Match Reports - september 2007
Saturday 29th September
FRIAR LANE AND EPWORTH 1 STRATFORD TOWN 5
TOWN GO NAP AT FRIAR LANE AND ARE CLEAR IN TOP SPOT
Friar Lane & Epworth 1 Stratford Town 5
Nembhard 43 Munday 2
Byrne 21
Rawlings 45
Trevor (OG) 64
Ruck 87
This was billed as top of the table clash with only goal difference separating the sides at the top of the MFA, but Town comprehensively outplayed the Lane to record their best win so far under Micky Moore and in so doing decisively ended the Lane’s unbeaten start to the season.
Town’s starting line-up was unchanged from Studley on Tuesday, but Jae Martin who had sustained that severely broken finger against Atherstone was fit enough for a place on the bench and replaced Nic Oakley.
Town looked sharp from the start and went ahead in only the second minute. Jerome Grandison was fouled by Lee Mcleod on the right and Gareth Alborough curled his left footed free kick deep into the Lane’s penalty area seemingly aiming for the head of Rory May, but the ball went beyond him and reached Richard Munday who had stolen up unnoticed by the Lane defence and he powered a header into the net past a static Neil Blowfield.
Going behind so early seemed to unsettle the Lane and they struggled to find any rhythm with Town being quicker to the ball and more accurate in their passing, but Kevin Phillips offered some encouragement when his header from a corner in the 10th minute was only just too high.
The Lane also wasted a couple of free kicks in promising positions before Town extended their advantage in the 21st minute. Grandison threaded a neat pass beyond Mcleod to Lawrence Rawlings who cut inside from the right and jinked past Lee Westley into the penalty area . A shooting chance looked on but instead he slipped it on to the onrushing Jack Byrne who hit an unstoppable effort past Blowfield from 10 yards out.
Five minutes later a flowing move involving May and Rawlings ended with midfielder Mark Faulds letting fly with a shot from 20 yards range which Blowfield was happy to tip over the bar. Town were threatening to run riot with May clipping the foot of the post after being played in by Grandison and then opting for placement rather than power when allowed another sight of goal and placing his effort wide of Blowfield‘s left hand post.
The Lane tried to respond and they gave Town a warning on the half hour mark when another Phillips header from a corner brought a full stretch save from Mark Sheils with Steve Ruck then clearing Francis Lynch’s shot from the rebound off the line.
Nevertheless with the interval approaching Town seemed to be cruising to a comfortable half time lead when the Lane suddenly pulled a goal back in the 43rd minute. Town funnelled back in numbers as the Lane built up a passing move from the halfway line and Mcleod was allowed to whip in a cross from the left which was met by Simeon Nembhard with a bullet header giving Sheils no chance.
For Town to only go into the break one up would have been a travesty on the run of play, but in added time they restored their two goal margin. A long clearance from Ruck was headed on by May down the inside channel and Rawlings showed tenacity and persistence to gain possession and squeeze between Ross Trevor and Dan Gibbons before slipping the ball across Blowfield and into the far corner
Half Time - Friar Lane & Epworth 1 Stratford Town 3
Town began the second half brightly. Rawlings had a good run into the right hand side of the area only to be halted by a desperate tackle from Mcleod and then Blowfield had to go down low to his left to save a Kirk Miller effort from distance, but the Lane fought back and for a ten minute spell they forced Town back as they dominated possession. However Munday and Alborough were solid in the centre of the Town defence and Sheils was confident in his handling when called upon to deal with some hopeful crosses hoisted into his area.
Up front May had been having one of those games when the ball did not quite run for him, but in the 64th minute he engineered the goal which killed the game off. Not for the first time his expert close control was too much for the Lane defenders and as he received a throw-in from Adam Overton he was able to turn his marker and fire across Blowfield towards the far post. The ball struck right back Trevor as he attempted to clear and was deflected into the net to put Town three up.
With the game now over as a contest Micky Moore withdrew the hardworking Rawlings and sent on 16 year old Will Grigg who again impressed with his enthusiasm and willingness to run at defenders.
Town were now in total control and went close to extending their lead in the 80th minute when the Lane had difficulty dealing with a left wing corner and both May and Grigg had efforts blocked. Shortly after Martin came on for a welcome reappearance and almost scored with virtually his first touch when Grigg set him up with a shooting chance, and then with three minutes remaining Town made it five.
More good work on the right led to Grigg sending over a low cross which the unmarked Ruck was able to side foot in from close range.
This was an impressive display from Town against a side who were not only unbeaten previously in the MFA but had only conceded six goals in eight games, and it meant that in eight days Town had won three away games scoring ten times in the process . Form does not come much better then that.
TOWN : Sheils, Miller (Wood 78), Ruck, Overton, Munday, Alborough, Grandison,, Faulds, May (Martin 84), Byrne, Rawlings (Grigg 66). Subs Not Used - Pringle and Johnson (GK)
FRIAR LANE : Blowfield, Trevor, Mcleod, Brett, Danny Gibbons, Westley, Plumb, Lynch, Phillips, Nembhard (Marsh 70), Lewis Gibbons (Trier 84). Subs Not Used - Barratt and Hall.
