CARLTON TOWN 1 COALVILLE TOWN 2: match report by THE MOWDOG...

Millers’ Lungs Give Out As Raven Twins Grab the Gleanings

Carlton Town 1 Coalville Town 2

The moments when everybody liked the referee...

Labelled as ‘Coleville’ in the match programme, the Ravens won a physical game at Stoke Lane by the odd goal in three, on a strange surface exemplified by home right-back Kam Campbell’s reaction: “Gosh, the ball is uncontrollable, chums…” when he was about to pass the ball in the opening stages. The ball rolled like it had a weight inside, bobbling the casing from side to side and maybe that’s why an ‘expansive’ match was witnessed. In other words, much of the attacking was booting and jumping, punting and chasing. The referee’s performance was rather unfortunate too, for although this was never a nasty contest, he refused Coalville a penalty when Ben Saunders was splattered to the ground and then chose to dismiss a home substitute, as a melee of pushing and pulling ensued, during which Ravens’ skipper Lee Miveld’s shirt was ripped from his back, symptomatic of the time of year when Year 11s rip their school shirts because they have started their study-leave. It’s what they do… Then the official dismissed Josh Thornton for a bad foul on Ant Carney, as he crossed the er, half-way line… A caution, surely? But then again, we all have our views, don’t we? He did Carlton more of a favour however, for the Millers really hacked at the retiring Ravens for the final 10 minutes, with no reward.

Aaron Hooton, who opened the scoring for Carlton...

A Callum Woodward slice well off target was the only real effort at goal early on but when Aaron Hooton, who netted many fine goals for Basford United, some of which I managed to video a couple of seasons ago, lost possession and Woodward released Gary Hay on the visitors’ right-flank, the striker smashed a volley goalwards, only to pick out a pole stretching the net away from the near upright. A clip forward by Cam Stuart and a back-header by Cotton led to Ben Saunders failing to get purchase on a shot and the ball looped apologetically away then Hay was flagged offside as he moved onto a Ben Saunders feed. Despite these occasional sorties, it was Carlton who were passing the ball better, utilising the flanks well and threatening from those areas; first Danny Jenno was beaten by Jordan Williams, who cut inside onto Martin Ball’s rugby-like punt but drove too high. Then the hosts scored, embarrassing the Ravens’ central defender Jamie McAteer.

The ball was moved well by Carlton to Ben Flynn on the right and he nudged the overlapping Campbell towards the byeline, from whence the Miller produced quality flour: a cross onto Hooton’s forehead, who had dropped a couple of yards back from the ball-watching McAteer and the ex-Ilkeston forward nodded the ball over Bowles too easily and it dropped neatly under the crossbar.

A free-kick at inside-left for the Millers nearly brought a second goal; Ball headed the ball down, beating Sam Saunders in the air but Miveld’s attempted clearance at 18 yards was badly miscued to Brad Munn, whose shot struck McAteer’s foot, wrong-footing the defence and allowing Ball the chance to fire an angled shot at the near, right upright. Sean Bowles parried this and Jenno prevented Hooton from getting in a clear shot, forcing the striker wider and the eventual effort from Hooton rose past the goal-frame. Home goalie Jon Viscosi held Glyn Cotton’s rising drive above his head, Hay fumbled Woodward’s fine centre to the ‘keeper at the right upright but Coalville were starting to force their hosts back and Cameron Stuart’s corners began to cause some distress for the Millers.

Viscosi hammers a goal-kick...

Thornton did so well to head one flag-kick away, with Viscosi struggling but the subsequent left-wing corner allowed Carlton a break, through the busy and lively Munn and the tricky Williams but Campbell’s eventual centre dropped well behind the goal-frame. Another Stuart corner saw a fine leap by McAteer beyond the far post but Jenno fired the ball over the crossbar from a couple of yards, with no time to think at all. Although the Millers’ approach play involved some reasonable passing and width, Coalville’s pressing was giving them an advantage but Reece Lester conceded a corner when another low left-flank delivery pierced the visitors’ goal-area. Thornton couldn’t make a telling header from the subsequent right-wing corner and then, from a break, Hay fastened onto the ball on the Coalville left, moved inside, 20+ yards from goal and curled a low right-footer towards the middle of the penalty-box, where Ben Saunders deftly diverted the ball on past Viscosi into the bottom right corner of the net, regaining parity for the Ravens.

Hay nodded on a right-flank centre for Woodward to smack a fine 18 yard volley against a defender, Stuart curled a 25 yard free-kick just too high but Carlton survived until the half-time whistle and the only real surprise was that two ‘keepers had been rather unemployed during the opening 45 minutes. Munn had reacted like a live electrical wire at times for the hosts, Hooton was patient in attack and the left-flankers, Billy Bennett and Williams had threatened on occasions but for Coalville, Cotton had worked hard but Woodward and Miveld, for all their energy, hadn’t really dominated the trench-area, leaving Stuart short of opportunities to use that accurate left foot to create.

After the interval, Hooton chased a lost cause, Williams and Munn supported him and eventually Flynn took on a defender to the byeline and looped a centre onto the top of Bowles’ crossbar. Another Hooton chase allowed him to set up Munn for a shot but the midfielder drove disappointingly too high from distance. An awkward punch by Bowles cleared a corner but the physicality of the game was increasing, as was the untidiness, as was the frenetic action. Coalville forced more corners, Viscosi tipped a Cotton centre from the right across his goalmouth then a towering, glancing header by Ben Saunders clipped the base of the right upright from a fine corner delivery from the left by Woodward. Sam Saunders failed to cut a long Carlton clearance out but Hooton’s glancing header from the ensuing centre came to nought, then at the opposite end, Hay took possession at inside-right but after turning inside, failed to strike his shot with any pace at all.

