Match Reports - December 2003

Rushall Olympic 0 - 0 Cradley Town

Midland Football Alliance

Saturday 27th December 2003

Rushall Olympic showed exactly why they are fast becoming the draw specialists of the Midland Football Alliance as their goal shy attack once again failed to display a ruthless cutting edge capable of clinically dispatching the opposition. However, this was the fourth time the two sides have faced one another in the space of three months and perhaps the final result was more of a reflection of how well acquainted the two sets of players have become with one another.

Rushall began extremely lethargically and as early as the third minute they almost paid dearly for their festive sluggishness when Cradley defender Marshall was allowed to run unhindered through a static home rearguard before drilling in a dipping drive from just outside the box that 'keeper Danny Watson did well to tip over for a corner.

As the visitors continued to enjoy the better of the early exchanges, on the quarter hour mark confusion reigned between Olympic's custodian and his defenders on the edge of the penalty area that left an inviting goal gaping wide open, but fortunately the visitors front line were not alert enough to take advantage of such seasonal generosity.

Rushall finally began to get to grips with the contest midway through the first period and on thirty-two minutes Cradley were forced to breathe a sigh of relief as Steve McCartan curled a thirty yard free kick narrowly wide of the woodwork.

At the other end 'keeper Danny Watson discovered that his colleagues were more of a threat than the oppositions attack as he was forced to pull off a tremendous save to prevent Jason Dyer's downward header from rocketing into the bottom right corner of the net from close range.

With Olympic bossing the latter stages of the first period Steve McCartan once again showed his willingness to shoot on sight as he tried his luck with a dipping effort from thirty yards out on forty-three minutes that 'keeper Beech did well to tip over the crossbar for a corner.

Immediately from the start of the second period Rushall were straight on to the offensive in search of the games illusive first goal. In the forty-ninth minute good work by Mark Holdcroft down the right channel saw him deftly float the ball over to the far post but Ben Smith's looping header under a strong defensive challenge went well wide of the target.

As the Dales Lane side continued to press forward Mark Holdcroft's fifty-fifth minute corner from the left was met by the head of Aaron Bishop who had rose majestically above the Cradley defence, but the ball zipped narrowly wide of the target. Eight minutes later and Rushall's main shining light Aaron Bishop made a terrific run from midfield that left several defenders in his wake, before playing a slide rule pass to the feet of substitute Dean Wright whose neat lay off to the surging Danny Coates down the left flank was eventually driven fiercely shy of the left upright.

As the contest moved into its final phase a goalless draw always looked the most likely outcome between two average looking sides both struggling in front of goal, however with two minutes of normal time remaining Olympic thought they had snatched the winner when Aaron Bishop's blistering thirty-five yard pile driver free kick from the left channel cannoned off the crossbar to safety with 'keeper Beech beaten all ends up.

The Black Country outfit then immediately spurned probably their best opportunity of the game as play moved swiftly towards the Rushall goal and as 'keeper Danny Watson failed to cleanly collect a low cross from the left the loose ball fell invitingly to substitute Bridge who inexplicably swiped his effort aimlessly wide of the target with the goal at his mercy.

Still there was time for Olympic to mount one final assault on the Cradley goal and deep into injury Danny Coates progressed menacingly down the left flank to the bi-line before delivering a pinpoint cross that picked out Dean Wright, but his firm header from twelve yards was planted well wide of the left post to sum up perfectly his sides afternoon.

Rushall Olympic 1 - 2 Rocester

Midland Football Alliance

Tuesday 16th December 2003

Rushall Olympic were ultimately undone by a smash and grab raid as high-flying Rocester scrambled a last gasp winner that took them to the top of the Midland Football Alliance table.

The home side began brightly and dominated the opening twenty minutes of the contest as the visitors barely got a look in. However, after spurning four good goal scoring opportunities, Rushall were made to pay dearly for their lack of a killer instinct as Rocester grabbed the lead with their first worthwhile attack of the game when a swift counter on twenty-eight minutes was finished off by star striker McMahon who slotted home from just inside the box with a low drive.

Olympic continued to battle gamely with a workman-like display against their fleeter footed rivals and were deservedly back on level terms in the fifty-first minute as a corner from the left was swung viciously into the near post by Mark Holdcroft and the ball flew straight into the net through a sea of legs.

