Tuesday 30 June 2015

BIRDS @ EARLSWOOD LAKES TODAY...

Wren...

Tern...

Tern diving...

Heron...

Hunched Heron...

Above and below: Grebes...

Mallard...

Mallard + chicks...

Goslings...

Sunday 28 June 2015

AUSTREY RANGERS 4-1 COVENTRY UNITED: LINK TO 45 VIDEO CLIPS...

Loved the Austrey team list...
Coventry's physio' would know these lads as:
Head, Leg, Shoulder, Arm, Foot, Ankle, Knee, Hand, Back, Hamstring, Achilles and Arse.
(See match report for explanation...)


CLICK THIS MESSAGE TO GO TO THE 45 VIDEO CLIPS FROM THIS GAME...

AUSTREY RANGERS 4-1 COVENTRY UNITED, pre-season game. Light-hearted report by THE MOWDOG...

Austrey Cash In On Lax Defending By Coventry’s First-half Squad

Austrey Rangers 4-1 Coventry United
(United win a Penalty Shootout 2-4)

Austrey offered a pre-season soccer game and archery. I chose to watch the footy. Once again I was welcomed by the hosts and their manager promised me a team-list to help with my match report and I still recall his slightly shaken expression as I photographed the names and he said: “They’re all Christian names…” It was fine. Really grateful anyway and I was helped with surnames via Twitter. If there are errors below, I apologise to any players. The aim of my blog is a little humour and I underline that no malice, or unkindness is ever intended. Except when pensioners Patrick Suffo and Leon Kelly are mentioned of course. Good luck to both teams in their quests at higher levels in 2015-16 and to The Cagemen for their first venture in the FA Vase. For the guests, there was no Hutchcox, Coleman, Ntim, Stokes, Prinzel, Blake, Nduna, Rickhuss, or new ‘keeper Rich Morris and I’m sure Austrey were missing holidaymakers too but the game was memorable for goals, lots of chances missed, a penalty-shootout and a caution for Rangers’ Adam Keeley, which was earned for not retreating 10 yards from a free-kick. Hilarious…  
Off go the Whites...

Coventry’s first-half selection looked more like strangers in a bar than team-mates, which was understandable but at least last week’s ‘Beep Test’ winner Hosein Khorrami displayed some smart touches in possession, often creating space for himself, like an illusionist creates gasps from onlookers. Forwards Denis Ikechukwu and Khamisi Lightbourne had their moments but Ikechukwu’s early headed finish was skied, then after winning possession later in the half, pushed a low shot, which slowed in the lush, quite chunky grass. His final effort came from poor defence by Austrey but Ikechukwu’s shot from an extreme angle was wayward. Defensively, Coventry were an open cage, with Austrey’s willing Alan Miller and smart Rhys Brade causing problems for United’s defence with their movement. Tall, lean, basketball-framed visiting goalie Kitan Marsh struggled throughout his 45 minutes in truth, throwing the ball out with a rookie College Quarterback’s action, kicking from hands like an NFL Punter, kicking from the ground without confidence, handling the ball like it would suddenly cause him actual bodily harm and he wandered away from goal like he wouldn’t stay where his teacher had asked him to remain in the playground. Marsh sprawled with wobbly knees and fumbled a Brade shot from an angle wide of his near post and made harsh work of dealing with a Miller header, before tripping the striker, yet remaining not penalised. Miller retaliated by lobbing goal one over the stranded ‘keeper, although the defence reacted so slowly to a quick ball forward by Austrey, that a new ‘Beep Test’ for them would have been over as soon as it had started.
Bloore (7) veers inside Farrugia's pony-tail...

Ikechukwu, foreground, looks thoughtful

Khorrami’s turns, twists, teases and twiddles were cameo features of Coventry’s half and his 30 yard free-kick delivery was well handled by home goalie and brilliantly named Connor Cannon. Home left-winger Luke Tyler bullied United defender Abi Madaraua and beat Marsh easily to add a second goal for the hosts then dreadful defending allowed Michael Bloore to embarrass the again stranded Marsh and walk the ball into goal for 3-0. Tyler missed a far post header too, nodding wide from Miller’s centre, with Marsh still returning from a wandering towards his left corner-flag. As Coventry huffed and puffed, Mario Farrugia drove too high from distance and when struggling striker Ash Edwards got clear, onto Lightbourne’s feed, albeit clearly offside, his 18 yard shot rose nearly three times the height of the crossbar.  The fourth goal was almost agony for the home fans to witness too. A high centre was aimed by Tyler from the left, to where only Brade lurked, three defenders stood still and Brade’s header saw Marsh flapping like a heron attempting to rise from pond reeds, or trying to prevent his bicycle from falling over in the entry.
2-0 now...

