Tuesday 30th November 2021
UHLSPORT UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
NEWPORT PAGNELL TOWN 3-1 COVENTRY UNITED
See below for match report and photos.
POTTON UNITED 1-1 DESBOROUGH TOWN
Potton and Desborough went again after floodlight failure had cut short their first attempt and the home side moved up a place to 13th with their fourth successive draw. Liam Andrews had given Potton the lead with just nine minutes remaining and it was looking good for three points for the home side when Desborough substitute Jack Empson was shown a straight red card three minutes later. They failed to see the game out though and another Ar Tarn sub in Jake Bettles popped up with the equaliser two minutes into stoppage time.
SMEDLEY CROOKE MEMORIAL CUP-2ND ROUND
LUTTERWORTH TOWN 3-1 INKBERROW
The Swifts played host to Midland League Division Two club Inkberrow and had this one wrapped up by half-time. Tendai Daire headed them ahead from a Mark Warren free-kick after just 6 minutes, then Marshal Keenan added another on 15 with Louis Samuels taking credit for the assist and then Samuels added a third himself when he lobbed the keeper from well outside the area on 26. The step seven visitors pulled one back through Harry Keen after 69 minutes, but it was a safe passage to the next round for the UCL club.
FEATURED MATCH OF THE WEEK;
TUESDAY 30TH NOVEMBER 2021
UHLSPORT UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
(Willen Rd, Newport Pagnell, Bucks)
NEWPORT PAGNELL TOWN (1) 3 COVENTRY UNITED (1) 1
Swans; Webb 3, 49. Wright 60. United; Hendrie 19.
ATT; 121
Newport Pagnell leapfrogged their opponents into third place with a deserved victory at Willen Road on Tuesday night. The visitors had started brightly with Kyle Carey drawing an early save out of Martin Conway, but Newport took the lead with their first attack in the third minute. Mo Ahmed split the defence with a lovely ball to Danny Webb and his pace took him clear before rounding the keeper and slotting the ball home from the right side of the penalty area for a very well taken goal. The goal certainly boosted the Swans and a flurry of corners put plenty of pressure on the United defence, then keeper Reece Francis made a great double save to deny Ben Shepherd from a 25-yard free-kick before recovering quickly to save Jim Burnside’s follow up. Coventry had a couple of shots from outside the box that hadn’t really troubled Conway, but they drew level on 19 minutes when Stuart Hendrie netted his first goal for the club. The much-travelled striker controlled a long ball played up to him on the edge of the box and drew the keeper before placing his low shot into the net.
There was a worrying moment when Newport defender Jordan Wright’s high boot struck Muzi Nduna in the head and the Coventry man lay motionless on the deck, but thankfully he was able to return to the action after a few minutes of treatment. No intent in the challenge from Wright who had been looking at clearing the ball up field over his shoulder. The Swans very nearly doubled their lead when Burnside met a cross from the right with a powerful header at the far post, but Francis made a great save and Newport had to settle for another corner. Webb’s pace was a constant problem for the Coventry defence and he sent over two dangerous balls that none of his teammates could capitalise on, then a clearance over the top saw Webb run through the middle in space, but this time Francis was off his line quickly to make the angles difficult and he saved the striker’s low effort with his legs.
Ahmed worked the edge of the box on the left before unleashing a powerful right foot strike that Francis took confidently, while Carey rolled the ball into the net down the other end but had been a couple of yards offside. Ahmed saw a run blocked by Charlie Noakes just inside his own half and David Jarrett issued his first yellow card of the game to the Coventry left back. A minute later this was evened up when Burnside was also cautioned for a foul as Coventry tried to play the ball away from their own penalty area. Burnside was involved in a more positive light when his control found Daniel Idiakhoa whose quick movement saw a one-two with Webb allow him to get to the right corner of the box where he hit a decent effort that was held at the near post by Francis. There were hopeful shouts for a penalty just before half-time when Ahmed made a good run into the box before going to ground, but it was mainly him who lead the appeals to be fair in all honesty.
Half-time; Newport Pagnell Town 1 Coventry United 1.
The referee played a good piece of advantage after Shepherd had been fouled on the right as Webb left the defence behind him before cutting inside and slipping his shot past the outcoming keeper to put his side back in front after 49 minutes. Coventry almost responded straight away as Curvin Ellis held the ball up well on the edge of the box before playing right to Hendrie who clipped over a lovely cross that Nduna met with a diving header, but Conway saved well to keep the Swans in front. Ahmed flashed a shot over the top from the left of the box, then Christian Smail sent Webb racing down the right again before coming inside and hitting a powerful strike that stung the palms of Francis before Ahmed sliced his shot wide from the rebound.
The game’s first change saw Nduna make way for Charlie Faulkner for the visitors, but it was the home side who extended their lead on the hour mark. Shepherd sent over a corner from the right and Jordan Wright met it with a powerful header in the centre that flew into the back of the net. He had more space than he should have done in that position, but a great header all the same. Joe Cairns put an effort wide and Ellis rose high to meet a corner with a downwards header, but it hit a defender before being cleared away as Coventry tried to get themselves back into the game. Newport replaced Shepherd with Callum Hirst as time ticked away they continued to look dangerous on the break. Ahmed was brought down in a central position just outside the box and James Sage struck the free-kick well, but I was stood at the perfect angle to see that Francis had lined his wall up well with a good view of the ball as it was struck and he took it safely into his midriff. We had a flair-up late on as young wing-back Idiakhoa went down seemingly with cramp, so Dominic Parkins lifted his leg to treat him, but the Newport man kicked him in the chest and jumped straight to his feet. A lot of pushing and shoving followed and surprisingly no action was taken by the match officials. Burnside then kicked out at a defender after a scramble deep inside the Coventry half and the visitors wanted the already yellow-carded striker sent-off, but after talking with the assistant at that end again no action was taken, so Newport subbed him off instead with Jake Watkinson coming on for the dying minutes. The last chance of the game fell to United when Hendrie cut into the box and sent a curling effort towards the far top corner, but Conway dived across to get his hand to it.
Three fully deserved points for Newport who looked more of a top three side than Coventry did tonight. The visitors never really got their passing game going and were so often second to the ball against a hard-working and quick Newport side. Jordan Wright was dominant in the home side’s back three, with Adam Pryke and Alfie Powell completing a tight unit in front of the experienced Martin Conway, whilst man-of-the-match Danny Webb was just too hot to handle for the visitor’s full backs depending on what side of the field he popped up. Reece Francis was probably Coventry United’s star man out there with some very good saves that could have seen the scoreline even worse for the Warwickshire team, but by-and-large this was a day to forget for the visitors.
Newport Pagnell Tn; 1. Conway 2. Idiahhoa 3. Sage 4. Pryke © 5. Jordan Wright 6. Alfie Powell 7. Christian Smail 8. Ben Shepherd (sub Hirst 78) 9. Burnside (sub Watkisnon 86) 10. Webb 11. Ahmed. Subs not used; 12. Lewis Markey 14. Jake Stronge 16. Kieran Barnes.
Coventry Utd; 1. Francis 2. Sawyer 3. Noakes 4. L. Cairns © 5. C. Thomas 6. Perkins 7. Hendrie 8. Ellis 9. J. Cairns 10. Carey 11. Nduna (sub 12. Faulkner 57). Subs not used 13. Kris Roscoe (GK) 15. Jack Boden 16. Ivor Lawton.
Referee; David Jarrett
Assts; Trevor Martin & Robert Porter.
Entertainment value for the game; 8/10.
Action pictures below from the Newport Pagnell Tn v Coventry Utd game.
