Bolehall Swifts v Brocton Wednesday 26th December December 31, 2007
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Bolehall Swifts 2 Brocton 3 Brocton ended 2007 in style with a fine away win by the odd goal in five at Bolehall, a ground where they have often been on the receiving end in the past. It looked like the Badgers were in for a tough afternoon from the outset particularly when Mike Shelper was deceived by a long shot and could only parry it but just when Bolehall looked certain the score the big keeper threw up an arm to make a brilliant instinctive save. Bolehall defender Ryan Haddock went unpunished for a nasty looking tackle on Gary Fife and his colleague Neil Bennett also escaped a card for a two footed tackle on Andy Harrison. In the 16th minute Bolehall took the lead when Craig Haywood struck a perfect volley from the edge of the box. It could have been 2-0 but Shelper blocked Matthew North’s effort and skipper Matt Skinner completed the clearance at the expense of a corner. Referee Pratt finally got his yellow card out ironically for a late tackle by Brocton’s Steve Bennett who had been having a frustrating first half as he was repeatedly caught offside However on 34 minutes Bennett who had dropped deep to avoid the offside trap set off on a brilliant solo run beating 3 men before slotting the ball past keeper Phil Lowe to level the scores. On 41 minutes a good ball down the line from Skinner found Fife who beat his man and crossed into the danger zone but neither Bennett nor Andy Harrison could apply the finishing touch. At the other end Brett Larkins crossed and although Ian Purvey got in a header it lacked power and Shelper gathered the ball comfortably under the bar. The half ended with Brocton in the ascendancy and going close following a Fife free kick. When the 2nd half got underway Brocton were quick out of the blocks and Swifts keeper Phil Lowe did well to deny Andy Harrison at the expense of a corner. However when Fife’s flag lick came in Dave Langston was unmarked at the far post and the big defender put the Badgers ahead. The lead lasted until the 64th minute when Ian Purvey struck a left foot shot from 20 yards into the far corner of Shelper’s goal. Brocton were soon back on the attack and a great ball from Ben Harrison sent brother Andy bearing down on goal but Phil Lowe saved with his feet. On 71 minutes Andy Harrison received the ball on the edge of the Bolehall penalty area with his back to goal and turned brilliantly to fire the ball into the top corner. Steve Bennett had a chance to seal it for Brocton but Lowe again saved only to be hurt as he tried to punch the resultant corner away and was replaced by substitute keeper Daniel Cobb. In the closing stages it was Mike Shelper’s turn to show his mettle. On 82 minutes he made a brilliant double save and then in the 88th minute he turned Ian Purvey’s effort over the bar to ensure Brocton picked up the 3 points that saw them end the year in 5th place in the Midland Combination Premier Division.
Brocton v Nuneaton Griff Saturday 22nd December ‘07 December 27, 2007
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Brocton found the going tough against a well organised and strong outfit in Nuneaton Griff who eventually took all the spoils, but had Brocton taken their early chances it could have been a different story.
Nuneaton started the game in attacking style taking the game to Brocton but it was Gary Fife, for the home side, who registered the first real chance on goal. On a greasy surface the game was played at a good pace with Nuneaton Griff breaking quickly from defence into attack. Langston and Harrison combined with the centre half heading just wide however Nuneaton Griff were the first to open the score when Dan Holloway scored a thundering header from a well taken corner.
Brocton’s immediate response was to head up field and launch their own attack, which resulted again in a Harrison and Langston combination with the ball ruled over the line by the assistant referee within one minute of Nuneaton Griff having scored.
This game always looked to be a high scoring affair but Brocton were destined to rue their missed chances particularly through the lively James Dyke who had two clear chances but missed on both occasions.
The second half started with Brocton showing the most likely to score and were rewarded with a penalty through a foul on Bennett and Dyke dispatched a penalty kick. However in this end to end game Nuneaton Griff had their own fortunate break when Jones was adjudged to have fouled McMath just inside the area. Fox scored from the penalty spot and it was Nuneaton who gained the ascendancy and put Brocton under pressure and secured a further goal through James Fox on 75 minutes.
With tails up and Brocton now chasing the game Nuneaton Griff managed a 4th goal through Andy McMath from just 4 yards. Brocton did not give up and launched a series of attacks in the dying minutes with shots from Miller and Reeves just over the bar but with no further score.
Pilkington XXX v Brocton Saturday December 15th December 16, 2007
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Brocton began this game like a whirlwind. Inside 2 minutes full back Matt Skinner had advanced almost to his opponents’ bye line and put in a perfect cross for Andy Harrison to meet with a glancing header across the keeper, but just wide of the far post. Gary Fife then found Harrison on the right and his cross was met by Steve Bennett, collecting, shifting and lobbing the keeper in one fluid movement. The keeper produced a fine finger tip save at full stretch. Richard Jones, full back on the right side, set off the next move with a ball all along the touch line for Steve Bennett, who had drifted right. Bennett crossed for Gary Fife to meet the ball and slot home at the near post after 9 exhilarating minutes.
James Dyke, on 12 minutes, lifted the ball over the Pilkington back four and Fife nipped through to meet the ball at full stretch on the volley. He got a touch, but no power on this occasion.
Pilkington at last got themselves into the game and a combination of a disciplined back four, catching most of Brocton’s attempts to get past them off side and good movement, particularly on their flanks, it was the visitors who were forced deep and had to defend well to maintain their lead.
As half time approached and the home side began to believe that they could draw level, Steve Bennett beat the off side line by taking the ball through it himself. He had to ride a strong tackle as he reached the penalty box, but got in a powerful shot which the keeper did well to parry. Bennett went left to retrieve the ball and turned to put in a second shot, which the keeper and covering defence managed to block again. Andy Harrison it was who met this rebound, but still it would not cross the line until, at the third attempt, Harrison by this time prone in the box, forced the ball over.
