MATCH REPORTS by Bryan Hale
THESE REPORTS DO NOT NECCESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE CLUB
SELECT MONTH:
FROM MASONS ROAD TO KNIGHTS LANE VIA SOLIHULL A REVIEW OF THE 2007/08 SEASON
After the last ball of the 2006/7 season had been kicked it became evident that the summer break would be of crucial importance to Stratford Town Football Club with changes necessary on the pitch, off the pitch and in relation to the pitch itself.
Town had ended the season effectively homeless as the match against Rocester on April 14th had been the last at Masons Road, while the original groundshare agreement with Studley which had run for two years but which had seen only one Town match take place there - a friendly against Evesham in August 2006 - had expired and was not renewable. Town had also ended the season managerless as Dennis Mulholland resigned after the final match citing work commitments and his assistant, Craig Woodly, was shortly to take up a similar role at Atherstone.
Players were on the move too. Golden Boot winner Tony Robinson and classy defender Harry Donaghey were both snapped up by Tamworth on full time contracts which their displays for Town had fully merited, Nathan Jones and Luke Barlone followed Craig Woodley to Atherstone, James Knott and - perhaps particularly disappointingly - Danny Hicks moved the short distance to Evesham (although for Danny it was only a brief stay as he was soon at Racing Club Warwick) while stalwart defender Nigel Niblett decided to call it a day.
Strangely however an act of vandalism in South Birmingham some two years previously was to provide a solution to most of the problems. The arson attack on Moor Green’s famous old Moorlands ground in January 2005 had resulted in the Moors having to groundshare with Solihull Borough and so successful had that been that the two clubs agreed to merge and operate as Solihull Moors from the start of the 2007/8 season.
All of this meant that there was a vacancy to groundshare at Solihull, that ex-Town player and Solihull manager Micky Moore was looking for a new club, and that most of the Solihull players were too. Chairman Craig Hughes was quick to take advantage of the situation, and soon an agreement was reached with Solihull for Town to play their home matches there until Tiddington was ready and Micky Moore was offered and accepted the vacant position of Manager. He then acted equally speedily to persuade a number of the Solihull players to follow him with the result that the starting line-up for Town’s first match of the new season at Barwell featured six who had played at Solihull last season, three from Dennis Mulholland’s Town squad and two acquired from Bedworth. On the subs bench were three from Solihull and two from Town.
Perhaps surprisingly given the preponderance of ex-Solihull players the new team took a little time to gel, and of the first eight League games only two were won with the other six being drawn, although of those draws four should probably have been victories. Town also could not repeat their lucrative F A Cup exploits of last season. After comfortably beating Suotham in the Preliminary Round they came up against Hednesford from the Unibond Premier League and after outplaying the Pitmen in the first game at Hednesford - how did Rory May miss with that last minute header ? - they were somewhat unfortunate to go out in the replay.
Nevertheless the two Hednesford games seemed to inject extra belief into the players, and the next four League matches were all won including a 5 - 1 demolition of joint leaders Friar Lane, so that after twelve games Town were still unbeaten with 24 points - exactly the average of two points per game which is usually taken as a yardstick for a team with Championship winning aspirations.
But that was as good as it was going to get. In the next match - away at Coalville - Town were two up after an hour’s play and seemingly in control when Coalville were gifted a goal. They went on to score two more to win 3 – 2 and Town’s season started to go downhill.
The following game saw them steamrollered 4 – 0 at Market Drayton, and although they recovered to win three and draw two of the next six League matches and thus were able to remain at or near the top of the table their early season form was not to be repeated.
This period had also seen Town’s interest in the F A Vase end in the most disappointing fashion at West Midlands League side Shawbury United. Town had qualified for an exemption to the Second Round Proper while their opponents had battled through the Qualifying Rounds, but on the day Shawbury wantd it much more as - in a manner which was to be sadly characteristic of many subsequent performances - Town surrendered tamely, and the Shropshire men were deserving winners.
As last season Redditch had already ended Town’s interest in the Birmingham Senior Cup and so the Vase exit meant that the only knock-out competition left for Town was the MFA League Cup. Although receiving a bye in the First Round the Second Round draw had not been kind to Town pairing them away to Loughborough Dynamo who at that time were second to Town in the League table.
By a quirk of the fixture schedule the tie took place on December 18th just four days before the scheduled League fixture between the two sides, and both managers indulged in a bit of team selection juggling. In the event Town fielded a starting line-up showing eight changes from the previous weekend’s game and won 2 – 0, but in the following League encounter on the Saturday before Christmas, when many of Town’s first choice players returned, Dynamo were convincing winners and Town went into freefall.
