Match Reports - december 2007
These reports do not necessarily reflect the views of the club
Wednesday 26th December
Racing Club Warwick 3 -
Stratford Town 1- Loz Rawlings
Today's reporter Rod Abrahams writes;
There was no improvement in the festive season for Stratford Town, as they were well beaten in this Boxing Day local derby by Racing Club Warwick, with another lack lustre dismal performance at Hampton Road.
Lacking passion commitment leadership and drive, Stratford Town did little to threaten the Racers defence well marshalled by former Town defender Dan Hicks, with two of the goals being scored by Neil Stacey and Ryan Howell, who both featured for Stratford last season.
Manager Moore again made four changes to the side that started against Loughborough on Saturday and only had four subs on the bench, one of which was Mark Sheils returning after being out with a finger injury. May and Miller were both out ill and with players still injured and not available the squad was limited, but there was not any improvement from Saturdays performance, although not helped by the poor condition of the pitch, but that is no excuse, as if you want to win league titles you must beat teams what ever the conditions and Stratford never looked like doing that.
In the 6th minute Lawrence Rawlings was hit on the head as he put Racing keeper Scott Handley under pressure from a back pass with the ball going wide of the empty net. Handley saved low to his right on 15mins to keep out a deflected shot from Connolly, who also put a header just wide from a Rawlings cross 2mins later. Aaron Farrell just failed to get on the end of a telling cross from Rawlings 4yds out with only the keeper to beat, and on the half hour a penalty claim was turned down by Ref Loveridge, when Handley appeared to bring down Lawrence in the box.
Town keeper Johnson had to save at the feet of Neil Stacey, who also fired a cross shot just wide of the far post with Johnson beaten. Racers keeper spilt a shot from Mark Faulds on 34mins and the follow up effort from Farrell was scrambled away by Warwick and a long ball from defence found former Town player Ryan Howell on the right, keeper Johnson failed to hold onto the ball as he dived to cut out his low cross under pressure from Matt Blair the ball went loose to Neil Stacey who lashed the ball into the roof of the net from 12yds to put the Racers in front.
The second half was dominated by the home side. Although Stratford looked as if they were going to get back in the game when Rawlings tied up the score line with a first time volley, form a Jerome Grandison cross in the 57th min to make it one apiece.
However any hope of a Stratford recovery was short lived, as 2mins later Stefan McGrath restored Warwick’s lead when he scored from close range after the ball came out off the body of Johnson from Matt Blair’s header. McGrath had earlier put another effort wide of the far post watched by a static Town defence.
The Racers wrapped up the game and the points and ended the game as a contest with 20mins left, when another former Town player Dan Hicks headed a corner back into the danger area and Ryan Howell provided the finishing touch to head in at the far post to really make it a dismal Christmas for Stratford.
Stratford have only put out the same side once so far this season and constant changes do not appear to be providing the right formula. Stratford have now dropped to 4th place in the league 6 points behind new leaders Atherstone, which will probably be 9 points after Saturday and could be down to 6th place depending on results. The hopes of putting together a consistent run of 6 or 7 wins does not look likely, as we have to play Atherstone, Market Drayton and Coalville in January.
As Stratford have now played over half of their games the hopes of promotion look as if they are gradually slipping away, like the setting sun as it disappears over the horizon.
Stratford Town, Johnson, Overton, Wood,(74 Byrne), Robinson, Munday, Penny,(80 Crawford), Grandison, Connolly, Farrell, Faulds, Rawlings,(63 Pringle), Subs not used Sheils.
Stratford Man of Match - Richard Munday
Form Guide 4
Attendance 150
Match Stats
GA OT HW CW FC OS YC RC
Stratford Town 12 5 0 5 17 0 1 0
Racing Club 13 7 0 7 20 1 1 0
Saturday 22nd December
DYNAMO ARE FAR TOO GOOD FOR TOWN IN TOP OF THE TABLE CLASH
Stratford Town 0
Loughborough Dynamo 2 - Craig Noble 51 Kris Nurse 84
For the second time in five days Town faced their nearest MFA rivals, but this time Dynamo were easily the better side as they comprehensively reversed the form of Tuesday’s League Cup match to deservedly take all three points in this League encounter and move clear of Town in the table with still a game in hand. Disappointingly Town were second best virtually throughout and could have no complaints at losing for the first time - apart from to Hednesford in the FA Cup - at their temporary Damson Park home.
