07/11/2015 – University of Essex FC versus Weeley Athletic FC (KOC-R1)

ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE

KNOCK-OUT CUP – ROUND ONE

 

UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX FC:     0.       WEELEY ATHLETIC FC:  3.

 

Date:   Saturday 07^th November 2015.                    Venue: University of Essex, Wivenhoe.

 

As I mentioned after the Preliminary Round, I thought I would follow the winners of each Knock-Out Cup tie seen, so when Weeley Athletic FC beat Barnston AFC their next game would be away to another Premier Division team, the University of Essex FC, which was rather fortunate as without a car this weekend I used my bus pass for a free trip to the University grounds.

 

I was going to call the pitch a 3W pitch, that’s wild, windy and wet due to the poor weather conditions but I must admit that the main pitch at the University is in excellent condition so any team that likes to play football should do well against the usually young, fit and skilful home team who this week were missing several key players, mainly defenders, which might explain the result!

 

The Match Official for this fixture was Andrew French and after the respect handshake and a minutes silence he controlled an excellent match with authority and apart from some advisory words to both captains and one late caution he had a trouble free afternoon.

 

Weeley kicked off and lost the ball immediately with Redman intercepting a casual midfield pass and by getting the ball forward, Lelliot ghosted past Westrip with his low cross being missed by Downes with Dingli, six yards out, latching onto the gilt-edged chance, struck firmly goalwards where Freeman excelled with a purely instinctive reflex save pushing the ball up and over the cross-bar, certainly a wakeup call for the visitors. In the second minute Heffer fouled Redman with Camm planting the free-kick straight to the arms of Freemen, and from his clearance Rawlinson tried to drive his way through but after beating four defenders he failed to take the ball past the fifth. Nash was spoken too for querying an off-side flag, hard to tell from where I stood but the game progressed at a fair pace with Downes clearing a low cross after Westrip had been beaten for pace by Adewbile down the right wing. After ten minutes the home team had held the upper hand, the visitors had rode the early pressure but started to look dangerous going forward themselves.

Defender Brook played a back pass towards Potter, his keeper, who had come to meet the ball so both players were relieved when the back-pass drifted just wide for a corner rather than an own-goal. Downes fouled Dingli, a tricky player who has strength, pace and good feet plus an eye for goal if twenty-one goals so far this season is anything to go by and this was followed by Davis fouling Lelliot as the home team pushed forward. When East was fouled, Newland took the free-kick with Downes rising to head straight at Potter. Both teams had adopted a close passing game with both sets of players willing to talk and encourage as they played to let their colleagues know the next best pass or option to make or take. Dingli had another chance to score when Findlay slipped allowing the forward to take aim from outside the penalty area but Freeman dived to his right to save low down near the post.

On twenty minutes Weeley took the lead, when from a throw-in defender Westrip passed the ball forward but Haughton failed to control the ball which ran on to ROSS NASH who clinically drilled the ball past Potter from just inside the penalty area. East was on hand to clean up at the back when Dingli and Camm threatened down the left side and East also jockeyed, Adu-Doku when he tried to gain ground before passing inside to Dingli whose shot hit the back of Findlay and flew off for a corner. Camm took an in-swinging corner with his left foot Freeman fumbled the ball into the path of Dingli whose close range effort cleared the cross-bar. A long clearance from Freeman was helped on by Heffer allowing McLean to give chase but he was denied by the trailing foot of Potter who had advanced a long way out to clear the danger.

A long ball forward by Brook towards Adu-Doku was intercepted by East who guided the ball back to Freeman, Dingli looked to create space for shots at goal but Findlay and Downes were up to the task of stopping these and East was caught on the foot from a rash challenge by Adu-Doku with East managing to run off the after-effects. With ten minutes to half time Rawlinson scampered through and let Nash give chase but keeper, Potter was there once again and the visitors were now definitely running the midfield with Heffer, Davis, McLean, Newland and Rawlinson giving numerous options to get the ball to Nash. A slight lapse in concentration just before the interval almost allowed Dingli through as with Downes out of position, Freeman was out quickly to save and as the half closed Newland played the ball back in towards Nash but Potter was again alert to clear the danger.

 

HALF-TIME:       0 – 1

 

The University restarted the second half and were “out-of-the-blocks” straight away, mounting two or three attacks, gaining corners and forcing Weeley on to the back foot with Redman driving a rising shot over the cross bar from the edge of the penalty area. Adu-Doku tried to use his pace to get round East who used his own tigerish pace and body strength to wrestle the ball back although conceding a throw-in in the process. At the other end Rawlinson put McLean through but in over-playing the ball he was dispossessed and that attack apart it was the home team who were looking dangerous again just as they had in the first ten minutes of the first half with the visitors defending stoutly. Camm forced another decent save from Freeman but once again these shots were only from the edge of the penalty area but perhaps this continued pressure would enable the University to capitalise on their positive approach play.

