CADBURY ATHLETIC 2-1 COVENTRY UNITED: chocolate inspired match report by THE MOWDOG...

Cagemen Mugged After Eight In Cadbury’s Quality Street…

Cadbury Athletic 2-1 Coventry United

Ready to go...

The opening half of this game was untidy and that is being kind. Neither team was able to add creativity to the hard work, lack of accuracy and error-strewn play on a difficult pitch. An early and clever Josh O’Grady goal was not built upon by the league leaders, whose defence was worried by the incisive and bullish runs of striker Odane Barnes and his neat, quick partner in attack, Dean Lea, both of whom would score after the break. United fielded nobody of either ilk and thus their efforts to kill the game before Cadbury’s goals and their often lethargic efforts to salvage something in the final half-hour or so, went to waste. A couple of shots were hacked off the goal-line by Athletic, ‘keeper Fraser Oliver who made one fine low save but generally, Coventry’s deliveries were inaccurate, almost entirely emanating from Pierre Moudime and O’Grady on the right flank and in truth were dealt with well by a combative and excellent home defence, who all performed like the Milk Tray man; Heroes all. Visiting goalie Rich Morris wasn’t involved much but he sounded well annoyed by the efforts of his comrades and would probably have preferred an evening at Charlie’s Chocolate Factory, rather than a miserable night in King’s Norton.Nothing Mars a goalkeeper’s 90 minutes more than be beaten on the break.  

O'Grady, usually in space...

The M & Ms had returned for Coventry: Morris in goals and Gift Mussa, a Yorkie of a midfielder, who languished on the bench with a slight foot injury, whilst the central midfield Matchmakers Tommy Glasscoe and Rob Prinzel were unable to press the right Buttons and Treet us to a creative performance. It surely cried out for the power and Revels of missing skipper Chris Cox and the sheer All Sorts of Mussa. Ben Vallance’s pace at left-back was also absent, often leaving the whole Coventry defence in a Twirl, something capitalised upon by Lea and Barnes in particular. Cadbury would not Rolo-ver and allow their visitors to escape with as much as a Creme Egg…

The only moments of note in the early and strained exchanges were a neat pass from O’Grady to Matt Brown but nothing came of it, then Lea’s sharp pass to Sam Griffin freed Barnes to attempt to dispossess Moudime, which he did, before cutting inside and shooting against Coventry skipper Martin Hutchcox’s legs. Both Griffin and Shaun Hunter caused problems when jumping at the near post for a left-side Cadbury corner and in all honesty, the United defence looked uncomfortable and too intent on hacking long balls towards Ross Briscoe and the lithe Brown. Home midfielder Joe Brookes, whose early lash upfield belied his penchant for passing, found himself free at the left upright when a long free-kick from the right was flicked on by a defender’s head, but Brookes’ side-foot volley was straight at Morris, wearing a shade of sherbet lemon…

Rather limited access...

The opening goal was a surprise, for the game really had lacked any pattern or excitement thus far but O’Grady first tricked Athletic’s left-back Deon Colstock, who later took out his frustration by booting the ball out of play and connected with the only person standing against the barrier in that whole half of the field (should he not have played as a striker, with such accuracy?) Colstock did apologise a while later! Anyway, O’Grady made it to the byeline, his legs like Curly-Wurlys but after going outside then inside he attempted to shoot from there. His effort was weak though, which surprised Oliver into evasive action, like he was appalled at being left the coffee-cream in a Black Magic box but he managed to deflect the ball away with his shins. 

However, a Moudime run on the right led to Minstrel O’Grady’s next trickery; he moved onto Moudime’s short pass, Twix Griffin and Tom Brain, then curled a low, angled, Malteser of a shot beyond Oliver and just inside the far stick. Nice.  

O'Grady has scored...

...a cheeky finish...

...& it's 0-1...

Coleman hauled a long ball in the general direction of Brown on the Coventry left but he was knocked down by Craig Brookes, leaving Brown broken like a piece of chocolate cracknell but the defender was cautioned and Brown got up. O’Grady’s free-kick from the left was a Kinder Surprise, squared for Coleman at 19 yards, who sadly lifted his shot Aero-dynamically well off target and too high. Barnes challenged for a free-kick from his skipper, brilliantly named Stuart Butcher, who was leading a team of Chocolate Men, but Hunter’s weak shot was collected by Morris, then Craig Brookes drove the ball across the Coventry penalty-box, an effort which Morris scrambled right for but saw pass his right upright. Butcher then chopped Brown down on the Coventry right and received a caution for his Whole Nut challenge, O’Grady’s free-kick was punched out by Oliver and Barnes made a slick turn as the hosts broke out, although nothing came of his Smartie trick.

The Butcher has cleaved down Brown...

Brown and Craig Brookes then clashed again in a Crunchie tackle, leaving the right-back down and hurt for some time, before he was replaced by Rich Deeming, who was to play a pivotal second-half role for his Club (I liked the mint ones…) Morris caught a rising Hunter drive from 22 yards, following a Cadbury free-kick but Coventry might just have added a second goal, when O’Grady’s right-side corner found the head of Briscoe at the far post but with a colleague maybe baulking him, he bundled the ball out of play from a couple of feet.

Edwin Greaves remains calm, as his Scouser colleague's anger rises to a crescendo...