The second period saw both teams with chances and Mike Shelper in Brocton’s goal twice had to spread himself bravely to block attempts in the six yard area, before pulling off a great full length save to his right.
Gary Fife then got beyond Pilkington’s high back line with Steve Bennett in support to his right. The keeper closed down the angle and Fife unselfishly slipped the ball right for Bennett to slot the ball home only to be harshly given off side.
Andre Campbell then replaced Bennett and after a dart through on the right, his first touch was a shot at goal, on target but straight at the keeper. The clearance led to another attempt for Pilkington, which Shelper needed to save at full stretch and he threw the ball for Campbell to set off on another run.
With the surface becoming ever more slippery, both sides continued to attack and defences struggled to turn, but no more real chances came.
Pilkington XXX 0 v 2 Brocton
Brocton v Barnt Green Spartak Wednesday 12th December December 13, 2007
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Wednesday 12th December Brocton v Barnt Green Spartak
It was enormous credit to both sides that his game both went ahead and was played at pace and with good technique, because the conditions could easily have mad the game treacherous. On ground which had absorbed a recent deluge and at zero degrees, the surface was slick to say the least.
Steve Bennett showed his excellent balance and quick feet in the 12th minute when jinking past the Barnt Green back four but being caught on the ankle as he set himself to shoot at goal. The free kick rebounded away from the defensive wall and immediately the visitors were able to show skill of their own in very similar manner as a two footed dribble into Brocton’s penalty area left only Mike Shelper to beat only for the expected shot to be a weak one.
Dave Langston then won the ball almost on the half way line and drove on with it before finding Lee Scott to his right. Scott slipped the ball into Gary Fife’s stride and his shot whistled just wide of the far post.
Barnt Green were then grateful to their alert keeper, who acted as sweeper in almost the whole of his own half, when Mike Shelper cleared their back line for Lee Scott to run on Green’s keeper was quick and just beat Scott to the ball, but the tackle sent the ball wide rather than clear. Scott raced to his right and hit an early lob, whilst the keeper dashed back to his goal. He did not quite make it in time, but the ball drifted just wide of the far post.
The visitors seemed untroubled by the occasional breach of their back line and posed plenty of threat of their own. Once more on the half hour they passed their way through the Brocton rearguard only for the final shot to be directly at a grateful Mike Shelper.
As the half closed and both teams looked forward to an upbeat half time talk with scores and exchanges evenly poised, Andy Harrison almost pinched the lead for the home side. A Richard Reeves throw fell at his feet and he was able to hold off his marker and then turn and shoot from the edge of the box. The ball rebounded from the bar in what was the final action of the half.
It was Barnt Green who came out of the traps the quicker and more determined after the break and for twenty minutes Brocton could do little but hold on. The visitors had their own shot rattle the bar just 5 minutes into the half and then produced an overlap on the left and wicked cross. The volleyed shot was miss hit, but that almost proved to be fortunate as a reaction header, with Shelper still set to save the original shot, whistled wide.
They got their just reward for this period when Campbell finished off the move of the match to date, hitting a smart shot across Shelper to end a five man passing move which Brocton were powerless to prevent.
That was on 68 minutes, but this Brocton side do not lie down and a Gary Fife corner found Steve Bennett’s head minutes later and whilst the effort went just wide, it seemed to lift the whole team.
Another corner soon followed and this time Andy Harrison brought Brocton back into the game. Harrison looked certain to score again in the very next move when he was in on goal following good work from Richard Reeves and Bennett, but an alert keeper arrived just in time to prevent the score.
Harrison did flick on a throw moments before full time, though and James Dyke put the ball into Tom Kent’s path for Kent to bag the winner.
Brocton 2 v 1 Barnt Green Spartak
Castle Vale v Brocton Saturday 1st December December 3, 2007
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Brocton are now making some headway into the leading pack of top teams in the Mid Comb Premier following this resounding win against highly placed Castle Vale. The match however was one of two halves with Castle Vale having much of the first half with good movement and were rewarded in the eighth minute through a goal mouth scramble where Christian Crisp finally pushed the ball over the Brocton goal line. Following the early goal Castle Vale picked up the pace although Brocton weathered the storm and created chances for Gary Fife and Lee Scott.
Most of the early Brocton attacks were through good work by Ben Harrison in mid-field linking with Fife and Steve Bennett.
Injury to Brocton keeper Mike Shelper delayed the completion of the first half by several minutes at it was in the added time that Lee Scott drew level with a well taken left foot shot below the diving Vale keeper.
The second half started brightly for Brocton with good possession and passing between mid-field and forward players. Harrison and Scott were featuring in every attack and giving the Castle Vale defence much concern and following excellent work on the left touch line, Andy Harrison crossed the ball into the path of the advancing Steve Bennett for him to slot home from 15 yards high into the Castle Vale net with keeper McGuire totally stranded.
Castle Vale were not finished however and from one of their infrequent attacks Tom Campbell shot low calling for a excellent save by Shelper and a clearance of the line by Richard Jones. The game was now being played at a pace and Brocton continued to look dangerous in their attacks and within 5 minutes of their second goal it was Andy Harrison who was on the receiving end of a well worked move by Bennett and Scott with an excellent pass for Harrison to slot home.
Castle Vale continued to press and went close with a free kick from Steve Brown and in the latter stages of the game Brocton lost two players with Campbell being sent off and Bennett injured, however Brocton survived with their win intact.
Castle Vale 1 v 3 Brocton
