Cadbury Athletic 1-1 Earlswood Town…
The Mowdog’s thoughts…
A hard fought and tense encounter between two teams with differing attitudes: Earlswood needed to win and Cadbury could draw, for their goal difference was superior to that of their guests.
There was a lot of long kicking and forward heading on a dry rugby pitch and in truth, incisive passing was at a premium. The threat of Earlswood’s two wide forwards Sarjo Sila and Favour Amaechi was palpable throughout the match but the home defenders generally managed to quell the danger when their service deliveries were made.
On the front foot from the start, Town pushed forward with Dan Barnes and Abdul Adegbola prominent in midfield and Louis Bridges taking the load as the target forward, centrally.
The goal scored was a fine drive by long-throw specialist Alex Price from 19 yards, which home gloveman Fraser Oliver got a right hand to but was unable to prevent entering the top corner of his goal.
Cadbury struggled to get their offense going, although strangely, both Dean Fisher and then Callum Burston-Keeley headed against the left upright during a rough and tumble first period played in a setting sun but it was beginning to feel very cold.
As the floodlights lit half two, Cadbury looked more offensive but again Town looked dangerous through their two wingers, Oliver throwing himself at Amaechi to block one shot well.
Wade Malley nearly directed a Burston-Keeeley free-kick into the net and was knocked over by visiting gloveman Alexey Dallaway in his attempt but the officials ignored the incident and refused Town’s claims of a penalty.
As the game wore on, a few stoppages for injuries occurred, substitutions were made and Cadbury became more desperate, as Earlswood wasted whatever time the referee would allow them to get away with, until suddenly, Burston-Keeley, who had switched from the left flank to the right, suddenly broke at inside-right, chasing a long pass under pressure.
As he threatened, Dallaway raced just outside his penalty-box to clear but Burston-Keeley’s raised foot nudged the ball forwards, the ‘keeper kicked air and the striker was able to run on and nudge it into the net from 10 yards as he was challenged by the desperate and retreating Dallaway and Town’s impressive defender Abdoullah Kchikech.
That was enough for Cadbury to achieve second place in the league behind Northfield Town and the players wasted any time that they could for the remaining minutes…
So, a game of rough and tumble at times, losses of possession and physical graft but the tension was real and it was unsurprising that the encounter was often untidy.
Cadbury did their job, however…
Images from Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club...
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| A NEAT BACKDROP FOR THE BODGING & THE PYDOG... |
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| IT WOULD END UP AS 1-1... |
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| EARLSWOOD'S REPLACEMENTS IN THEIR SUN-TRAP... |
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| THE CADBURY DUGOUT... |
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| WORDS FOR THE LADS... |
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| CALLUM BURSTON-KEELEY: THE ALL IMPORTANT EQUALISER WAS FORAGED BY HIM... |
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| SUNLIGHT CORNER... |
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| EARLSWOOD CELEBRATE THEIR LEAD... |
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| UNDER THE LIGHTS... |
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| DISAGREEMENT... |
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| GAME OVER... |
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| NEAT SKY... Thanks to @Carlos_1982 for allowing me to use his clip of Earlswood's goal... My camera malfunctioned at just the wrong moment! But HUGE thanks to Coventry Colliery manager Rhys Lyons too for spotting the footage on X... PLEASE CLICK ON THIS MESSAGE TO GO TO THE LINK TO 14 MINUTES OF VIDEO ACTION + FULL COMMENTARY... |
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