The next match - on Boxing Day - was an embarrassing loss to near neighbours Racing Club Warwick and was probably Town’s worst performance of the season. The run of defeats carried on into the New Year and eventually extended to six which was enough to send Club Historian Alan Hawkins scurrying through the records to ascertain the last time Town reached such depths. ( The answer was 25 years ago !! )
In terms of League position this sequence was devastating. When Town had kicked off against Loughborough Dynamo on December 22nd they were League leaders - albeit only by a goal difference of one - but by January 26th when they broke the sequence by beating Coalville - ironically the team that had ended their unbeaten start three months earlier - they had dropped to 9th and were 21 points behind the new leaders and eventual champions Atherstone.
The team performances did not seem to be helped during this period by a number of player comings and goings. Among those who left were the two goalkeepers, Mark Sheils and Craig Johnson, accompanied bizarrely by leading scorer Rory May - who still headed Town’s scoring charts at the end of the season even though his last goal came on December 1st !! - and the season’s original Club Captain Kirk Miller, to be followed shortly after by the long serving Paddy Connolly.
Aaron Farrell, Richard Adams and Jamie Petty were the principal newcomers plus goalkeeper James Dormand on a month’s loan - later extended to the maximum three months - but several others arrived for a few games and then disappeared again including Andy Penny, Gary McPhee, Justin Marsden, Neil Davis, Scott Stevenson and Martin Thompson thereby contributing little in the short term and obviously nothing long term.
All of this suggested that team spirit and dressing room harmony which are essential ingredients for a successful team were not what they should have been.
Micky Moore pointed to the number of injuries suffered by key players, and certainly the likes of Richard Adams, Aaron Farrell, Richard Munday and Steve Ruck all had lengthy spells on the sidelines, but it was evident to regular Town followers that there were other more fundamental factors as well.
There was also the fiasco concerning the return of Harry Donaghey after his ill-starred stay at Tamworth. He made two appearances before Atherstone became involved, and it was fully five weeks before the situation was resolved and he was back for another ten games before going AWOL for the rest of the season.
By now Town’s new home at Tiddington was nearing completion and the groundshare at Solihull ended. At least Town left Damson Park on a winning note with the victory against Coalville and the Knights Lane complex was now the focus of all Town’s efforts.
A well supported Open Evening was held on January 31st, and the first match was against Barwell on February 16th. A large crowd turned out - the official attendance was 411 - and except for the result - Barwell won 1 – 0 - the afternoon was eminently successful.
The second game at Knights Lane four days later was arguably more important as it was the League Cup quarter final against Shifnal, but Town put in yet another limp performance to lose 2 – 1 and effectively end their season.
There were now just 11 League games left and Town needed to improve considerably to reach at least a respectable position in the final table. But with nothing really tp play for and therefore no pressure the team suddenly began to produce some decent results, and were unbeaten in the first eight of those games - a run which was sufficient to win Town the MFA Team of the Month Award for March.
A major factor in this late season flourish was the arrival of striker Sam Malsom with his pace, persistence and overall sharpness up front giving Town a cutting edge they had lacked since Rory May’s departure, and he notched up seven goals in only ten appearances - an impressive scoring rate by anyone’s standards.
The inherent deficiencies were still there however, and were shown up in spectacular style in the home game against local rivals Studley whose team included a number of ex-Town players and particularly last season’s manager, the redoubtable Dennis Mulholland. Spurred on by Dennis and another ex-
Town veteran Ian Mitchell Studley swept Town aside after half time as they stormed to a 4 – 2 win and exhibited all those qualities of spirit, commitment and motivation which were so lacking in Town’s make-up.
Town then wound up the season with wins over a depleted Oldbury and a defiant Alvechurch to finish a modest 7th in the final placing, but that was well below what was hoped for back in August or indeed during the first part of the campaign.
In overall terms the season was clearly hugely significant with the move to the superb new facilities at Knights Lane, but on the field it was all about anti-climax and underachievement. Highlights were few - perhaps only the two Hednesford Cup matches and the five goal romp at Friar Lane - while the low lights were many, notably the Vase surrender at Shawbury, the Boxing Day debacle at Warwick, the defeats in the two opening games at Knights Lane and the second half shambles against Studley.
So Town could and should have done better. There was no really outstanding team in the MFA this season - certainly no-one of the calibre of Chasetown and Leamington - and the League was definitely there to be won.
Many supporters will feel that this season was a great opportunity missed, but to win a Championship at any level a team needs pride and passion.
In too many matches Town displayed neither.
