Pre-match line-up in the shadow of the old mill. Ominous, perhaps?

Rocester score the first of their five goals

Good open, competitive soccer in trying conditions.

High spirited soccer in action

Walsall Wood attack as Rocester keeper shows confidence in the heavy ground conditions.

Good defensive positioning by Rocester as the Wood try everything to score a goal, to no avail

Description: C:\Users\David Evans\Pictures\rocester vc wwfc april2016\P1060517.JPGit was to be Rocester’s day and a day when little went right for the Wood.

A fast-flowing match where Rocester outshone the Wood at times

Entertaining display of determination as Rocester weather this attack

Sudden heavy rain and the sporting contest hots up

Enter ye by the narrow gate and watch your eyes sparkle.

Images and captions kindly supplied by David Evans

Walsall Wood FC were away at Rocester yesterday afternoon (Saturday, 9th April 2016), but were resoundingly trounced by the home side – Bill Shaw was there to witness the agony, and as always, doesn’t mince his words.

It’s great to see Bill Shaw back at the reins, and no old chap, we don’t think you’re a jinx! Onward, Bill, onward!

Bill sent this report:

Hiya Bob,

This performance was enough to nearly give me a relapse.

Everything was summed up by Simon Evans who said, ‘I’m glad it’s you having to report on this game’. That’s two games back for me, two defeats, am I a jinx and is it time to hang up my pen? Makes you think doesn’t it…

Only joking folks, I’ll be there for the semi-finals against Lye Town and Lichfield City, but who knows about next season.

Rocester 5 v 0 Walsall Wood

Wood warmed up for the first leg of the League Cup semi-final at Lye Town on Thursday night with this appalling, error strewn, mistake riddled display that saw them put to the sword by a Rocester side who won for only the second time in 9 games. No hiding from it, Wood were woeful.

On two minutes Joe Brockley was released into the left of the Wood box to fire a cross shot high and wide of the far post.

A neat one touch left wing move for Wood saw Grant Beckett play Dan Griffiths into the corner, his lay back to Louis Harris was delivered beyond the far post for Lewis Taylor Boyce to volley an effort inches too high.

The Romans went ahead on 14 minutes, the ball was played in from wide left, Liam Shaw held the ball up before laying the ball back to Brockley who calmly turned and scored just inside the right hand post with a crisp low drive. Four minutes later Wood lost the ball on halfway, James Frost hit the ball into the middle, Oliver Roome holding off his marker as he ran on to slot the ball past a stranded Adam Jenkins in the Wood goal.

Shell shocked Wood regrouped and on 23 minutes Ben Evans raced clear wide left from halfway, his ball into the box was taken off the foot of Griffiths by Jacob Yeomans. They almost pulled one back on 29 minutes, a lovely one touch move across the face of the Romans box from left to right ended with Taylor Boyce running into the right of the box, keeper Richard Froggatt parried, but couldn’t hold his vicious low drive that squirmed away to the far post, skipper Tom Land somehow keeping out Louis Harris’ shot on goal. Five minutes later a clever move through the centre saw Griffiths set up Taylor Boyce to fire a 25 yard rising drive high over.

A potential flashpoint on 43 minutes, Tom Brown raced onto a ball through the centre, Craig Deakin making a superb tackle to come away with the ball, he went wide left through one challenge before being wiped out by Brown with an appalling scything tackle.

Wood struggled to reduce the deficit at the start of the second half but the game was over as a contest on 55 minutes, from a Romans left wing cross Brown got in a header that was cleared off the line, only for a scramble to develop and Brown forced the ball home from close range. It was certainly all over on 62 minutes, Roome collected the ball right of the box cut inside, defenders backed off him allowing him to pick his spot to hit a low drive just inside the right hand post.

Substitute Corey Currithers nearly pulled one back a minute later for Wood, a run by Lee Hildreth right of centre saw his ball to the left of the box met by the striker who turned and hit a rising drive inches over.

Wood’s afternoon hit rock bottom on 77 minutes, a diabolical defensive mistake let in substitute Matt Nutt who raced from halfway to calmly fire past the advancing Jenkins.

A minute later a slip let in David Hind wide left, he crossed low into the box, Beckett cutting out the ball to deny Brown number 6 for the Romans.

On 86 minutes Taylor Boyce raced into the right of the box, crossed low to the near post and Butlin under intense pressure from Land fired inches wide.

Hind again got away wide left a minute later, his cross sliced backwards by Deakin, Jenkins making a great save to spare the defenders blushes. The ball was despatched to the other end and I lost count as shots rained down on the Romans goal with defenders heroically throwing themselves in the way, but even then Froggatt wasn’t troubled.

The late siege on the home goal summed up Wood’s afternoon, as shots rained in on his goal keeper Froggatt still didn’t have to make a save, which was the story of the Wood’s performance.

Hopefully Wood got all the mistakes out of their system and the real Walsall Wood turn up at Lye Town on Thursday night.

Bill Shaw.

The Teams:

Rocester: Froggatt, Frost, Allen, Land (c), Yeomans, Wadsworth, Roome, Brown, Shaw, Brockley, Riddell, Nutt, Hind, Mottershead, Martin, Binks.

Walsall Wood: Jenkins, Deakin, Beckett, Hildreth, Birch, L. Harris, Griffiths, H. Harris (c), Butlin, Taylor Boyce, Evans, Wright, Black, Ricketts, Jackson, Currithers.

Thanks to Bill, for an honest, entertaining and very fan-focussed match report, as ever. Really an honour to feature them here.

Check out Walsall Wood FC’s website here.