Oops: 3-0...
OMG: 4-0...

Half-time arrived with Austrey deservedly ahead and number 16 (Gav Brown?) well in command in the trenches, plus right-back Liam Keeley always impressing. Madaraua, to be fair, had been lively for United in defence, although Khorrami was too often forced to work with Ikechukwu, who was often supported adequately at times by Faruggia. The ‘B’ movie over, the alternative squad muscled onto the pitch for Coventry and Austrey found the going much more difficult after the break, which had been lengthened by the officials, who took their picnic for the full 15 minutes, despite the players being ready and waiting, stranded on the grass like a trialist United goalie…
The 'A' Team warms up...


Patrick Suffo, unobtrusive in red and green, asks if anyone would walk to the post-office on Tuesday to collect his pension for him...

Second-half soon, if the officials wake up...

They mean business...

The replaced 11 do some Forest Schools stuff, like lighting a fire and standing near a trash skip...

Here we saw skipper Chris Cox, his smile seemingly more befitting a satirical TV show host, plus Josh (‘I don’t know what my feet will do next…’) O’Grady, grinning his cartoon grin, also Gift Mussa, for all the world like your older brother barging bullies out of your way on the playground with swagger and a cruel leer, plus Mr Sensible, Ben Vallance at left-back, who was to strike the underside of the crossbar with a dangerous cross. Goalie Tommy Hindmarsh was just that: a proper goalie. Austrey of course, maybe tired a little but they were certainly examined by their guests, who really ought to have scored more than Sean Kavanagh’s very late penalty, rattled in straight, following a foul on O’Grady by number 15, possibly Ash Albrighton. This was the second time that the grinning O’Grady had tumbled, for he had collapsed under a David Tonks challenge earlier. Indeed, how on earth O’Grady didn't score is a mystery, for he drove a decent free-kick swerving just too high, found himself in the penalty-box tricking defenders and clipped what ought to have been a goal against the top of the crossbar and he then drove a fine effort just wide, had a couple of shots blocked and finally, for his encore, struck the inside of the right upright, high, from a superb free-kick, taken from inside-left. He won the goal-frame challenge, anyway… 
A player bends over in the brick shithouse and although physio' Sarah Evans doesn't know his real name, she now refers to him as 'Vomit'...

Odd moment: the ball is at O'Grady's feet but not moving about like in a spooky trick...

Kavanagh played a central attacking game for Coventry and with Pierre Moudime the provider, rampaging along the right-flank like a stallion released on a prairie, Kavanagh slammed a near post effort too high, another across the face of goal, couldn’t quite control a bad kick by Cannon, who’d been put in peril by the splendidly named Trafford Pickering’s lobbed back-pass, before failing to rebound Cox’s shot, which had been hacked from the Austrey goal-line by Albrighton (I think.) Kavanagh relaxed in the dying moments, eventually netting the consolation penalty. A danger for the hosts was left-sided attacker Nkosi Mzugwana, who reminded me of Truro’s diminutive forward Les Afful, for Mzugwana caused some mayhem to the Rangers’ defence, striking two good shots to send Cannon diving and parrying, seeing another effort scrape the right upright, following good work by 13 year old Gift Mussa, then the winger could only watch in total anguish as another measured effort was spectacularly headed away from goal, I think by the leaping Albrighton. Coventry couldn’t capitalise upon a series of blocked shots and corners either, Cox managing one header over the crossbar, although there was an infringement anyway, then a combination of Mussa and Billic headed another delivery past the far post.
O'Grady, left, has won a penalty but cannot take it, due to an horrific hand injury.
Sarah Evans now knows him as 'Minor Scratch...'

Kavanagh has scored the spot-kick and makes sure he's on the 2015-16 Presentation Evening goals CD..

Jean Dakouri was a confident marauder in the United midfielder and when he and Mussa were in full flight, they were like unCaged predators, who engaged the flanks regularly, using Moudime and Mzugwana liberally with passes but whenever Grin O’Grady was in possession, magic was in the air, like an episode of ‘Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell’, leaving all of us, including himself, unsure what was going to happen next. (Last episode this evening. Must watch.) Dakouri fired another effort well off target with an awkward right-footer, when maybe a left-footed shot might have been more acceptable, but the hosts were having to rely on breaks as their defence and goalie kept their ‘clean sheet’ intact until the spot-kick. Number 17 (Cross?) curled two shots from the left edge of the penalty-box however, one low and one towards the top right corner of the net, but proper goalie Hindmarsh leapt low then high to turn both away. 

