Town Tame Wolves

By: Nick Osborne
Date: 28/09/2000

We apologise for the delay in presenting Nick's report which was due to technical problems. However it is not too late to once again revel in the outstanding effort of the Mariners in this Worthington cup game and the debut goal of Jon Rowan.

1st Half The game started with town in the more secure 4-4-2 formation. For the first 4 minutes Town where in control and then Wolves started to play football. We where still a bit suss at the back but this time it was only when they broke. Wolves broke away from a Town attack and flew down the right with a speed I could not calculate, they opened our defence like they were not even there only for Al-Jabar to completely waste all their efforts. This was a warning that Town had better be on their guard. Wolves continued to get into the game but Town where still the better team, they broke down the left, Dono got the ball and, under pressure gave the ball to Butterfield who was dispossessed (because Dono hit the ball far too hard to him from about 6feet away) they got to the byline and put it in the box on the floor, after what seemed 300 sliced attempts to clear the ball, R. TAYLOR just knocked into the net. This was a very sloppy goal to concede so early on but Town got stuck in with some good passing football, a joy to watch after recent games. We got it away down the Town left, it passed about 6 or 7 times and ended up with Butterfield on the right about 30 yards out. He looked up, picked his spot and whack. The keeper had no chance, but the ball hit the bar/post at the same time. Oooooohhhhhhh. That would have beaten his last goal, which was also brilliant. We where now taking the game to them, this is good stuff to watch, again we broke down the left, this time with GALLIMORE about 25yards out, boom, he shot on sight, the ball took a wicked deflection and looked to be going in row z but it just dropped in the goal with Stowell easily beaten. This game was going our way now, Dono put a ball in and Clare got to it first but his header hit the bar, another chance not taken but Stowell well beaten again. Wolves again hit us on the break and with Naylor wasting his shot hitting it wide. They came again, this time down the right, Al-Jabar should have scored with only Coyne to beat, but his crap effort and Coyne's shot stopping heroics, he managed to push it out for a corner. The ball was swung in to the middle of the six-yard line and up popped TAYLOR, unmarked, for a free header to put Wolves back in front. This just about finished the half, but we where still in with a shout. 2nd Half Town started the second half with the same ideas as the first, win at all costs. With Wolves seemingly happy to go home with a 2-1 win. Dono came running down the right, cut inside, beating 2 players and then a third before shooting from the edge of the box about dead centre, only for his shot to go straight to Stowell. This would have been a superb goal had he been able to pick a spot either side of the keeper. Both sides where now making the play with both creating chances, Taylor's curler was looking good but Coyne was on hand to pluck it out the air. Looked a good save, but I reckon he made it look harder than it was, not that we cared, this was a very entertaining game with loads of chances for Town. Butterfield was again in shoot on sight mode when he came running down the right, from 25 yards he let rip with a fantastic shot which was going all the way, straight in the top right corner of the goal, but sitting behind the goal, even I don't know where Stowell came from to tip it over the bar. This was good stuff, Wolves may be a ''bigger better'' side but we where never over powered. The chances just kept coming for Town, would we ever score? Even if we had lost this game it wouldn't have bothered me because it was by far the best game I had seen at BP for ages. What happened next is for the storywriters of this world. Off the bench comes young ROWAN, with only his second touch off the ball he scores with a free header. Dono played in the ball from the right; Rowan just crept in behind the defence, picked his spot and scored. Isn't it easy when you know how? Shame Wolves didn't think so. They restarted and the ball ended up with Coyne, he banged it down the middle to ALLEN, who ran past his marker took the ball and slotted it past Stowell. This was beginning to look to easy, a couple of minutes later and Allen got the ball again, it came off one of their players by accident, he took it round the player, looked up, saw Stowell on the edge of the box and Lobbed it over him with ease from at least 40 yards, Stowell was well beaten but luckily for him the ball didn't drop enough and ended up skimming the roof of the net. This effort was good play by Allen, doing what he did inside 3 seconds if that, show's he has the ability to see what is going on around him and react to that. MOM, difficult to choose between Donno and Allen. Both played well tonight, but I'll go for Allen, his work rate was superb, he scored and could have got more. COMMENTS: If Town could play like this every game we would not be in the bottom half of the division. Even though wolves had chances to win the game and possibly should have. We had by far the better of the game, we where in control for long periods. We never took all our chances either, but we showed we could play very good entertaining football. Overall it was a deserved win for town. With Wolves only having themselves to blame for sitting back in the second half.

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