Well, despite that home team pressure and possession it was the visitors who scored again on fifty-five minutes, Davis curled in a left footed free-kick, Nash headed on and when the ball bounced down from his chest RUSSELL McLEAN, with his back to goal, used his body to shield the ball, before lobbing the ball over the remaining defenders and goal-keeper. The University replaced Adu-Doku with Percy and five minutes later Weeley replaced Westrip with Griffin in defence but when Haughton sent a long ball forward to Dingli both Freeman and Findlay were quickly into a challenge to concede a throw-in. A minute more passed before Dudek was replaced by Awil but Nash was almost through on goal with only his first touch letting him down on the edge of the penalty area where Potter collected. Nash did have the ball in the net soon after, this following a move started by East to Newland whose pass saw Nash running clear but from an off-side position, a close call perhaps.

Having weathered that initial University attacking session the visitors had ground their way back into contention, the second goal helping their cause but they worked the ball forward through Rawlinson to Nash but his cross field pass was over-hit despite Griffins efforts to reach the ball. On sixty-seven minutes another flighted free-kick from Davis saw the ball reach the head of Heffer but his header was straight at Potter who fumbled the ball on the goal-line with Percy clearing for a corner. Dingli has his qualities as a striker but by being a bit greedy he took on and passed Downes but rather than use Percy running alongside he allowed East to track back and force the shot wide. Rawlinson was unlucky when spoken too by the referee, this for a foul challenge on Adewbile which was actually made on the half-way by defender Griffin. On seventy-five minutes a rare mistake by Redman saw the University lose possession, STEVEN DAVIS ran onto the loose ball and sent a high flighted lob all the way into the back of the unguarded net from the half-way line with keeper Potter stranded on the edge of his area. An opportunist goal perhaps as apparently Davis rarely scores but this effort was probably one of the best I’ve witnessed so far this season and sent the visiting players and management into a very happy mood.

The University made their final substitution with Adewbile being replaced by Haley and the home team pushed forward with Findlay fouling Percy just outside the penalty area. Camm took the free-kick with the ball striking the shoulder of Findlay, standing in the defensive wall, and flying off for a corner which was headed clear by Downes. Throughout the game so far, the shots on goal from the University had been from outside the penalty area as Weeley closed down any opportunity by defending well with Downes once again getting the better of Percy when shielding the ball back to the advancing Freeman. Davis, Nash and McLean then worked the ball into space where Rawlinson tried another lobbed effort but Potter excelled to get back and tip the dropping ball over the cross-bar for a corner.

With ten minutes remaining Heffer was forced to track back and put in an well timed tackle on Percy who had beaten the defensive line whilst at the other end Nash played McLean through with Potter again advancing to save with his feet with Weeley withdrawing Davis, to a clapping send-off, with Sawyer making only his second appearance of the season. Findlay stopped Redman in his tracks with a timely challenge at the expense of a corner and when the ball was cleared long down-field keeper Potter was seen running outside his penalty area to head clear as McLean threatened. When Haley skipped over the diving challenge from East his shot was straight at the well placed Freeman and Freeman was again in action saving from Dingli, then from a free-kick taken by Lelliot, Dingli headed over and when play restarted Rawlinson dived into a challenge on the half-way line which looked a fair decision but having already been spoken too was duly cautioned. The final stages of the game were fought out in midfield and some tired players left the field after a very competitive match played in an excellent spirit.

 

FULL TIME:        0 – 3

 

This was one of the better games I have witnessed this season, Weeley Athletic FC had, I suppose, nothing to lose, once again playing against Premier Division opposition but they had to defend early on, relying on a fine reflex save by Freeman who looked sound throughout. However, they gained confidence as the first half wore on and took their own style of attacking play to the University of Essex FC who were hampered by certain students not being available, but at the final whistle the visitors thoroughly deserved their victory. In the next round they are paired against the winners of the West Bergholt FC against Harwich & Parkeston FC tie due to be played next weekend.

 

This week my selection for a Man-of-the Match choice could have been a difficult one, Potter made numerous saves for the University, Camm looked a useful first year student, Redman was prompting as usual despite suffering with an injury whilst live-wire Dingli was kept quiet by a combination of Downes and Findlay. For the visitors this was very much a team effort, with all players doing just as requested by an excited team manager but having set up the second goal with a free-kick, he followed this up with an opportunist strike from the half-way line which sorted out my decision out so step forward Steven Davis.

 

 

Teams:

 

UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX FC                                 Colours: Red Shirts, Black Shorts and Red & Black Socks

Michael Potter., Lewis Haughton., Ben Harper., Luke Redman., Matthew Brook., Samuel Dudek., Nehemiah Adewbile., James Lelliot., Jacob Dingli., Bradley Camm., Randy Adu-Doku.

 

Manager:                        David Williams.

Used Substitutes:             Gary Percy., Ali Awil., Paul Haley.

 

 

WEELEY ATHLETIC FC:                                      Colours: Orange Shirts, Black Shorts and Black Socks.

Mitchell Freeman., Robert East., Matthew Westrip., Steven Downes (C)., Daniel Findlay., Steven Davis., Russell McLean., Tom Heffer., Ross Nash., Louie Newland., Scott Rawlinson.

 

Manager:                        Keiron Shelley.

Used Substitutes:             Jimmy Griffin., Jason Sawyer.

Unused Substitutes:         Keiron Shelley.

 

 

Referee:                        Andrew French                (Halstead).

 

 

Man of the Match:          Steven DAVIS                                (WEELEY ATHLETIC FC)