SOUTHAM UNITED 0-4 PERSHORE TOWN: MATCH REPORT...

Pershore’s 0-4 Lead Not Affected This Time At Southam…

Southam United 0-4 Pershore Town

After the original version of this encounter was fogged off with Town 0-4 ahead, they were not to be fobbed off this time, despite the really chilly wind and the lashing second period rain, which must have alerted manager Quentin Townsend to whether he had upset the gods in some way. His team led from the opening minute, a shot from a central position by Steve Roche, then added three more goals, all from an angle on the right, which brought a frown or two for Southam’s officials who must have realised where their defence needed adjusting. The fourth goal was a superb Reece Jacobs strike on the volley from Chris Whittaker’s deep free-kick and on its own was worthy of being present at the match for the freezing spectators. The Southam lads worked so hard, managed a couple of periods of pressure but in truth, Town goalie Shaun Edwards was rarely extended at all.

The welcome from home Chairman Charles Hill was as gracious as ever and the Webbs, not of Wychbold, but of Pershore (officials from the club) were good people too and of course they were so desperate not to find themselves relegated into the league below. The three points were necessary and in all fairness they were earned well and were unquestionably deserved.

Teams:

Southam United:

Harry Gardiner, Nathan Robertshaw, Josh Marshall, Mark Ling, Ben Nicholson (Capt), James Keller, Danny Brierley, Luke Mason, Aaron Keen, Josh Turton, Joe Fisher.

Subs:

Brady Floyd, Alex Baird, Matt Omari, Jonny Hawker, Will Webster-Wall.

Pershore Town:

Shaun Edwards, Steve Webb, Chris Whittaker, James Walker, Shaun Griffiths (Capt), Richard Thomas-Robinson, Steve Roche, Dean Waldron, Jamie Clarke, Ben Lane, Reece Jacobs.

Subs:

Will Stannard, Tunde Ajibade, Chris Priest, Jelson Neto Antonio, James Wright.    

TOSSING FIVES...

The game opened with a free-kick to the guests on the right flank and earned a caution for Southam’s James Keller, not the best time to have a yellow card hanging over a player who had 89 minutes of a match to endure afterwards. Rich Thomas-Robinson’s delivery caused some panic in the home defence, for Keller could only head the ball down and visiting skipper Shaun Griffiths, who attempted to out-shout his father in the grandstand for much of the match, nudged a pass backwards for Roche to strike left-booted and the 16 yard effort rolled through a bunch of players and past goalie Harry Gardiner’s left hand on its way into the bottom right corner of the net. 

0-1 ALREADY...

ROCHE THE SCORER...

Southam were doubtless disappointed and disgusted with the kind of start they hadn’t hoped to make: a booking and a goal from the resulting free-kick but they battled forward and managed their best strike of the evening on goal through the lively Josh Turton. Goalscorer Roche had just received a caution for his first tackle and one wondered whether the referee’s actions were at all affected by the fact that there was an assessor sitting in the grandstand. One also wondered whether Keller would also have been booked on different day, the incident being so early in the match which might just have set a precedent for the referee’s subsequent actions… Anyway, a long free-kick was headed inside from the left by Joe Fisher, Webb’s headed clearance fell onto the right boot of Turton and was powered goalwards but straight at Edwards. A second goal was ultimately snatched by the visitors however and it became evident that Southam were going to struggle to get back from a two-goal deficit.

EDWARDS: COLD BUT A MAINLY UNTROUBLED EVENING...

Whittaker’s right-side flag-kick was headed by both United’s Mark Ling and Town’s Griffiths, before Jacobs passed right towards Thomas-Robinson, whose initial angled shot was blocked and I think it was Whittaker’s header which offered a second shot to Thomas-Robinson from a very acute angle and his effort flew past the surprised Gardiner into the far side of the net.

0-2 NOW...

DEJECTION FOR THE SAINTS...

...BUT THOMAS-ROBINSON SEEMS PLEASED...

Much untidy play then ensued as Southam tried to make amends for the two lapses which had placed them in such a hole but it was their guests who threatened until the latter stages of the half. First a powerful 30 yard Roche free-kick was only just too high, a Thomas-Robinson chip from 27 yards landed on the net and finally a run inside from the right by Jacobs led to a scooped effort from 18 yards which also dropped onto the roof of the netting. Previous to this though, a tough challenge on Persian Ben Lane had led to no foul but a loss of possession and Lane ran determinedly at his opponent to make amends but his body language might just have suggested frustration, even retaliation, to the watching, being-assessed referee and when the striker’s hard tackle looked a foul without any doubt, the yellow card was unsurprisingly produced again.

LINING UP AT THE BAR...

Then eventually the Saints pushed back the Persians, winning a few corners but apart from a couple of good defensive headers by Griffiths and a sliced block by Webb to a shot by Dean Waldron, ‘keeper Edwards was not unduly harassed. A shot by striker Aaron Keen drifted well off target but suddenly, as the interval approached, Lane switched lane to the right-flank and his two rushes to the byeline led first to a missed chance by central forward Jamie Clarke and secondly to a fine second goal by Lane himself. 

