Match Reports - January 2003

Barwell 0-4 Rushall Olympic (Midland Football Alliance)

Saturday 25th January 2003

Rushall Olympic registered the ideal response to the previous weekends lacklustre defeat at home to Studley as they turned in a four star performance at Barwell by netting a brace of exquisitely executed goals in each half of the contest.

Following a scrappy opening period Olympic began to take charge of proceedings in the tenth minute when Nick Campbell, reinstated to the starting line-up for the first time in almost six weeks, charged through the centre of the park and eventually released Lee Booth, who bore down on goal but was only thwarted by a fine defensive block on the edge of Barwell's box that repelled the imminent danger.

However, it was only a matter of time before the visitor's opened their account and the deciding moment arrived on the half hour mark as Rushall quickly turned defence into attack when 'keeper Ryan Price cleared his lines with a firm punt up field. As the ball dropped into the midfield zone striker Scott Gennard picked up possession and powered menacingly forward through the Barwell rearguard before expertly driving home into the bottom left hand corner of the net from 20 yards past the despairing dive of Ajerbjjani 'keeper Afandiyev.

As Rushall continually looked to press home their advantage, on 36 minutes good work by Steve McCartan saw him win possession deep in Barwell territory and lay the ball back to Nick Campbell who broke forward down the right flank and delivered a dangerous near post cross that a defender under pressure was forced to head at his own 'keeper, who finally parried the threat away for a corner.

Five minutes prior to the interval and Olympic finally got the second goal cushion their crisp approach play had deserved when a promising attack was cleared by the boot of the Barwell custodian, only to see it fall at the feet of Nick Campbell some 35 yards from goal who cleverly launched a wonderful first time driven chip straight back over the head of Afandiyev into the back of the net.

Conceding the second goal visibly demoralised the Leicestershire outfit and three minutes later Lee Booth was set free as Barwell gave away possession cheaply, but the Rushall front man's attempt to slot the ball past the advancing Afandiyev from 18 yards was initially parried away, only for Scott Gennard to just miss out on connecting with the rebound resulting in the ball being safely gathered at the second attempt by the grateful 'keeper.

Any notion that the home side had of salvaging something from the game during the second period was firmly dispelled within three minutes of the restart as Rushall relished the opportunity of further extending their lead when a well weighted ball forward from sweeper Chris Homer was pursued by Lee Booth past the static Barwell back line. Although 'keeper Afandiyev raced off his line to intercept the danger, Rushall's top scorer got the better of his adversary and despite being forced wide on to the right flank, he regained his composure to cut inside and powerfully slot the ball home from 20 yards with a fierce angled drive from an acute angle past the back-tracking Barwell defence.

In the 51st minute Olympic ruthlessly delivered the ultimate knock-out blow as more good work by Lee Booth through midfield released Marcus Jackson who made progress down the left wing to send over a deep cross that "Man of the Match" prime candidate Nick Campbell spectacularly dispatched with a first time 15 yard scissor kick into the bottom left hand corner of the net.

The fourth goal hardly dampened Olympic's appetite for Barwell's destruction and nine minutes later they were unlucky not to net a fifth goal when an excellent right wing cross by Nick Campbell was headed goal ward by Lee Booth, only to see his effort pushed away by Afandiyev that Marcus Jackson latched on to and fired viciously into the side netting from twelve yards.

Although the home side came more into proceedings during the final half hour of the contest as the heavy pitch evened things out, Rushall 'keeper Ryan Price was rarely troubled as his side easily maintained a tenth clean sheet in their twenty third league game of the season.

Rushall Olympic Reserves 0-1 Tamworth Reserves (ICIS Combination Reserve Division )

Saturday 25th January 2003

In this return fixture Rushall were up against the league leaders, who claimed in the first match that they were "bullied"!

Fielding a strong and experienced side Tamworth came out strongly and went a goal up inside of 10 minutes when K.Smith was allowed to advance unopposed to the edge of the box and drive past keeper Chris Gemmell.

Rushall rallied and started to play themselves back into contention with some good build up but could not make any clear opening.

Tamworth relied mainly on getting high balls up to big Mark Sale, whose aerial ability was making things difficult for Rushall's young defence. His effectiveness was nullified though when he was pulled back into defence after L.Jones was sent off for dangerous play and using foul and abusive language at the referee.

The second half saw Dean Clegg replacing Iain Haywood on the right and quickly started to cause the Tamworth left back problems.

Chris Gemmell then kept Rushall in contention with an excellent tip over the bar.

Danny Mason then came on for Matt Whitehouse and had a shot that was goal bound blocked.

Tamworth hung on with ten men to take the points and stay clear ahead of the pack.

Rushall Olympic 0-2 Studley (Midland Football Alliance)

Saturday 18th January 2003

Rushall Olympic had only themselves to blame as they turned in a well below par performance by squandering a whole host of chances and gifting a purely workman-like Studley outfit both goals.

Although the visitors began in confident fashion as they displayed the form that had resulted in the surprise 4-0 midweek drubbing of Willenhall Town, ring rusty Rushall, who had waited two weeks for a taste of on-pitch action, quickly had their hosts on the back foot.

However, after weathering the brief storm Olympic soon gathered their composure and in the 7th minute Scott Gennard won the ball out on the right, turned his marker and set free Carl Palmer whose pen-point centre picked out Lee Booth, but his first time snap shot from ten yards was smartly parried away to safety by 'keeper Lewis. Two minutes later and Olympic again went very close to taking the lead as Lee Booth was set free by a probing ball from midfield that saw the striker cut inside and fire in a shot from 12 yards that somehow hit the side netting with the Studley custodian well beaten.

