Quorn FC have a rather posh clubhouse. Image from their website.

Last Tuesday evening (10th February 2015), Walsall Wood F.C. faced Quorn F.C. away, beating the Leicester lads fair and square.

Bill Shaw was there and submitted the following match report:

Hiya Bob,

Another three points on our travels, it wasn’t easy but was certainly well deserved. It leaves us 14 points behind title favourites Long Eaton United but with four games in hand, plus we have to go there on the penultimate Saturday of the season (April 18th), it could turn out to be a very important game.

Meanwhile it’s away to Tipton Town on Saturday and IT SHOULD BE Stoke City at Oak Park on Tuesday night, but the game is by no means certain to go ahead. It goes without saying that I will keep you informed of what is happening.

Quorn 0 v 1 Walsall Wood

Another clean sheet for Wood coupled with a Joey Butlin goal was enough to give them all three points. As on Saturday keeper Mario Kisiel was in fine form together with his opposite number Laurie Pearson who kept the home side in contention with some superb saves.

Wood started the better and after only two minutes they put the home defence under pressure wide left, Andre Gonzales and Corey Currithers combined to fire in a low cross that found Max Black on the right edge of the box, his first time low drive flashing just wide. On 10 minutes Ben Evans slalomed in from the right to find Joe Pickering in the centre of the D, only for him to be fouled. Joey Butlin hit a low ball into the right of the box, Craig Deakin’s vicious low drive pushed away by the alert Laurie Pearson at full stretch. Five minutes later from a free kick wide right the ball was headed out to Anthony Juxon who delivered the ball back into the danger area but Shawn Boothe finished weakly under pressure from Craig Attwood.

Quorn’s first threat came a minute later, Dom Brennan scything through the defence as he came in from the right, he threaded a ball through to find Liam Turner on the edge of the six yard box, his first time effort bringing a superb point blank save from Mario Kisiel. It was Brennan again three minutes later, capitalising on a slip in centre midfield and racing for goal only to fire high over the bar.

On 21 minutes Currithers was fouled on the left edge of the box, Butlin’s free kick bringing a full length save from Pearson.

Back came the home side, four minutes later Brennan raced into the right of the box, found Turner beyond the far post, his low drive bringing another great save from Kisiel.

The breakthrough came on 34 minutes, Evans released the overlapping Andre Gonzales to race clear wide left, he cleverly cut back inside and crossed to the far post, Butlin climbing highest to head back across the keeper to score into the far corner of the net. Four minutes later he collected the ball on halfway, seeing Pearson off his line he tried an effort from 40 yards that went well wide. On 41 minutes Jamie Sauntson broke up an attack and found Butlin who quickly released Pickering down the left, he raced clear firing a cross shot just wide. The last action of the half came three minutes later, Evans ran from halfway and released Pickering into the left of the box, Mario Lopez making a superb tackle to deny the lone striker.

Six minutes into the second half a poor pass out of defence went straight to Brennan, he ran on but under pressure from Sauntson fired wide. That signalled the start of 10 minutes of sustained home pressure but apart from a fierce low drive from Nicholas Goold that was well taken by Kisiel they had nothing to show for it.

Having weathered the storm Wood won a left wing free kick, Butlin flicked a header on to find Black, his first time effort well saved by Pearson.

On 72 minutes Macauley King raced into the right of the box, his cross headed out by Boothe but straight to substitute Karl Whymark, his rising drive well held by Kisiel.

Back came Wood, Butlin releasing Black into the centre of the box, he went left and fired the ball to the right, Pearson changing direction to make an amazing one handed save, leaving Black in the back of the net unable to believe he hadn’t doubled the Wood lead.

The last goalmouth action came on 84 minutes, Brennan racing onto a ball through the centre, running on and hitting a rising drive that once again was well held by Kisiel.

A competent hard working display by Wood gave them another away win, their miserly defence, coupled with another great display from Mario Kisiel frustrated Quorn, who tried hard but couldn’t make the all important breakthrough. The win leapfrogging Wood above Quorn and Westfields and back up to 7th before the visit to lowly Tipton Town on Saturday.

Bill Shaw
Walsall Wood F.C.

Thanks to Bill for the report, as ever. These longer format ones are much preferred by the readership, and Bill’s match write-ups are gaining more and more traffic with every one I post.

For The Good of the Wood!