CLARKE: DANGEROUS AT THIS LEVEL...

I had watched Clarke play alongside Huddersfield Town’s Joe Lolley for Littleton a few seasons back and always liked Clarke’s attitude, as well as seeing him score two or three fine goals. When Webb’s intelligent switched pass from left to right found Thomas-Robinson in space, with Saints’ Fisher struggling to get back and cover, the midfielder’s pass towards the touchline set Lane running. Lane’s resulting low pass to the near post arrived for Clarke but somehow he failed to connect with the ball. Moments later though Thomas-Robinson, again ahead of Fisher, had time to spare once more and fed Lane on the right-wing again but this time the forward went alone and from a tough and narrow angle drove the ball off and past Gardiner at the near post. 

0-3...

...& PERSHORE IN THE FAST LANE...

Conceding goals in the opening moments and then in the closing moments of the first-half had effectively killed Southam and they trudged off the field deflated, to return with driving rain in their faces which must have suggested to the players that no amount of rain-dancing, prayers to the weather gods or reliance upon superstitious rituals would turn this game around. 

After Edwards had knocked down a long Southam free-kick and Griffiths had hacked the loose ball to safety, the guests simply rubbed salt into the Saints’ already open and seeping wounds by scoring a simply brilliant fourth goal. A free-kick just inside the Southam half, left of centre by Whittaker, was carried on the breeze over the home defence towards the right side of the penalty-box and before the ball could drift out of play, Jacobs, watching the flight like a man with a net desperate to catch a rare butterfly near the River Avon, waited and then lashed a superb angled volley across the shocked Gardiner and deep into the United net.

0-4...

A SUBSTITUTE PRACTISES BALLET (MRS WEBB TAKE NOTE...) ON THE SIDELINE, AFTER JACOBS HAD RUN TO TAKE THE ADULATION OF THE CROWD BY THE CORNER-FLAG...
THERE WAS NO-ONE THERE, ACTUALLY.

Substitutions then interrupted any intended pattern for both teams although the effort was most definitely there on such a foul night. Will Stannard and Tunde Ajibade appeared for the Persians, whilst Brady Floyd and Matt Omari were introduced by the hosts, after Keen had miscued a shot at the left post for the Saints. Little in the way of genuine excitement was then forthcoming as Pershore defended stubbornly and Southam battled with little success. Naturally though the visitors managed some attacks on the break, utilising the pace of Jacobs on that fruitful right-flank. A strong forward run by effective defensive Persian James Walker saw a fine pass pushed for Jacobs to chase and he did so well to reach the byeline and feed a pass across the 6 yard box for his three waiting colleagues, Clarke, Ajibade and the third replacement Chris Priest but Ben Nicholson defended it well for the Saints. 

NICE TO SEND REPLACEMENTS ON IN SUCH AWFUL WEATHER...

When Fisher ran on and fired a shot too high after the referee had blown his whistle, the saintly wide-player received a daft caution and then the visitors so nearly netted a fifth goal in the final moments. A high swirling centre from the left by the very efficient Whittaker dropped in the near post area and Jacobs beat Omari to it but sent his flying header just wide of that upright. Clarke prevented a very late free-kick from being taken and he too received a daft caution, before the evening was thankfully drawn to a close.

SOUTHAM ESCAPE AGAIN...

...BUT CLARKE RECEIVES A CAUTION...

Cold, miserable and wet, the Saints were encouraged to jog from the pitch, although the Persians had already disappeared quickly to snuggle a hot water bottle each in the dressing-room and drink a cup of hot cocoa. Well, perhaps not…    

Certainly Webb was instrumental in midfield for the guests, his gloves proving a wise addition to his wardrobe, whilst Thomas-Robinson relished the space offered on the offensive right, often linking with the pacy Jacobs whose own contribution got better as the match wore on. Clarke was a willing front man, despite a late arrival at the ground and he probably deserved a goal for his efforts. Lane had been lively, if slightly feisty and Roche was a good foil in midfield for the knowing Webb. Whittaker’s left boot was handy in set-piece situations and Griffiths led his defenders like a World War 1 Sergeant who has chucked his helmet into a trench and then perched himself on the ramparts and yelled at the Huns: “Bring it on…”

Keen and in particular Turton worked manfully in the forward positions for the hosts and Fisher’s set-pieces were decent enough, one of which was a 25 yard free-kick but Webb deflected it off target. Keller battled through the remainder of the game after his caution with more caution, thereby preventing a second caution but overall, morale seemed understandably low, despite the 2-2 home draw achieved on the previous Saturday against Lichfield City… 

Me? Damned cold actually but glad I saw the contest, for these are two clubs I have time for…

It’s what I do.