The wide players for United had really caught the eye with a number of provisions for others and Moudime went close himself twice near the end. One drive took a deflection off Pickering and the other rattled low into the side-netting as the game ended. A penalty shootout was decided upon to end proceedings but sadly, though I saw it, I missed Ritson’s conversion on video but the others I managed to film, as successful efforts by Mussa, Dakouri and Mzugwana led The Cagemen to a 2-4 victory. One Austrey spot-kick rose over both goal-frame and trees, another was well saved by Hindmarsh, diving right. 
The lad from school has netted his penalty in the shootout...

Nkosi Mzugwana: now THAT was a fine penalty...

As I left, someone mentioned to Hosein Khorrami, that he had been in the wrong team… Maybe that cheered him. Grin O’Grady grinned at me at the final whistle and I asked him why he hadn’t taken the penalty himself, especially as he strikes free-kicks so well but he simply showed me his hand, which displayed a tincy wincy stud mark; I reckoned he would have used a boot to strike the penalty though… Surely? Best comments of the day came from Coventry physio’ Sarah Evans, who reckoned she’d be struggling with trialists’ names, although she normally only knows some regular players by their knocks and pains. So, it might be: ‘Neck…’ or ‘Ankle…’ or ‘Knee…’ I liked that.
Dakouri: effective...

I drove home for yes, eggs and chips, for it’s what I do…

No Tommi Maguire on view, so no non-relatives to mention…    

Squads:

Austrey Rangers:
Connor Cannon, Liam Keeley, David Tonks, Bobbie Grayson, Trafford Pickering, Gav Brown, Michael Bloore, Adam Keeley, Alan Miller, Rhys Brade, Luke Tyler, Brad Roberts, Ash Albrighton, Lee Chapman, Ricki Birch, Jack Cross.

Coventry United 0-4:
Kitan Marsh, Abi Madaraua, Mario Farrugia, Hosein Khorrami, Joseph Haughney, Danny MacDonald, Khamisi Lightbourne, Tom Fardon, Ash Edwards, Denis Ikechukwu, Scott Lindley. (Ryan Lally?)

Coventry Cagemen:
Tommy Hindmarsh, Pierre Moudime, Ben Vallance, Jean Dakouri, Chris Cox, James Ritson, Josh O’Grady, Gift Mussa, Sean Kavanagh, Adam Billic, Nkosi Mzugwana.




Saturday 27 June 2015

Pre-season Friendly: AUSTREY RANGERS 4-1 COVENTRY UNITED CAGEMEN... GENERAL IMAGES BY THE MOWDOG...

This bench has been overgrown for 83 years, which is nearly Patrick Suffo's age...

Neat setting @ Austrey...

The Tardis Shed might look small but 824 people can stand together in comfort there...

Buzzard land...

Such a pleasant June scene...

Sunshine, mown lawns, a church on a hill, England in summer and a brick shithouse of a dugout...

The Cagemen warm up for a tussle...

Manager Edwin tells the elderly Patrick Suffo that if he can dribble round that one cone in 45 seconds, he can be on the bench...
He wasn't on the bench.

Some rather girlie stretches there, lads...

Man in vest can't find a hooped shirt...

Here they come...

Official handshakes...

Hosein Khorrami shakes an official's hand and prepares to show some neat ability on the ball for The Cagemen... 

Yessir, he can Boogie...

Not only did the first-half Cagemen concede four goals, they didn't know how to huddle, either...

The toss...

The other pitch, upon which the grass would cover my knees...

Friday 26 June 2015

FLASHBACK TO FA CUP, 2009-10: MAIDENHEAD UNITED 2-5 TRURO CITY...

Dennis Menaces Return To Maidenhead

The M40 motorway was blessed by two closed lanes near Warwick, at the beginning of the 50mph road works, following an accident. Fortunately, I was early enough to take the delay in hand and still arrive in Maidenhead by 1.45pm. I had completed my final teaching practice in the town many years before and of course on this day, I recognised nothing and nowhere. I did cast my mind back to days of watching Reading at Elm Park, however, when the team’s two goalkeepers were Death and Pratt. You simply couldn’t make those names up…
No room @ Maidenhead then...

Nearly made it...

A little history for the visitors...

A ‘Groundhopper’ I had met at Daventry had suggested that I parked at the railway station in Maidenhead but when I arrived near the ground, the target was obviously on the one-way traffic system through the town centre and I realised that parking was going to be tough. The Truro team-coach was manoeuvring with some difficulty off York Road into the ground’s cramped entrance and therefore traffic was at a standstill, so I attempted to make a left turn and approach a nearby car-park I had noticed but the entrance was inaccessible and I returned to York Road, thinking I could maybe park within the confines of the old stadium. Wrong…
I liked this...

Chatting people...

Warming up before the trees...

Smart grandstand.
Man bends over.

