Goodrich 0 AFC Wulfrunians 3
West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division
At: Goodrich Sports Ground
Kick-off: 7-45 pm
Admission: £3; Programme: £1 (20 pages)
Attendance: 80 (headcount)
Weather: mild, dry
Duration: first-half: 48:16; second-half: 48:54
A second visit to Goodrich this season and this time round visitors AFC Wulfunians took the local bragging rights with three unanswered second-half goals in this Wolverhampton derby.The win lifted Wulfrunians up four places in the Premier Division table to fifth position and, significantly, to within 14 points of the leaders Black Country Rangers with five games in hand.
I like Goodrich – a friendly club with programmes available at the gate, teamsheets easily obtained and refreshments available from a room at the side of the pavilion. Of course, a feature I really like is the stand!
Looking at the league table, Goodrich (18 points from 12 games) occupied seventh position with the visitors (16 points from 8 games) two positions below.
The referee wrong-footed me by lining up the teams facing the second pitch rather than the pavilion so the best I could do for the handshakes photo was one at the tail end with just a handful of Wulfrunians players still to meet the match officials.On to the action and AFC Wulfrunians (in yellow and black halved shirts, yellow shorts, black socks) got the game underway attacking the pavilion end in the first half – a wholly appropriate description for this former cricket ground where I recall one playing.
Goodrich (wearing all red) could have taken the lead in the 11th minute Levi Chambers latched onto a forward ball inside the area, got past the advancing keeper Marc Evans before shooting over from a narrow angle.
Few clear-cut chances were created in the first half and I heard one person mention in the resfreshments room during the interval that there hadn’t been a shot on target. He must not have seen Goodrich almost take the lead… a close range header in the 17th minute from Jordan Lee which keeper Marc Evans pushed over the bar – well I suppose it wasn’t a shot! But three minutes later Wulfrunians Nathan Rose-Lang fired a shot on target straight at well-positioned Paul Fryer.
After the half hour, Andy Mitchell got on the end of a delicious left-wing cross from Ashley Burd but fired into the side netting at the far post. And just before the break, defender Graham Ashton was annoyed to have not hit the target with a close-range header from Burd’s corner.On a mild, dry and windless evening, I saw the majority of the evening stood next to pitch barrier, though a trip to Goodrich isn’t complete without some time sat in the rather aforementioned and photographed unique stand.
Decent entertainment, just lacking a goal.
The ball finally ended up in the net just after the hour but Lee’s shot came after he was flagged for offside, just before Chris Rabone’s shot took a deflection and flew just wide of the Goodrich goal with Fryer wrong-footed. The visitors thought they’d scored in a scramble but again the flag was raised for offside. Still 0-0.
Eventually, AFC Wulfrunians edged ahead in the 76th minute. A quick throw on the left by Burd allowed Rose-Lang to find Rabone at the far right post. Rabone fed Michael Eagles who slotted home at the near post.The lead was doubled six minute later. Danny Crudgington crossed from the right and Rose-Lang headed home.
In the closing stages, Evans dived to his right to push away a low shot from substitute James Machin, which could have made injury time interesting had it gone in.
But Wulrunians secured the points with a third goal in stoppage time. Ricky Anslow was bundled over inside the area and Crudgington confidently converted the resulting penalty.
Goals:
0-1 Michael Eagles (76)
0-2 Nathan Rose-Lang (82)
0-3 Danny Crudgington (90+4 pen)
