image from Pitch-side Stories blog.
Yesterday afternoon (4th February 2017) Walsall Wood FC travelled south to play Alvechurch away, and were sadly beaten, continuing a very unfortunate sequence of losses for the beleaguered lads from The Wood.
Sadly, no reserve match as advertised tdue to a waterlogged pitch at Oak Park. It never rains, etc…
Bill Shaw was there to catch the action, and remains positive:
Hiya Bob,
Another defeat but lots of positives to come out of this performance. Games hinge on split second decisions and at present Wood are struggling to make the right ones, but they have 12 games to get things sorted starting with the visit of Shepshed Dynamo next Saturday.
Alvechurch 4 v 1 Walsall Wood
Another defeat for Wood at the league leaders but the often used phrase was certainly true, ‘There ain’t no justice.’ Two-one would have been hard to take, but four-one was really rubbing it in.
Wood started brightly putting the home defence under pressure, a Craig Deakin snap shot easily saved by keeper Paul Evans. His clearance went over the Wood defence, was collected at pace by Danny Dubidat, whose lob beat advancing keeper Adam Jenkins and the bar.
On four minutes a right wing corner was delivered beyond the far post, Rikki Bains hammering a header off the underside of the bar, Joey Butlin first to react one-nil.
The lead lasted just a minute, from a right wing corner Connor Deards powered a header home to make it one-one. Four minutes later from another right wing corner Jenkins made two amazing reflex saves to keep the scores level.
After 18 minutes a long ball forward by Louis Harris found Butlin inside the right of the box, he held the ball up before turning and firing in a low drive that was pushed away at full stretch by Evans.
A clever right wing move on 24 minutes involving Jamie Ashmore, Dubidat and Tom Turton saw the latter cross to the far post, the ball skimming off the top of the head of Dave Bellis. three minutes later another intricate right wing move saw Deards find Dubidat who released Ashmore, he found Turton whose first time effort was charged down.
On 28 minutes a 30 yard free kick right of centre by Butlin was superbly pushed around his left hand post by Evans at full stretch.
With 36 minutes gone and Zack Foster raced clear wide left, his cross to the far post headed over the angle by Dubidat.
Two free kicks on the right edge of the box were both hit into the defensive wall by Butlin in the 40th and 41st minute, both easily cleared.
Two minutes into the second half Adams released Aiton wide right, he cut inside and his superb chip saw Evans jack-knife backwards to claw the ball away.
On 53 minutes a pinpoint ball by Ryan Winwood released Turton into the right of the box, his low driven cross put behind by Adams to deny Dubidat. From the left wing corner Andy Parsons bulleted a header home to put Church ahead.
Wood should have equalised on 65 minutes, a ball into the right of the box caused panic, Adams saw his goalbound effort deflect up in the air to the far post. Butlin first to the ball to stab it onto the post and in the scramble that developed the ball was somehow kept out and eventually hacked clear.
On 68 minutes Josh March raced into the right of the box to hit a rising drive over the near angle. On 79 minutes the ball was moved quickly left to right across the face of the box and out to Ashmore, he crossed into the near post and substitute Mike Wardle headed home. 5 minutes later Turton crossed to the far post from wide left, the ever alert Wardle headed the ball back into the centre and Dubidat headed home number four to give the final score an extremely flattering look.
Both teams played some good football, the game hinged on the 65th minute incident, the ball somehow staying out. Two all at that stage would have put the leaders in two minds but they were able to go for the win, however, four-one, now that was so very cruel.
It’s Shepshed Dynamo at home for Wood next on Saturday 11th February 2017.
Bill Shaw
The Teams:
Alvechurch – Evans, Ashmore, Foster, Turton, Parsons, Willetts (captain), Bellis, Winwood, Dubidat, Deards, March, Edmunds, Edwards, Smith, Wardle, Cresswell.
Walsall Wood – Jenkins, Adams, Deakin, Cleet, Bains, Wood, Shaw, L. Harris, Butlin (captain), Aiton, Mansell, Molesworth, Jackson, Juxon, Rickards, Gwilliams.
Walsall Wood are a good team and an excellent, community-spirited club. They need and deserve our support.
As ever, thanks to Bill for the report – always appreciated – for The Good of the Wood!
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HiBob
many thanks to Bill for his report and to your goodself for posting it. I look forward to the visit of Shepshet so far from their home ground, wherever that may be. Their urgent away supporters are noted for their delicate melodious renditions of many classics, initially.
kind regards
David