I was ushered away by a steward, who suggested I parked in a car-park at the end of a street opposite the entrance, which I hadn’t seen and then I noticed Dennis from High Wycombe… I turned on a sixpence, passed the Truro players, who were extricating luggage from the hold of their transport and drove across York Road into a cul-de-sac; but on further inspection, the optimum length of stay was two hours and I needed three… Great help, Mr Steward. Dennis, in nifty yellow pullover, carrying a coolbag and looking the complete museum visitor, joined me and I invited him to take a seat and accompany me to find somewhere to leave my car. He agreed and this became a short drive, leading us towards what was supposed to be a Long Stay car-park. It wasn’t. There was a retail park and a refuse facility, alongside a small residential estate though. What a good sign that was then… I refused to park near the shopping outlets but decided to leave my car on the estate, later worrying that the team’s coach driver’s comments about warnings she’d been given at Heathrow’s hotel, where the players had slept, that her wheels might possibly disappear near the ground, would not haunt me…
Stripes and lines...

Lots of posts to hinder viewing...

View from...

Off-road slots for residential parking only, concerned us that maybe the road was also off limits to non-residents but there appeared to be no such warning signs on streetlights or on any other notices and thus I left my car, ushering the dithering Dennis away. He wondered whether he would be warm enough without his coat but I assured him it would be fine, as two men drew up in front of us and asked for our assistance. Dennis, if nothing else, was always helpful and friendly. He was advising one foreign guy and an Englishman how to get to a particular road, in a town he was not too conversant with… He told them that they needed a satnav, they said they had one already and Dennis was getting too involved until I interceded, noticing with discomfort that they had ‘Parking Management’ logos on their polo shirts, whilst telling them that I came from Birmingham. I explained that Dennis was not a native of Maidenhead either and although we were sorry we couldn’t help them, please would they take pity on my car if it was illegally parked. They laughed. Scarily…
Scratching head time...

All Gold: Truro City...

Not quite matching boots for Les Afful...

I pulled Dennis away, although he told the chaps that they could give us a lift if they wanted to. I nearly felt the need to explain that I was his carer. The ground, 138 years in Maidenhead United’s use, was untidy and unusual. The toilet block was basic, one quarter of the clubhouse-side of the ground seemed to be a carport and there was an opening between two walls, through which I could see Truro’s ‘Back Row Four’ fans in a grandstand. They were sitting on, er, the back row. 
Scott Walker is about to score from a free-kick...
SEE A CLIP OF THE GOAL BY CLICKING THIS MESSAGE...

Celebration...

Les is happy too...

We chatted to Sheila and Trevor, Andy Watkins’ parents, then Dave Ash, Jake’s father, who was loitering in conversation with a couple of Truro fans but the game was soon played in sunshine, Dennis hadn't needed his coat and Truro led 3-0 at the break. Just before half-time, however, Dennis left his friend in the grandstand and sidled up to me, informing me that where I had parked my car was for residents only, according to his friend and it would be clamped, or ticketed. He suggested running to it at half-time, re-parking and returning. I refused, to his dismay, but interestingly his cellphone was in his coolbag, in front of the car’s passenger seat… I told him that we would not have time to re-park because the car was between ten and fifteen minutes’ walk away anyway and then we would have to find somewhere else to leave it, plus the fact that the clamping or ticketing would already have been implemented by then and my sole reason for being in Maidenhead was not to guard my car with pitchfork and sickle but to watch Truro in the FA Cup. He shrugged, returned, thus chastened, to his friend, upon whom I would have like to have practised my offensive skills with a pitchfork and a sickle.

Bob from the ‘Back Row Four’ did mistake Afful, small and dark-skinned, for Watkins, taller and white-skinned, joking afterwards that Afful had “…grown in stature…” Hilarious! I had wondered why Afful’s shorts had fitted him less like galligaskins on the day…
Playground scrap...

Oops...

Gaia's goal goes in...

Dennis spent the latter stages of Truro’s 5-2 victory standing on the far side, able to spot an early exit by me, no doubt and the plundering of his Kit-Kats and cellphone, but we left the ground together anyway, for I had offered to return him to his car. He had travelled into Maidenhead on the bus, surprisingly, and he was probably more pleased than I was to find my car untouched, un-ticketed and unclamped. His directions were simply occasional flicked fingers from worried hands and yet I reckoned my driving to be gentle enough. He left me a Kit-Kat, led me towards the M40 and I was grateful but I then recalled our first conversation last season when he found out that I was returning to Solihull on the M40 after a game; he admitted that he had to go the same way but when I asked him if I could follow him back to the motorway he replied that that would be fine, but he wasn’t sure of the way… 

Thanks for that…