A successful evening for Monsieur Bowles...

A long clearance by Bowles was turned on for Hay to knock forward for Ben Saunders to jump for but nod wide of the left post; Viscosi however, was so late advancing that his intended punch and his acrobatic barge flattened the striker completely, resulting in er, a goal-kick! Surely this was a penalty? And at least a caution? Er, no, apparently. Lucky goalie. Cotton delayed in the penalty-box as Coalville attacked again, with Stuart yelling at his team-mate afterwards to “SHOOT…” then Billy Bennett was withdrawn, unwisely as it turned out, for the introduction of the taller Grant Brindley, probably to shore up the defence during those moments of panic when Woodward and Stuart were taking corners. Woodward, ever involved mentally and physically, took a caution, then took a weak shot past a post but as Hooton broke past the offside-trap at inside-right, Coalville were indebted to Bowles, who narrowed the angle and blocked the ex-Basford striker’s low drive and Munn fired the rebound past the left upright.

Ben Saunders miscued McAteer’s set-up then Cotton fed Woodward at inside-left, the ‘keeper advanced, as did a defender and the ball flew straight to Hay, centre of goal, just 6 yards out but as he lifted his right foot, he looked appalled as the ball lifted too, well wide of the left upright. Then all common sense went awry; trouble flared, maybe a Coalville punch was thrown, which I didn’t see, Miveld’s shirt was torn asunder, men lurked near each other, pushing and shoving, saying nasty things like: ”Gosh, young fellow-my-lad, calm down now and don’t be a cad…” The referee was suddenly completely lost in the haze of chaffed wheat, Millers’ dust and grinding tempers. He dismissed Brindley. Miveld was handed shirt 17 to wear and a number of spectators on the far side began yelling things like: “Referee, thou hast crucified the wrong Spartacus… Confess, Sinner… And never darken this Mill again…” I’m fairly certain that those were the chosen words, but I may have been mistaken…

Soon, Carney replaced Cotton for the Ravens and then a free-kick was launched across the Carlton penalty-box by Stuart, which flummoxed everybody, like it was a Birmingham City player displaying technical skill and only three players moved with intent: a pair of twins and a goalkeeper. Ben Saunders fell into the falling Viscosi and the ball bounced innocuously towards the far post, where the otherwise really good Lee Torr forgot Sam Saunders behind him; Sam edged forward and with Ben and Jon in a goal-line heap, the defensive twin poked the ball into the net. Williams and Flynn were quickly replaced by Carlton’s Joe Brothwell and Danny Elliott (was he at Dunkirk once???) but when Carney moved onto a clearance, following a Carlton corner, he slipped clear onto the half-way line but was crudely fouled by a desperate Thornton; the official sent the villain off but that seemed very heavy-handed by the referee, who appeared to have over-reacted, as the tall linesman in front of me chucked a packet of sweets back to some Carlton fans on the sideline. This was all becoming rather silly…

More fine Hooton chasing led to a chance on the right side of the penalty-box for Brothwell but his low and angled drive was blocked in similar manner to how Hooton’s had been earlier, by the advancing strong frame of Bowles. Alex Troke headed the ensuing corner too high but after Ben Saunders was replaced by Jordan Nadat, it was 9-man Carlton who began to dominate the final 10 minutes, remarkably, considering that for much of the half, with 11 men, they had not really competed too imaginatively. Yet, on the break, Coalville really ought to have consolidated their victory; firstly, Nadat broke at inside-right but his low and angled left-footer struck the ‘keeper’s legs at the near post; he then fed Carney from the rebound, better positioned, who miscued the ball towards the left upright, where Hay somehow, to everybody’s mesmeric surprise, scooped it upwards to strike the metal net support behind the angle of bar and post. Secondly, Hay cut inside from the left and fired a poor effort wide of the near post, with colleagues in support. At least though, Carlton didn’t give up and really had a go at the end, forcing McAteer into his old self, looking invincible at the back.

The game over, the referee knew to leave quickly with ear-plugs shoved deeply in; perhaps he was from Bunny, the village I drove through to get to the ground, maybe Bunny Hill… (Is there a joke there somewhere?) I drove home, arriving around 11pm to take my spelling test on the ‘In Communication’ page of the match programme, which I think I passed but I did wonder how many ‘Coleville’ (sic) fans had an ‘ample’ stay. It took me ample time to get home, I can tell you… The Millers? Cole? Odd, because I used to play the part of miller Joe Briscoe at Sarehole Mill in Brum, which is of course next to the River COLE…

The real Joe Briscoe was buried close to Sarehole Mill and despite his occupation, lived to his 70s, so did his wife.
Worth a visit: Hall Green in Birmingham...

Teams:

Carlton:  Jon Viscosi, Kam Campbell, Billy Bennett; Alex Troke, Lee Torr, Martin Ball (Capt); Josh Thornton, Brad Munn, Ben Flynn, Aaron Hooton, Jordan Williams.

Subs: Kallum Keane, Grant Brindley, Danny Elliott, Matt Baker, Joe Brothwell.

Coalville:  Dean Bowles, Callum Woodward, Cam Stuart; Danny Jenno, Jamie McAteer, Sam Saunders; Reece Lester, Gary Hay, Glyn Cotton, Ben Saunders, Lee Miveld (Capt).

Subs: Ant Carney, Jordan Nadat, Andy Hutchinson, Jed Davies, Liam Kay.