As on Tuesday there was much interest in the team selections to ascertain the extent to which either Manager had been trying to outguess the other in Tuesday’s game. For Town Micky Moore made four changes from Tuesday restoring Ian Wood, Kirk Miller, Andy Penny and Rory May to the starting line-up in place of Richard Robinson (injured), Nic Oakley, Adam Overton and Ashley Pringle. Dynamo also had four new faces at the start with Joe McShane, Andy Hart, Joe Jonas and Jose Moriera coming in for Kevin Spriggs, Mike McLarnon, Lee Rutter and Callum Riley. Whether there was any bluffing or not on Tuesday it was clear as this game progressed which team was now the stronger - and it was not Town..
The opening minutes were fairly even with Jonas wriggling through on the right to fire a shot past the far post for Dynamo and Aaron Farrell doing likewise for Town after being played in by Jack Byrne, but by the 15th minute Town had survived two scares as Dynamo twice sprung the offside trap. Firstly Craig Noble did so down the right and whipped in a cross which was met by Kris Nurse and somehow kept out at point blank range by Craig Johnson, and then the two front runners changed roles with Nurse setting up Noble whose effort was blocked by Penny.
Dynamo were now generally having the better of the play, but nevertheless they were indebted to their keeper, Matt Nurse, for not falling behind in the 22nd minute when he pulled off an outstanding double save. Richard Munday hit a long ball out of defence to set the speedy Jerome Grandison free down the right touchline, and when he squared the ball back May’s first time shot was parried by Nurse who then recovered to block Farrell’s effort from the rebound.
For a while after this escape Dynamo were on the back foot. Grandison tried his luck from distance but his shot was easily held by Nurse and May and Farell both had half chances, but from the 30 minute mark Dynamo regained their composure and controlled the rest of the half.
McShane was proving a handful with some overlapping runs down the Dynamo right, and in the 35th minute he sent over a pinpoint cross to the dangerous Kris Nurse who powered a header straight at Johnson. Two minutes later McShane had a go himself from 20 yards with his effort being well held by Johnson at the foot of his left hand post.
Craig Noble was next to threaten when he latched on to a punched clearance from the busy Town keeper only to put his shot wide and then Kris Nurse cut in from the right but was again denied by Johnson low down so that the interval was reached with the game still goalless..
Half Time - Stratford Town 0 Loughborough Dynamo 0
Town clearly needed to raise their game in the second half, but within four minutes they were fortunate not to go behind when a free kick from Matt Nurse was nodded on by Kris Nurse to Craig Noble whose first time shot smacked against the base of Johnson’s left hand post and rebounded to safety.
Town’s reprieve was however to be shortlived. In the 51st minute Munday was penalised for pushing in the centre circle and retreated with the ball before eventually releasing it. As the referee went to remonstrate with him the Town defence momentarily switched off and Dynamo seized their opportunity. Allowed to take the free kick quickly - even though the referee was still apparently speaking to Munday - the ball was played out to substitute Callum Riley on the left wing and he sprinted to the byline before sending in a low cross which was a simple tap-in for the predatory Craig Noble.
Town attempted to respond and in the 58 th minute May - who was putting in one of his more frustrating afternoons - worked his way into the penalty area but instead of shooting he laid the ball off to Farrell who had strayed offside. That was Farrell’s last part of the action as Micky Moore decided to make a double substitution sending on Mark Faulds and Lawrence Rawlings in place of Farrell and Kirk Miller.
The change nearly brought an instant result as Rawlings’ persistence down the right led to a neat pass inside to May only for the capable Matt Nurse to save low to his left, but Dynamo were soon back in control and playing some measured football were able to keep Town at bay without too much difficulty.