The interval arrived, people began to Munchie their Picnics in the Time Out and others spent a couple of nickels on a Dime Bar. Gift Mussa whooped as he warmed up, I saw Brian ‘The Messiah’ Ndlovu Chomp at the bit, wanting to get into the action and I once again had difficulty with trouser Buttons and cold fingers. Joel Powell, a Cadbury replacement, used to play for Shenley Radford with my goalie son Jamie and we had a pleasant reunion at half-time, for his dad had also recognised me and we had chatted too. Joel was a lovely lad and seems not to have changed, but his arrival on the pitch certainly changed this game…

Still too few triangles were being played in through midfield, although on this surface, Toblerones would have been more fitting. Coventry continued attacking on the right, almost exclusively and Rich Blythe was trying desperately to support the frustrated Brown and Briscoe. A strong Briscoe run, a real Lion Bar of a romp, led to O’Grady winning a corner but Prinzel, arriving at the near post to meet O’Grady’s flag-kick, got beneath the ball and lifted it to Double Decker bus height. More United attacking, yes, on the right, led to Brown being involved and O’Grady smacking a Fudged drive well wide of the left stick. Glasscoe, still foraging, like someone vainly trying to locate a slab of Old Jamaica chocolate on Google, fed O’Grady again on the right but Oliver was relieved to pick up an easy delivery. Interestingly, Cadbury then made a Flurry at inside-left, utilising the strength and speed of Barnes, leaving Moudime and Callum Burgess behind but the striker aimed a weak effort at Morris. Now, did Coventry learn from this? Er, no.

Cadbury then survived when Briscoe’s pass fired Brown, who avoided the advanced Oliver’s challenge at inside-left and unselfishly passed to Blythe but the midfielder, after side-stepping Oliver, was faced by good Athletic goal-line cover, from whence Butcher kicked his shot clear and the ball rolled fortunately into his ‘keeper’s hands on the ground. A magnificent Star Bar run by Moudime on the right, reaching and rushing along the byeline was blocked by Cadbury, O’Grady then won a corner after a tricky run and from the set-piece, Prinzel flicked the ball forward, it lifted off Briscoe but his header was booted from the goal-line by Joe Brookes. In the melee which followed, Briscoe’s weak shot from Blythe’s pass ended the attack. This was the game-changer, for Powell replaced Griffin and almost immediately, Coventry gave the game away, like they had chucked their prize-winning Galaxy wrapper into the trash can.

Barnes stormed through a hesitant Coventry defence, following a loss of possession by the guests, out-ran Burgess and slipped the ball past Morris. 

1-1...

Barnes has regained parity for the hosts...

Almost immediately, more hesitancy led to Lea doing exactly the same thing past Burgess and Moudime and Cadbury had their Bounty. They repeated their Celebrations and indulged in a little Turkish Delight. It’s what you do… Coventry looked stunned, like there was no Golden Barrel in their Roses box.

2-1...

...courtesy of Lea...

Blythe’s low 18 yard drive, following O’Grady’s pass inside and a lucky bounce off a defender brought a good diving save from Oliver, who obviously wanted more, then a Walnut Whip of a cross by O’Grady flew to Oliver, Brown was soon replaced by Ndlovu and United now had a player on the left. The substitute nearly got his head to a deep, right-side free-kick though, before Prinzel was finally relieved of his duties and Muzi Nduna replaced him. Neat anticipation by Ndlovu saw him avoid Oliver but he was then unable to find a colleague with a pass, Moudime was forced back to end another rush forward by Barnes and with Cadbury’s defence holding as firm as a Chunky Kit-Kat, Oliver was untroubled by Briscoe’s close-range header, following Glasscoe’s lob forward, which maybe ought to have Nestlé in the goal. O’Grady’s deliveries then became as erratic as a lost satellite in a distant Milky Way, two of them being overhit beyond the goal-frame, then Wendel Moyo replaced Moudime and all that remained was a long Hutchcox free-kick which took a bounce off Butcher’s head into the safe gloves of Oliver.

The Alamo...

Cadbury really exploded with pleasure on the final whistle, for some resolute defending by Butcher, but especially Nick Allen, who made two or three flying defensive headers, had kept the rather inept Coventry forwards at bay. The hot Topic of course, was whether Bromsgrove had beaten Lichfield; they had. And Wispa it: “The title race is again wide open…” The Green and Reds were left glum, or perhaps Green and Blacks but I’d bet that around the Victoria Ground, there were a few Bromsgrove Snickers… 

Joel Powell signals the end...

Coventry’s second and third substitutions were made very late and neither Nduna, nor Moyo could have expected to have made a difference and in truth, this victory for Cadbury was based upon real effort and a refusal to melt like chocolate in a warm room. After all, their whole consists of a glass and a half, which really can make a difference…

Me? Home for a Snack. Oh, and Honey Monster Puffs. 

Remarkably though, a real badger ran across the front of my car in Bragg’s Farm Lane, Earlswood on the route home: the first time I’ve seen a wild badger so clearly, ever. The Bodging was well impressed, although that was partly because I hadn’t abandoned him, like I had at Warwick last Tuesday…

Hmm, it’s what I do…

TEAMS:

CADBURY ATHLETIC:

Fraser Oliver, Craig Brookes, Deon Colstock, Stuart Butcher (Capt), Nick Allen, Tom Brain, Shaun Hunter, Joe Brookes, Odane Barnes, Dean Lea, Sam Griffin.

SUBS: 

Cordell Jones, Jevaughni Robinson, Rich Deeming, Joel Powell, Shaun Hayes (gk).

COVENTRY UNITED:

Rich Morris, Pierre Moudime, Jamie Coleman, Rich Blythe, Martin Hutchcox (Capt), Callum Burgess, Josh O’Grady, Tommy Glasscoe, Ross Briscoe, Matt Brown, Rob Prinzel.

SUBS:

Gift Mussa, Wendel Moyo, Brian Ndlovu, Muzi Nduna, David Allen (gk).