Royals Match Report 2004-05

Magpies Start to Sparkle

Church Stretton 2-0 Ludlow North (Lewis, Hearle) (League 26/09/04)

This match was played in ideal footballing conditions: partially overcast with a slight autumnal nip in the air. A breeze fluttered down pitch, too gentle to divert the flight of a football. It soon became apparent that the Ludlow team was not in the same league as the Magpies' two previous opponents, Onny and Craven Arms. The Magpies dominated the game in all departments and there never was any doubt about which team would emerge the winner. The Magpies made full use of their superiority and gave a sparkling display of open football, good passing, firm tackling and speed onto the ball, leaving the crowd thrilled. If the finishing had been just a bit more precise the final score would have been a good deal higher.

Captain Riley won the toss and elected to play down pitch. The Magpies swept immediately on the attack and the attacks continued throughout the first half. They were aided by some good goal kicking by Holtz. The attacks included some memorable moves and a plethora of shots on goal. To mention just a few. Riley had an excellent shot on goal from quite far out early on, as the Ludlow defence failed to clear properly. An outstanding pass from Hearle from near the right touch line passed in front of goal with Carless-Turland just failing to nudge it into goal. A good free kick by Riley sailed into the goal area but somehow no Magpie striker could put it away. And so it went on with half time coming with the score still at 0-0. Ludlow also mounted a number of attacks but the Magpies defence was equal to the task.

The second half was much as the first half, except that the Magpies scored twice. The Ludlow defence was wilting a bit under pressure, often kicking the ball out for corners. The first goal came after a superb pass by Lewis found Carless-Turland in front of goal. His shot was blocked by the goalkeeper, but Hearle latched on to the rebound and buried the ball in the back of the net. From the many corners conceded by the opposition, Carless-Turland almost scored with a spectacular volley. From another excellent corner kick by Hearle, Brayne fired just wide. The second goal came after the ball was passed from a throw-in to Lewis who smashed it clear of the goalkeeper. From another corner Smith crashed the ball against the crossbar. With 15 minutes remaining, Lewis then made way for Case who produced some good runs down the left side and was unlucky not to score.
With 7 minutes remaining Robinson replaced Hearle. Carless-Turland also just failed to score in the final minutes of the game. Broad Magpies' smiles greeted the final whistle and Manager Chris Smith had nothing but praise for his team.

Team: Cameron Holtz, Simon Riley, Michael Brayne, Joe Hearle, Rory Smith, Harvey Carless-Turland, Tom Lewis.  Subs: Jack Case, Dominic Robinson.