In the 74th minute they could have gone two up when Jonas jinked past Wood into the penalty area only for his fierce effort from 12 yards was blocked by Johnson, but with ten minutes to go Town came close to equalising. For the only time in the game the impressive central defender Ricky Nurse made a mess of a clearing header and the ball fell to May on the edge of the area. He timed his volley perfectly but unfortunately it rocketed straight at Matt Nurse who somehow pushed it away and Jack Betts completed the clearance.
That proved to be Town’s last chance, and in the 84th minute Dynamo made the game safe. Town had found it difficult to contain Jonas all afternoon and this time he made a run down the right touchline and squared the ball inside for Kris Nurse to nip between Munday and Penny and finish clinically for his 21st MFA goal of the season .
Town were now well beaten and in the final minute Dynamo almost made it three when Craig Noble broke free down the inside left channel and sidestepped the advancing Johnson before shooting from a narrow angle and seeing Michael Crawford hack it off the line.
So Town have reached the halfway stage of their League programme with 35 points from 21 games and with Atherstone also winning have now slipped to third in the table. Anyone who was present at this game will now know full well that some quite significant improvement is needed in the remaining 21 games if the long held dream of promotion is finally to be achieved come the season‘s end.
TOWN : Johnson, Wood, Crawford, Miller (Faulds 58), Munday, Penny (Pringle 86), Byrne, Connolly, May, Farrell (Rawlings 58), Grandison. Subs Not Used - Overton and Snape
LOUGHBOROUGH : Matt Nurse, McShane, Betts, Hart,, Ricky Nurse, Karl Noble, Jonas,, Brennan, Kris Nurse, Craig Noble, Moreira (Riley 46). Subs Not Used - Harding, Fullwell and Beasley
Town Yellow Cards - Connolly
Loughborough Yellow Cards - None
Attendance - 134
Town Man of Match - Craig Johnson - on a day when the team as a whole significantly under-performed he was kept pretty busy and made a number of decent saves but was left totally exposed for both goals.
Match Stats :
Town - GA 9 OT 5 HW 0 CW 3 FC 18 OS 5 YC 1 RC 0
Loughborough - GA 17 OT 8 HW 1 CW 3 FC 10 OS 5 YC 1 RC 0
Tuesday 18th December
STRIKES FROM FARRELL AND BYRNE SECURE CUP WIN FOR TOWN AT LOUGHBOROUGH
Loughborough Dynamo 0 -
Stratford Town 2 - Farrell 13, Byrne 65
Town advanced into the last eight of the MFA League Cup on Tuesday evening with a goal in each half earning them a well-merited win against title rivals Loughborough Dynamo in a thoroughly entertaining game at the Nanpanton Sports Ground.
With the two sides separated at the top of the MFA table by the smallest margin possible - a one goal difference in Town’s favour (although Dynamo have a game in hand) - and with them due to meet again in a real “six pointer” League match on Saturday there was much speculation before kick-off with regard to team selection. Would either manager select a full strength line-up or would they go down the Arsene Wenger route and use the League Cup game as an opportunity to give certain key players a rest with Saturday in mind ?
In the event while Dynamo fielded nine players who had started for them in their draw with Rocester last week-end Micky Moore followed his Arsenal counterpart by only including three - Craig Johnson, Paddy Connolly and Aaron Farrell - from the Causeway starting line-up with five others being on the subs bench. Lawrence Rawlings, John Snape and Richard Adams sat out the game altogether after picking up injuries at Causeway but hopefully Rawlings and Snape will be OK for the Saturday encounter.
On a bitterly cold evening both sides set off at a lively pace playing some free flowing football as befitting the two top teams in the League. Dynamo produced the first on-target effort in the 10th minute when Craig Noble fired in a low shot from the right which was held by Johnson at the second attempt, but Town took the lead three minutes later with a brilliant individual goal from Farrell.
Picking up the ball 10 yards inside the Town half he turned his marker, Ricky Nurse, and left him in his slipstream as he sprinted down the inside left channel before having the strength to fend off a challenge from the covering Jack Betts and then slotting the ball past Matt Nurse as the keeper came out to meet him.