As Studley attempted to turn the tide, Rushall 'keeper Ryan Price was called into action for the first time on the quarter hour mark when he tipped over Neath's dipping 25 yard free-kick for a corner.

The signs that Olympic were suffering an uncharacteristic bad day at the office were clear for all to see in the 24th minute when the visitors took a surprise lead with a quick and devastating counter-attack against the run of play. Home defender Dave Read needlessly gave the ball away 30 yards from the visitor's goal with his side very much on the offensive and Studley wasted little time in breaking forward. An initial left wing cross resulted in a shot that rebounded off the cross bar and the unmarked Poutney was allowed to tap home into an empty net from point blank range with 'keeper Ryan Price committed to making the earlier attempted save.

As the Pic's quickly strived to get back on level terms, four minutes later Lee Booth's persistence almost paid off as he charged down a back pass that 'keeper Lewis could only kick straight at his adversary but the rebound, fortunately for Studley, just went wide of the upright for a goal kick.

The second period began with Rushall's Scott Gennard looking the most likely source of inspiration for an equalising goal and in the 56th minute he went on a surging run down the left channel, waltzing past two defenders only to see his first time shot from 20 yards parried away by Lewis for a corner.

With the home side increasingly looking to press forward, gaps began to appear in their rearguard that encouraged their Worcestershire opponents to maintain a progressively effective counter-attacking policy.

On 83 minutes Olympic were yet again left cursing their luck in front of goal as a defence splitting pass released Scott Gennard, but as his target came into sight the ball bobbled to send him wide. However, the ball was eventually played back to Steve McCartan, but his rising 30 yard drive sailed narrowly wide of the Studley woodwork.

Again the Dales Lane side pushed forward and with five minutes remaining good work by substitute Marcus Jackson saw him centre from the left for Scott Gennard allowing the ball to be laid off to Steve McCartan whose goal bound 20 yard effort was held low to the ground by 'keeper Lewis.

With normal time nearing an end Rushall sweeper Chris Homer took the opportunity to advance down the right wing and delivered a superb cross to the far post that was knocked back across the face of goal by Lee Booth to Dave Evans, but the midfielder fluffed his effort with the goal at his mercy allowing the danger to be cleared by a relieved Studley defence.

On their very next attack with injury time well under way, Rushall forced a corner and with nothing to lose all available men were sent to the front line, bar 'keeper Ryan Price and Nick Campbell who was man marking fellow substitute Johnson on the half way line. Straight from the kick Studley's defensive clearance fell at the feet of Johnson who turned his marker and raced clear to eventually slot the ball home past Ryan Price at the second attempt into an empty net.

Rushall Olympic 2-1 Biddulph Victoria (Midland Football Alliance)

Saturday 4th January 2003

Rushall Olympic collected another crucial three points that saw them move to within a point of leaders Oadby Town with a game in hand as two goals in the opening twenty minutes were enough to see off the challenge of in-form Biddulph Victoria.

Rushall opened in commanding form and in the ninth minute Steve McCartan played in Scott Gennard whose intelligent lob over the advancing Biddulph 'keeper from 12 yards was gratefully tipped over for a corner. Four minutes later and the Vic's custodian was a little less fortunate as the home side took a thoroughly deserved lead. Chief instigator was once again Steve McCartan who received a pass and found some space that allowed him to press forward to just inside the box and upon spotting 'keeper Taylor again off his line he deftly chipped the ball into the top left hand corner of the net to claim an exquisite opener.

With Olympic dominating proceedings it was little surprise when they increased their advantage on 19 minutes as "Man of the Match" Carl Palmer was released down the right flank and floated in an inviting cross that Scott Gennard flicked past 'keeper Taylor with his head and Dave Evans made sure on the far post by slotting the ball home from close range.

As Rushall remained very much in the ascendancy, the only surprise was that they failed to add to their tally as Biddulph struggled to come to terms with their hosts' swift attacking play. Indeed, Olympic's luck in front of goal was typified in the 35th minute as Carl Palmer headed the ball inside to Scott Gennard who instinctively turned and fired a tremendous 20 yard drive that went agonisingly wide of the upright. Seven minutes later and Scott Gennard's pace and strength once again told as a defence splitting through ball sent him clear of the visitors rearguard, but on this occasion 'keeper Taylor raced off his line to bravely smother the strikers 18 yard snap shot.

Following the half time team talk Biddulph emerged from the changing rooms obviously determined not to allow Rushall to give them a repeat of the run around the had endured during the first period. However, the Dales Lane side were quickly back into their rhythm six minutes after the restart as Dave Evans lofted a superb ball into the visitors box and Steve McCartan's 15 yard deflected volley flashed inches wide of the woodwork for a corner.

The pattern of the game altered somewhat in the 56th minute when Vic's pulled an important goal back totally out of the blue as substitute Beasley picked the ball up down the left channel, cut inside and fired in a vicious first time 30 yard pile driver that flew straight into the top corner of the net past unsuspecting 'keeper Ryan Price.

Although the wonder strike put the hosts under a little more pressure as the Stoke-based outfit were given encouragement to salvage something out of the jaws of defeat, it was always Rushall who looked far more likely to extend their lead, but were continually frustrated by a series of missed opportunities. This was reflected on 72 minutes when Pic's skipper Richard Brown took the chance to push forward and once more release the increasingly influential Carl Palmer down the right wing, who delivered another excellent cross that fractionally missed the head of Scott Gennard and also eluded Lee Booth who had made a late run to the far post and had the goal at his mercy. Ten minutes later and Olympic were again left cursing their luck as Marcus Jackson played the ball inside for Lee Booth to quickly release strike partner Scott Gennard who bore down upon goal, only to see his 20 yard placed effort roll agonisingly wide of the post as 'keeper Taylor did well to narrow the angle.