As the game neared an end Rushall looked to be well worth a share of the spoils, but a spell of late pressure by Rocester forced a corner and with only injury time to play the ball was looped in from the left and following a manic goalmouth scramble striker Mitchell applied the final decisive touch at the far post to give his side all three points.

Causeway United 1 - 1 Rushall Olympic

Midland Football Alliance

Saturday 6th December 2003

A highly controversial refereeing decision early in the second period that saw striker Dean Baker harshly dismissed had more than a bearing upon the final score line as ten man Rushall eventually conceded a scrambled equaliser seven minutes from full time.

During the early phase of the game it was Causeway who took control of proceedings as they were allowed to assert their authority in the centre of the park. Indeed, as early as the fourth minute Cox advanced down the left flank and centred for Drakely whose snap shot from twelve yards was well held by the diving Paul Cooke.

Two minutes later and Olympic's custodian again came to his colleagues rescue after striker Rai progressed down the right channel turning the visitors rear guard inside out, before cutting inside and firing in a powerful low goal bound drive that was smartly turned around the right post for a corner.

As Rushall began to find their feet in the contest and set about turning the tide they shocked their hosts in the twenty-eighth minute by taking the lead with a goal straight out of the top drawer. Substitute Rob Vassell played the ball out of defence to the feet of Danny Coates who in turn cleverly fed Mark Holdcroft. With his back to goal the seasoned striker drew upon all his skill and experience to turn his marker and in one swift movement fired a venomous pile driver from the edge of the box into the top right hand corner of the net past bewildered 'keeper Whitehouse.

Olympic began the second period striving to increase their advantage, but within ten minutes of the restart they were rocked to the very core by a mystifying refereeing decision. As front runner Dean Baker manfully chased a lost cause out for a throw-in with United's Hollis, as the striker turned his back to take up an attacking position he was incredibly accosted from behind the home skipper and in an attempt to defend himself a scuffle broke out. When order was finally restored the visiting contingent were incensed to discover that their man had been shown a red card and that the perpetrator of the unrest was merely cautioned.

Despite going down to ten men Rushall continued to battle gamely with Mark Holdcroft playing the lone striker role to perfection. On sixty-five minutes their endeavour was almost rewarded when the ever influential Steve McCartan floated a delightful forty yard ball into the box that Danny Coates ran on to and headed marginally over the crossbar from twelve yards.

As the game progressed the Pic's always appeared to be most vulnerable to the counter-attack and inevitably one such incursion led to Causeway's eighty-third minute equaliser. Although the home attack looked suspiciously off-side at the outset of the move, play continued and despite both Matt White and 'keeper Paul Cooke making desperate attempts to block the eventual passage of the ball over the goal line during an almighty scramble, it was Cox who produced the final decisive touch.

With three minutes remaining Rushall almost grabbed an unlikely winner when Ben Smith was unlucky to see his looping effort from the edge of the Causeway penalty area drop just over the woodwork with 'keeper Whitehouse at full stretch.

Rushall Olympic 3 - 3 Cradley Town (After Extra Time)

Birmingham Senior Cup 2nd Round

Tuesday 11th November 2003

Rushall Olympic claimed a place in the Third Round of the competition at Halesowen Town with an extremely hard fought single goal victory at Cradley Town, where they dominated play for long periods of time and were unfortunate not have won the game by a greater margin.

Following a goalless first period Rushall deservedly took the lead in the fifty-third minute when Mark Holdcroft picked up possession on the edge of the box before jinking past his marker and firing in a vicious low drive that cannoned off the right hand post. With the home ‘keeper lying prone on the floor the rebound fell nicely for Ben Smith prowling on the edge of the area and the midfielder confidently drove the loose ball home into the roof of the net.

With the visitors never giving Cradley time to settle on the ball they always looked likely to add to their advantage, but their luck was typified just after the hour mark when good work by Danny Coates and Steve McCartan set up teenager Matt White twenty yards out, but he scuffed his low shot wide of the left upright.

Three minutes later and Aaron Bishop moved menacingly through midfield leaving several defenders in his wake, but the run was finally halted on the edge of the penalty area by a blatant body check and the resulting free-kick from Mark Holdcroft was deflected over the crossbar for a corner.

As Olympic continued to dominate proceedings other opportunities went begging, a good example of which came on seventy-one minutes when Ben Smith set free Mark Holdcroft who advanced towards the Cradley box before feeding Dean Baker, but the striker could only side foot narrowly wide of the left post when well placed.