Dynamo’s response was to up the tempo even more. Kris Nurse was showing why he is the current leader in the MFA Golden Boot competition with some dangerous runs and with Callum Riley causing problems with his speed and determination on Dynamo’s left flank Town were forced onto the defensive. Kris Nurse was only a foot wide in the 15 th minute after being set up by Craig Noble, and then Kevin Spriggs took advantage of a loose pass from Robinson to break into the penalty area and have a fierce shot charged down by Crawford.
Up front Farrell was often fighting a lone battle but he almost put Town two up on the half hour mark when he was again through on goal after a shrewd pass from Jack Byrne but this time Matt Nurse did enough to force him to put his effort wide.
The remainder of the half however was virtually all Dynamo and they were desperately close to equalising in the 33rd minute when Craig Noble’s fierce shot from 10 yards out was touched onto the far post by Johnson and Kris Nurse wastefully blazed the rebound well over . Riley then hit his close range shot into the side netting, before Johnson did well to beat out another Craig Noble effort and then having to save at the striker’s feet after Crawford mishit a backpass.
Town were also perhaps fortunate to survive two concerted penalty appeals from Dynamo firstly for handball and then when Craig Noble was bundled over, but although living dangerously at times they managed to reach the interval with their lead still intact.
Half Time - Loughborough Dynamo 0 Stratford Town 1
Dynamo were soon back on the attack from the restart but wasted a their best opportunity yet in the 50th minute. Johnson made a hash of clearing a backpass and his kick went only as far as Kris Nurse on the right touchline. He advanced to the byline and sent over an inch perfect cross to Craig Noble but from barely three yards out he volleyed over when it seemed easier to score.
That miss seemed to deflate Dynamo and they were never to come so close again. Town were started to see more of the ball with Jerome Grandison - back from his week in Czechslovakia and apparently staying with Town for the time being - putting in some promising runs and Byrne and Connolly battling away to good effect in midfield.
As Dynamo wilted Ricky Nurse was responsible for the first - and only - bad foul of the game in the 59th minute when he scythed down Grandison and was probably relieved that the card issued was only yellow, but Town effectively made the game secure shortly after when Byrne scored the clinching second goal.
Grandison and Farrell combined well on the right and when the ball was played in to the centre Byrne’s run from midfield was not picked up by the Dynamo defence and he was able to slide it past Matt Nurse into the empty net.
Dynamo put in a short-lived rally which saw Karl Noble hit a long range effort past the post and Johnson safely hold a Karl Brennan shot, but in the 71st minute Town felt they had made it three when Farrell sent over a low cross from the left which was met by Connolly at close range and the ball appeared to be well over the line before it was scrambled clear. Much to Connolly’s disbelief however the linesman disagreed and the referee waved play on.
Fortunately the result was by then not in doubt and Town saw out the rest of the game in relative comfort to put them in good heart for Saturday‘s clash. That of course will be a different game on a different day and no doubt Town‘s line-up will be different too, but if the result is the same then for Town officials, players and supporters it certainly will be a happy Christmas and the prospect of a happy New Year too !!
TOWN : Johnson, Overton (Miller 77), Crawford, Robinson, Munday, Pringle, Oakley (Wood 83), Connolly, Farrell, Byrne (Faulds 83), Grandison. Subs Not Used - May and Penny
LOUGHBOROUGH : Matt Nurse, Spriggs (Page 68), Betts Karl Noble, Ricky Nurse, McLarnon, Rutter (Ross 83), Brennan, Kris Nurse, Craig Noble, Riley (Harding 68). Subs Not Used - Fullwell and Beasley
Town Yellow Cards - Robinson
Loughborough Yellow Cards - Ricky Nurse
Attendance - 86
Town Man of Match - Aaron Farrell - his electric pace up front troubled the Dynamo defence all evening and his goal which set Town on their way was a classic individual effort.
