ALTHIUM MIDLAND COMBINATION DIVISION 1
TUESDAY 23RD AUGUST 2011
ARCHDALE 73 1 BROMSGROVE SPORTING 0
A balmy August evening, a tree lined ground with views of the distant Malverns, a game of football to look forward to. What more could we want? Well, Sporting to turn up for a start. Instead we saw a team of impostors in canary yellow. At least I hope they were impostors because if we get too many more performances like this we are in for a long hard season. It didn't, of course, help that both Joe Brookes and George Curry were unavailable, that we had a fussy ref who never allowed the game to flow, or that the pitch was bone dry and rock hard. However, against hard working but limited opposition Sporting should have done better.
Just about every area of the team was below par. The back four appeared never to have played together before. The midfield was slow and predictable and most of the time far too narrow. The strikers worked hard but rarely troubled the home defence. Just about everyone was guilty of giving the ball away. Hall's sending off near the end capped a miserable evening.
After just two minutes there was a sign of things to come as Biddle and Cooksey collided going for a cross, the ball running loose to Martin who shot wide. Cooksey needed treatment before resuming. Sporting's best chances came in the early minutes, Hall's snap shot being tipped onto the crossbar before Barnes shot straight at the goalkeeper when well placed. On 18 minutes Archdale scored the only goal. Owen headed in unchallenged after the defence failed to clear a right wing centre. For the remainder of the half Sporting had plenty of possession but built up so slowly that Archdale were able to get players behind the ball and nothing more than half chances could be created. The hosts had a very direct style when they counter attacked, essentially a hoof downfield for Martin to knock the ball on to Owen. Simple and it worked far too often. Fortunately they were unable to take advantage of Sporting's defensive malaise.
The second period almost began with a second goal for Archdale, Owen being put through but shooting straight at Biddle. Minutes later Cooksey headed out from under the bar as, yet again, a corner caused problems. Substitutions were made but did little to enliven Sporting's torpid play. Hall had a shot saved by Smith after a sharp turn while Barnes had the best chance of the second half firing just past the far post after being sent clear. The last significant action saw Hall being shown a second yellow card for retaliation after being fouled. After that Archdale saw out the remaining time comfortably with Owen squandering another good chance.
Four games without a win. Not a crisis exactly but it is of concern that Sporting struggle against well organised and physically strong sides. If anyone thought Division One would be a stroll they now know better. Off to Littleton on Saturday. Can we have the real team please, in the right colours?
Archdale 73: Smith, Wilkes, Banner, Rothery, Hunt, Finnegan, Whittington (Fern 71), Collins, Martin, Owen (Price 84), Jones
Sub Not Used: Mutton, Parsons, Green
Yellow Cards: Banner, Finnegan, Jones
Sporting. Biddle, Lismore, Allen, Cooksey, Griffiths (Keight 57),Forde, Bright, Jamie Rogers (Jon Rogers 73) Barnes, Hall, Wilkes (Molesworth 83)
Sub Not Used: Humphries, Whitehouse
Yellow Cards: Hall
Red Card: Hall (for second yellow)
Referee Mr B Nyatanga (Worcester)
Rouslers Man of the Match: The Sporting fans who so patiently endured the 90 minutes.
