The drama continued… Image kindly supplied by David Evans.

Wood on the attack… Image kindly supplied by David Evans.

Early attack… Image kindly supplied by David Evans.

Much rejoicing following the Wood goal… Image kindly supplied by David Evans.

The Woodmen score! Image kindly supplied by David Evans.

Coleshill came back strong… Image kindly supplied by David Evans.

Walsall Wood FC disappointed Bill Shaw and all the home crowd yesterday afternoon (27th September 2014), as they conceded defeat to Coleshill Town FC in a match where yet again, the quality of official decisions was questionable.

Good to see our friend Bill back in the saddle so to speak, and this week, he really doesn’t mince his words!

Bill submitted the following match report:

Hiya Bob,

It’s good to be back, not that the performance of the 3 officials yesterday did anything to help my blood pressure.

Walsall Wood 1 v 2 Coleshill Town

It took Wood just 3 minutes to go ahead, an electrifying run down the right by Drew Aiton followed by a low cross into the centre of the box, that was touched home by Max Black to give them the perfect start.

Both sides had chances, the best of which fell to Joey Butlin on 26 minutes when he started an intricate move on the right involving Aiton and Craig Deakin before he was released into the right of the box to fire a cross shot that beat keeper Chris Jay and the far post – just.

The first of the appalling decisions came a few minutes later, debutant Mark Branch delivered a right wing free kick into the centre of the box and a scramble developed, Butlin won the ball only for keeper Jay to grab his ankle, he wrenched himself free to be scythed down by a desperate defender (2 penalties for the price of 1 you might think), to the disbelief of everyone in the ground the Referee booked Butlin for simulation. ‘He jumped in the air too theatrically’ was his comment afterwards.

The last five minutes of the half belonged to the visitors and a minute before the break a mix up on halfway saw Shane Benjamin challenge for the ball, which broke kindly for him and he raced away to calmly score past the advancing Mario Kisiel in the Wood goal.

Within two minutes of the start of the second half craig Deakin broke up a Town attack and fed Aiton wide right, he cut inside from 30 yards to hit a stunning rising drive that beat keeper Jay all ends up but cannonned to safety off the inside of the right hand post.

Chris Lloyd then took charge of the game for Town with a scintillating 20 minute spell wide on the left, with Kisiel twice making superb saves to keep the scores level. He was powerless however on 64 minutes when a ball through the centre was superbly brought under control by Lloyd with a sublime first touch, before an exquisite lob that even Kisiel couldn’t keep out.

Wood went looking for the equaliser their first half performance deserved but had to be mindful of being caught on the break by the pace of Lloyd and Benjamin. Then, with 10 minutes to go Butlin raced onto a ball on the right of the box but was blatantly pulled back by a chasing defender, the referee could have been unsighted, but the assistant on that side had a clear view of the incident. Butlin went down, but the assistant waved play on despite being only yards away from the fracas.

There was still time for Lloyd to race through the centre and release substitute Simon Cobourne into the right of the box, his first time shot bouncing off the outside of the post.

Coleshill could have scored 6 but for the heroics of Kisiel, but Wood also had chances and perversely could have run out 3 – 2 winners if the two big decisions had gone their way.

Hard on slick Coleshill? Possibly, but in football you don’t always get what you deserve.

It’s FA Vase action next for Wood with Pershore Town the visitors to Oak Park on Saturday 4th October, a win leaving Wood just 8 games from a Wembley final on 9th May…

Now wouldn’t that be a lovely way to bow out?

Bill Shaw

Walsall Wood are a good team and an excellent, community-spirited institution. They need our support – so get your backsides down there!

As ever, thanks to Bill for the report – always appreciated – for The Good of the Wood!