Match Stats :
Town - GA 7 OT 5 HW 0 CW 2 FC 11 OS 4 YC 1 RC 0
Loughborough - GA 13 OT 3 HW 1 CW 2 FC 9 OS 0 YC 1 RC 0
Saturday 15th December
IT’S RED FOR RORY AND ONLY ONE POINT FOR TOWN AT AMBLECOTE
Causeway United 1 - Busby 86
Stratford Town 1 - Adams 7
Yet again this season Town could only draw a match which at one stage they looked like winning comfortably as Causeway were allowed a late equaliser, and to add to their woes their leading scorer, the talismanic Rory May, was sent off close to half time while both Lawrence Rawlings and Richard Adams had to come off with second half injuries.
Since Town’s previous game at Cradley a fortnight ago the squad has undergone a bit of a shake-up with Leigh Downing moving to Bromsgrove (perhaps on the basis that if they can’t have our Manager they may as well have a player instead), and Jerome Grandison having a trial with Czech club, FC Siad Mort, while Harry Donaghey’s controversial move to Atherstone remains in limbo with apparently every chance of it now not happening after all !!
Meantime Micky Moore has added striker Aaron Farrell - second top goalscorer behind Rory May for Solihull Borough last season - to bolster his attacking options and be a ready made replacement for Grandison if the Czech move should come off.
With Craig Johnson and Kirk Miller returning from injury all these comings and goings meant that there were six changes to the starting line-up with Johnson, Miller, Andy Penny, Adams, Paddy Connolly and Farrell all coming in for Simon Lynn, Richard Robinson, Donaghey, Grandison, Jack Byrne (suspended) and Steve Ruck, while joining Michael Crawford on the subs bench were Richard Munday, Ashley Pringle, Nic Oakley, and Adam Overton.
Town got off to a lively start with Mark Faulds shooting narrowly over in only the fifth minute after good work from May and Rawlings, and two minutes later they took the lead with a well worked goal from Adams.
New boy Farrell - who made an impressive debut - slid the ball in from the left to May who cleverly helped it on to Adams and from 12 yards out he produced the sort of precision finish which earned him so many goals for Leamington by neatly placing the ball across Paul Evans into the far corner of the net.
Town were now well on top with Adams, Rawlings May and Farrell all troubling the Causeway defence with their pace and movement and they had several chances to extend their advantage. Adams netted from close range after a Faulds effort had only been half saved by Evans only to be ruled offside and then with 20 minutes gone he clipped the top of the bar with a left foot shot from 15 yards after being set up by an astute pass from Connolly.
Shortly after Rawlings picked up a punched clearance from Johnson to run half the length of the pitch and lay the ball off to Farrell who skipped past the advancing Evans only for Matt Aston to get back and clear off the line, while on the half hour mark May headed wastefully wide from a pinpoint cross from Miller.
Adams was next to threaten when not far away with another cross shot from a Farrell pass in the 36th minute but Causeway were still in the game and keeper Johnson had to be at his best to preserve Town’s lead with a two fine saves within a minute. Firstly he bravely blocked at Scott Gennard’s feet after the striker had evaded the Town offside trap, and then he reacted brilliantly to tip over a header from Stuart How with the town defence in some disarray.
Then in the 43rd minute came the incident which was to change the game. May was fouled as he attempted to turn his marker some 5 yards outside the penalty area and although he still had a shooting chance the referee immediately blew for a free kick instead of playing advantage.
As the players lined up before the kick was taken May - not for the first time and already on a yellow card following an previous skirmish - got involved with some pushing and shoving with Aston which ended with Aston falling to the ground as if hit by Mike Tyson, and after consulting his linesman the referee produced a straight red which will mean the Big Man missing three games early in the New Year. Inevitably the free kick came to nothing and Town now realised a testing second period was waiting with just a solitary goal to hang on to.
Half Time - Causeway United 0 Stratford Town 1
As expected Causeway began the second half in determined fashion looking to make their extra man count, but Town were coping without too much difficulty until two injuries resulted in further disruption to their gameplan which eventually proven crucial. In the 54th minute Rawlings had to go off with a possible fractured cheekbone, and just three minutes later the unlucky Adams sustained a recurrence of the strain he picked up against Oldbury.
