10th April 2018 - Linotype Cheadle Heath Nomads 4 v 1 Wythenshawe Town - A rearrangement of plans at the last minute and a trip to a ground that is a 10 minutes walk from the doorstep. We arrived in ample time, purchased tea, exchanged a few pleasantries and headed to the seated area between the dug-outs. I have been reading the Ernest Hemmingway Novel 'To Have and Have Not' an appropriate title it seems as this is my 90th match of the season and 'To Have' is to shift one's arse and 'To Have Not' is to stay static and do nowt. My 150th Fungalised gig is on Saturday too and I am closing in on my 1400th CD review - tis good to put back. The wind was mild, the temperatures not too bad and having updated our gen with a few locals we were keen to get our watching orbs on the nights action. The squads entered the early evening air, they had to get a move on, no floodlights means no fannying about - here we go again.
An oxymoron started matters, the non-travelling Nomads attacked with early zeal, No 11 (Liam Millen) was away and had a chance to play the ball into the box. He chose to shoot instead, the near post was missed. Following this early warning the home heads came on again, a great flank charge with a ball to No 9 (Rick Tindall) who turned and shot in one movement forcing the guest keeper to save well and remain on is guard. No 6 (Jordan Young) was the next to advance and due to his extreme efforts won a lost cause, crossed the ball and allowed Tindall to execute a cheeky lob and bring up the first goal of the game. No sooner had celebrations been had than Cheadle were at it again with a free-kick on the edge of the box awarded after a clumsy tackle. The ball came in, No 8 (Tez Butler) was in at the back stick, No 4 (Ash Crank) popped up and nodded goalward and was only denied by a tidy tip over. More trouble ensued for the Wythenshawe men, they were in disarray but eventually settled in and brought about something akin to a contest. They eventually summoned a breakaway, No 7 (Ash Leather) fled all pursuers like his chuff was in danger and crossed with high purpose. The ball however was easily knocked behind and the ensuing corner dealt with without fuss. It was a good response from the visiting team though and added extra chomp to a wholesome game.
Cheadle were up for the night's work, No 7 (Craig Coates) produced some good hassling strength and knocked the opposing No 3 (Paulo Incaque) off the ball. He was hellbent on a strike and let fly with spite. The ball flew over the verdant carpet and audibly rustled the night - a fine goal again, Wythenshawe were under the cosh. No sooner had the pen left paper than I was scribbling again when the Nomads wandered into enemy territory, Tindall gathered the ball turned and twisted quicker than Spencer Tracey's mug in the remake of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' and banged home a deflected globe to bring up his second and his teams third. I didn't know what to expect from tonight's game but it wasn't this, what a turn-up. The Linotype Lads advanced once more, a free-kick brushed a crust and the last gasp effort just lacked control. Wythenshawe made a substitute and within moments of hitting the turf No 14 (Gavin Salmon) put his bonse on the ball and watched his effort get cleared off the line. It looked as though a tide may turn but up the other end No 10 (Kieran Herbert) launched one and just missed the upright. End to end stuff followed, No 11(Will Shawcross) should have pulled one goal back for the visitors but his header from a free-kick was closer to the nadgers of a passing magpie than the back of the net. Verbals now erupted, concentration for all was affected, Cheadle Heath Nomads were the beneficiaries with an indirect free-kick awarded in the Wythy box. A touch, a twat and triumph, Crank had cranked up the scoreline, 4 - 0 we were, the script was now used as toilet paper.
The final minutes of the first half saw the travellers strike from a long ball with Shawcross having a weak close in shot and the follow up denied by a clumsy tackle. A penalty had been given, it seemed an obscure decision but Salmon was in no mood to mess about and stepped up and struck the ball. The save that followed exuded high quality, the ball duly fell to another attacker who put in a shot cum cross and grazed the crossbar. The excitement was negated as the hosts got rid of the troublesome sphere and the referee gave us all a chance to hitch up our trollies and regain some semblance of mental order.
For half-time we moved to the opposite side of the ground and slurped tea and had a chat with a couple of local faces. The light was fading, the air growing cool - things needed to crack on or a black-out could be had, the ghost of Arthur Scargill was surely getting aroused at the thought!
For the second half we had Wythenshawe initially pushing with an early range finder clobbered in and raising hope. Leather for the guests dashed and won a bonus ball which in turn led to an angled kick. The ball went in, then out, then back in whereupon No 12 (Isaac Graham) nodded home and reduced the deficit. From here Wythenshawe cultivated the next chance too with Graham having bags of time to grab a second but blazing way off the mark. Leather came again, the ball was played to No 11 (Dylan Moth) who had time to run but put in a first time shot. The result - an awful miss for sure! Cheadle responded via a clumsy tackle and a free-kick that was finalised with an ambitious overhead kick - the execution however was...ahem...crap! A cruddy patch came, both teams struggling to create anything of note. The Nomads went closest when Herbert cut in and Tindall dragged the ball wide of the upright but other than that it was a sketchy period void of quality.
The sky now grew dark, the match lacked glow, the visitors were having a lot more possession but wasting promise in the final third. A free-kick came, the keeper dropped and Moth had two bites of the cherry - the first blocked, the second saved - it was a double-edged opportunity blunted. From here the Nomads finished strongest, Butler, Tindall and Herbert were a hard-chugging trio working until the death. Late shots came in return from Wythenshawe's Leather and Moth but both were far too easy for the keeper to deal with. A dazzling dribble by Herbert saw him beat 3 players and set up a chance for the goal of the night but the shot close in lacked venom. Soon after the same player played out to Salmon who dinked in an exquisite chip shot that brought about a tip-top save. A follow-up shot by Leather was blazed over - it was the last of the last, soon after we were done. It had been a tough night for Wythenshawe and a good performance by the Nomads. Man of the match goes to the No 9 (Rick Tindall) of the latter team for his troublesome ways, 2 goals and high work ethic that saw him run himself ragged - it was a good workmanlike effort.
FINAL THOUGHT - And match 90 of the season was done and what a decent night out it was. A mere 10 minute walk from where I live and looking like a place that may be getting a few more visits by this Fungalised git. The home team tonight played some swift, decisive and quick hungry football with an early urgency that really put their opponents on the back peg. Their hustling and bustling ways caught the Wythenshawe pack on the hop and before The Town could recover the damage had been done. The guests are better than this and I think they have been sidetracked by things in the pipeline and next seasons promises. I have seen Wyhthenshawe a couple of times this season and they are difficult to assess on the evidence given. The next campaign will reveal more and I hope to be there to see what duly transpires. This season is nearly done, it has been a busy one and teams are looking to fly out with a flourish or just see matters through and recharge the batteries - there may be some very unpredictable results coming your way, I think tonight was one such example.
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