the target at the right stick from a few yards out, before Coppack couldn’t get to a pass by home replacement Charlie Edge, which freed the lively Tom Messham, who cut inside from the left but curled his shot over the goal-frame. 

The final words…

A point apiece in a decent scrap to watch but some chaotic defending by 1874, coupled with a lack of of offensive incision meant that a point was likely acceptable, despite largely dominating possession from the strong midfield corps, featuring the impressive Coppack.

Alport’s quickness and direct attacking, mainly by Holden, Messham, Wallis and Knight, supported by a good shift along the left flank by Josh Madeley would suggest on opportunities alone, that the hosts might have rued not taking all three points…

Right-sided defender George Carpenter often took the eye with a neat performance and gloveman Sheward was always confident and very competent with his handling and kicking…

I took to the M6 for my journey home. 

It was not pleasant…