Their replacements, Pringle and Munday, are both normally defenders although Pringle can play in attack if necessary and it certainly was here, but in essence these changes left only Farrell as a lone striker and the game was played more and more in Town’s half. How forced another admirable save from Johnson and then blazed over from the resultant corner, and then the dangerous Gennard hit a shot into the side netting before putting another effort just past the post.
In a rare Town foray into the Causeway half in the 77th minute Connolly was only denied a clear chance minute by a well timed tackle from Danny Cox, but the Causeway pressure was relentless and just when it seemed that Town might survive they equalised with four minutes of normal time to go. Town failed to deal with a long cross from the left and ex-Town striker Chris Busby won the aerial battle on the six yard line to direct a header beyond the despairing Johnson.
Causeway now scented victory and within a minute only a close range save by Johnson from Gennard kept Town level before he safely held a well struck free kick from Matt Hollis as Town desperately held on in the four added minutes of stoppage time.
With Loughborough also drawing but with Atherstone winning these three teams are now level on points at the top of the table. Town still lead on goal difference, but Loughborough have a game in hand and Town’s next League fixture at home to Loughborough next Saturday now assumes even greater significance. Meantime Town face Loughborough in the League Cup on Tuesday evening but with the League very much the priority will be interesting to see what sort of side Micky Moore decides to put out if that game survives the predicted cold snap.
TOWN : Johnson, Miller, Wood, Faulds, Snape Penny, Adams (Munday 57), Connolly, May, Farrell, Rawlings (Pringle 54) Subs Not Used - Oakley, Overton and Ruck
CAUSEWAY :Evans, Sproston, Hollis, Cox, Aston (Neate 79), Stretton, Webb (Field 82), Drakeley, Gennard, How, Priest (Busby 68). Subs Not Used - Healey and Whittaker.
Town Yellow Cards - Snape and Faulds Red Cards - May
Causeway Yellow Cards - Gennard
Attendance - 61
Town Man of Match - Craig Johnson - the keeper has had his share of critics this season, but he produced at least four top class saves here which in the end were the difference between one point and none at all.
Match Stats :
Town - GA 8 OT 4 HW 1 CW 1 FC 10 OS 1 YC 2 RC 1
Causeway - GA 10 OT 7 HW 0 CW 7 FC 9 OS 9 YC 1 RC 0
Saturday 1st December
IT’S ALL SO EASY AS TOWN HIT SIX AT CRADLEY
Cradley Town 0 -
Stratford Town 6 - Rawlings 9 & 20, May 11 (pen), Ruck 24, Grandison 66, Downing 84
Town will surely never gain three easier points all season than they did at Cradley on Saturday. Poor Cradley are perennial strugglers in the MFA but this season they are plumbing new depths, and they went into this match having lost their last nine League matches scoring just two goals in the process and conceding fifty including nineteen in the last two.
To add to their woes their manager resigned last weekend and several players had also called it a day, which meant that Town faced very much a scratch team with no less than seven players having signed on that morning.
The result was therefore never in doubt, and but for some inspired goalkeeping from Neil Cooksey - who had played for Town several years ago although not as a keeper - the score would have probably exceeded the eleven which Boldmere had piled in last Tuesday.
Town’s starting line-up showed two changes from the Oldbury match although Steve Ruck in for Richard Adams hardly counts as Ruck had come on in only the 5th minute at Oldbury after Adams’ early injury. The other change was in central defence where Ian Wood having returned from a loan spell at Highgate replaced Richard Munday. There were also places on the subs bench for Andy Penny and Craig Johnson, both returning from injury.
As expected Town were dominant from the word go, and in the first minute Mark Faulds shot narrowly over the bar after a free kick on the left, but somehow Cradley hung on until the ninth minute before going behind, and a well worked goal it was too. Harry Donaghey won possession in the centre circle to find Rory May with a neat through pass and May‘s first time lay off had Lawrence Rawlings streaking into the penalty area to comfortably slot the ball past the advancing keeper.
Two minutes later Town doubled their lead. Jerome Grandison was bundled to the floor by Richard Brookes in the penalty area and May sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot.
