Royals Match Report 2004-05

Scrappy match interspersed by brilliant individual efforts

Clun 4-5 Church Stretton (Case 3, Lewis, Brayne) (League 10/10/04)

After facing top of the league Knighton the week previous and playing very well but losing, the Magpies faced bottom of the league Clun on the latter's home ground. An easy win was expected. In the end a win it was, but by no means an easy one. Both teams played indifferently, especially early on. The Magpie's performance was particularly disappointing after the excellent progress made in the previous 2 matches, notably the one against Knighton.
Early in the match the Magpies' passing was poor, at times non existent. They were often slow on the ball and tardy in reclaiming possession. The ball was at times kicked up field with little thought as to where it might land - thus invariably at the feet of the opposition. A number of near certain goal chances were passed up during the match when strikers went for (dubious) glory by attempting shots on goal from tight angles whilst team mates were lining up unmarked in front of goal. 

There were extenuating circumstances. The Clun pitch was small and heavy, the grass long, preventing the Magpies from playing their usual free-flowing passing game. Up front the absence of Carless-Turland and, during the first half, Hearle, made for an unfamiliar attacking formation. At the back defender Riley was missed. 

For all its early scrappiness, play did improve as the game went on, the encounter producing some scintillating individual efforts and a feast of goals. Brayne started things off when the Magpies were awarded a free kick after a blatant trip committed by a Clun mid-fielder. From some 20 yards out and quite close to the right touch line, Brayne let lose a cannon ball of a shot which sailed over everybody's heads and into the top left corner of the net. The Magpies lead did not last long as Clun equalised within minutes. They played a lone striker up front who proved a thorn in the Magpies' side throughout the match. Whenever he had the ball there was danger in the air. Small in stature, he found empty spaces and Wayne Rooney like, dribbled with remarkable control and shot with power, accuracy and great assurance. The equaliser came after just such a scintillating dribble which gave the Magpies' goal keeper no chance. Just before half time the Magpies reclaimed the lead when Lewis fired such a powerful shot at the Clun keeper that he was unable to hold on to the ball. Case was on hand to blast the rebound into the back of the net to make the score 2-1 to the Magpies. 

The sun came out in the second half and the wind dropped to make it a pleasant, if cold, autumn morning. Soon Clun was back on equal terms. From a corner, confusion reigned in front of the right upright of the Magpies' goal and, with the goal keeper and the defenders failing to control it and clear, the ball somehow slipped in to make it 2-2.
Hearle then replaced Groom. The Magpies soon reclaimed the lead when an accurate long pass by Smith from near the right touch line found Case waiting at the left upright to shoot it in to make the score 3-2. Once again the lead did not last for long. Once more  the lone striker found himself in possession in space in front of the Magpies' goal and effortlessly dribbled past the keeper to make it 3-3. Yet again the Magpies restored their lead within minutes. An excellent corner shot by Hearle found the head of Lewis unmarked in front of the Clun goal. Lewis directed the ball powerfully into the net to make it 4-3 to the Magpies. Who said lightning does not strike twice in the same place, never mind three times? Once more Clun's lone striker showed off his dribbling and shooting skills making it 4-4. A series of raids by the Magpies on the Clun goal was crowned with a superb shot on goal by Case in full flight, with the ball sailing into the top right corner. Desperate not to lose the lead yet again Manager Smith sent defender Groom back on in place of attacker Lewis. This time the lead did last and the game ended 5-4. 

The Magpies were the deserved winners even though they played well below their best. Man of the match was Case with his superb hat trick and tireless work. Or should it have been Clun's lone striker with an equally superb hat-trick of his own? Had he been fed more often by his mid fielders, and in the absence of being closely marked, he may have scored even more.

Team: Cameron Holtz, Dominic Robinson, Michael Brayne, Ed Groom, Rory Smith, Jack Case, Tom Lewis.  Sub: Joe Hearle