With barely a quarter of an hour gone it could easily have been three as Jack Byrne rattled the post with a 25 yard free kick and then Ruck was only a foot wide with another effort, but the inevitable next goal arrived in the 20th minute when Grandison and May combined to set Rawlings free again and as before his finish was clinical.
Byrne went close again shortly after later with a rasping shot from distance which was acrobatically tipped over by Cooksey, and in the 24th minute Town duly made it four when Ruck squeezed in a header at the far post after a long left wing cross from Rawlings.
The match was now over as a contest and the only question was how many more Town would get. Faulds hit a shot at Cooksey’s legs and the keeper then saved well from Wood as Town continued to pour forward, but Cradley were not giving up and in a rare foray into the Town penalty area Deen Nicholls hit an effort into the side netting after being played in by the hard working Mark Swann.
Perhaps not surprisingly Town were now in cruise control and Cradley were able to hang in grimly until the break with no further damage to their goals against column.
Half Time - Cradley Town 0 Stratford Town 4
To their credit Cradley came out in determined fashion for the restart, and Swann might have done better in the 50th minute when he latched onto a ball played down the inside left channel but he was well wide with his shot as Simon Lynn came out to meet him.
However this was only a brief interruption to the overall pattern of play as Town remained well on top. Rawlings in particular was still lively and he was only denied his hat-trick in the 56th minute by a brave Cooksey save after a Faulds cross.
Almost immediately Swann wasted another opportunity for Cradley when he hit his shot straight at Lynn when clear, but Town responded with a Ruck attempt which beat both keeper and post and a strong run from May which was only halted by a well timed tackle from Grant Doran.
Town eventually made it five in the 66th minute after a poor goal kick from the overworked Cooksey went only as far as May. An astute pass sent Rawlings scampering down the right touchline and his low cross was turned in by Grandison at the far post from barely two yards out.
May was next to threaten when his header from a Donaghey corner was cleared from under the bar by Southall and barely a minute later he was through on goal but saw his shot roll past the far post with Cooksey beaten. As the game entered its closing stages Rawlings was still looking for his hat-trick and in the 84th minute his powerfully struck effort from 12 yards brought a brilliant reaction save from Cooksey. The loose ball fell to substitute Leigh Downing whose equally powerful shot was also blocked but he made no mistake with the rebound rifling it into the far corner.
Fellow sub Andy Penny then tried his luck from all of 30 yards which was turned away by Cooksey at full stretch low to his left and then with just two minutes to go Rawlings was denied a third goal yet again when at last getting the better of the gallant Cooksey with a lob only for Doran to somehow hook it over the bar.
So ended a totally one-sided game which Town could do more than win as they pleased, but with the other results going their way - particularly Loughborough only drawing and Atherstone losing - they have now returned to the top of the table albeit by a margin of one on goal difference and with Loughborough having a game in hand. With manager Micky Moore pledging his future to the Club despite the midweek approach from Bromsgrove Rovers this has been an excellent weekend for Town, and their immediate prospects in the MFA suddenly seem a whole lot brighter then they did just a few games ago.
TOWN : Lynn,, Robinson (Penny 65), Donaghey, Faulds (Crawford 70), Wood, Snape, Rawlings, Byrne, May, Grandison, Ruck (Downing 65).. Subs Not Used - Connolly and Johnson (GK)
CRADLEY : Cooksey, R.Brookes, M.Southall, Joseph (C.Southall 69), G.Doran, Keeling, Florey (Dodds 74), Nicholls (A.Brookes 60), Swann, Rose, Rowe. Subs Not Used - Marusiak and T.Doran.
Town Yellow Cards - Snape and May
Cradley Yellow Cards - Florey and A.Brooks
Attendance - 74
Town Man of Match - Lawrence Rawlings - scored two with two more coming from his crosses and tried so hard for his hat-trick goal which just would not come.
Match Stats :
Town - GA 29 OT 17 HW 1 CW 14 FC 15 OS 1 YC 2 RC 0
Cradley - GA 5 OT 1 HW 0 CW 1 FC 21 OS 1 YC 2 RC 0