Town Yellow Cards - Munday
Friar Lane Yellow Cards - None
Attendance - 88
Town Man of Match - Gareth Alborough - a difficult one to call with the whole team doing so well but since he came into the side in the first game against Hednesford to partner Richard Munday in the centre of defence he has scarcely put a foot wrong and was again in dominant from here.
Match Stats :
Town - GA 11 OT 7 HW 1 CW 4 FC 9 OS 12 YC1 RC 0
Friar Lane - GA 8 OT 3 HW 0 CW 7 FC 7 OS 1 YC 0 RC 0
Tuesday 25th September
STUDLEY 0 STRATFORD TOWN 2
In this rearranged league fixture at the Beehive, Stratford stretched their unbeaten run in the league to 10 games, (only 15 more to go to beat Leamingtons new MFA record last season), winning 2-0, with first half goals from Mark Faulds and a Jerome Grandison penalty.
There were two changes from the winning side at Biddulph on Saturday, Steve Ruck in for Michael Crawford and Adam Overton replacing the injured Richard Robinson and Nick Oakley was on the bench for the first time since his injury at Southam in the F A Cup.
Stratford where by far the better side in the first half, as they played some neat football which the home side found difficult to contain. The first threat to their goal came in the 6th min when 51 year old Studley keeper Nigel Watson could only parry a stinging drive from Jack Byrne at full stretch and Lawrence Rawlings follow up from the loose ball was blocked by a defender for a corner.
The opening goal came 4 mins later when Steve Ruck swung in a cross from the left. A Rory May shot was blocked which fell to Mark Faulds his first effort was also blocked but again he latched onto the loose ball to fire home from 6yds out to give Watson no chance. A speculative long range effort from former Town player Ian Mitchell had keeper Mark Sheils back peddling to save under his crossbar on 16 mins and his 30yd free kick in the 21st min went over the Town bar.
A flowing Town move down the left flank involving Grandison and Faulds set up Rory May with a shooting chance but he was denied by a fine save from Watson as he turned it wide for a corner, from which Richard Munday glanced a header just wide of the far post.
Stratford doubled their lead in the 31st min when Jerome Grandison fired home a penalty, after he was brought down by keeper Watson, after he was played in on goal by May, sending the keeper the wrong way. Grandison stretched the Studley defence with a powerful run from the half way line but his shot was just to high with Watson beaten and he should have done better with another effort just before the break when he missed the target from 15yds with just Watson to beat.
A good chance for Studley was missed when Nigel Maylor headed wide from a Mitchell free kick and when Sheils went out of his area to clear a long ball it only found Dave Edwards who crossed to Jason Ramsey but with the goal unguarded Gareth Alborough cleared the danger.
It was thought that Stratford would press on and increase their lead in the second half but they failed to get the 3rd goal which would have killed the game off, but they must have had the wrong sherbet at half time as they kept giving the ball away far to often to keep Studley in with a chance.
The game went slowly downhill and was a bit of a non-event in the second period as neither side made a clear-cut opening in front of goal. May headed over on two occasions but should have hit the target with his effort in the 63rd min. A weak header from Craig Hall and a shot from Andy Keenahan were easy saves for Town stopper Sheils, but when the Town keeper spilt a header from Keenahan in the 72nd min Alborough was again on hand to block the follow up effort from Nigel Maylor at the expense of a corner.
The home keeper came off his line to deny May a chance from Grandisons pass in the 79th min and he sent a weak shot wide with 2 mins left. Watson denied Town a third goal in stoppage time with another fine save to keep out a dipping free kick from Jack Byrne which he tipped onto the bar then scrambled the ball wide for a corner.
An important 3 points for Town who now go top of the table, but they should have made more of their possession and scored a couple more goals, but this result now sets up a tasty top of table clash on Saturday at Aylestone Park, when Stratford are the visitors against 2nd in the table Friar Lane & Epworth OB. Stratford will have to up their game against another side who are unbeaten in the league and only conceded 6 goals.
Friar Lane have 2 games in hand over Stratford and 3rd place Westfields have 3, so both of them could go in front of Town if they win those games, which will leave Stratford 8 points adrift of the leaders.
Stand in reporter Rod Abrahams
Man of the Match Jack Byrne, Mark Faulds
Form Guide 6
Cautions Watson Studley
Attendance 154
Match Stats
Stratford GA OT HW CW FC OS YC RC
17 10 1 4 12 5 0 0
Studley 10 4 0 8 9 2 1 0
Saturday 22nd September
BIDDULPH VICTORIA 1 STRATFORD TOWN 3
Marrow 66 May 39 & 44
Grigg 82
Town have a good recent record against the Vics having won 11 of the last 12 meetings between the two sides (and drawn the other) and they duly notched up another success on this season’s visit to the MFA’s most northerly outpost.
Biddulph are a friendly and well run club but Town arrived to find them in some disarray on Saturday. After starting the season with four straight wins only one further victory had been achieved in their seven subsequent matches, and their Manager had tendered his resignation with immediate effect “for personal and family reasons” in midweek. At least the famous pies were still as good as ever although the match day programme carried an apology to the home supporters for their apparent unavailability at the previous home match !!
After fielding unchanged teams in the two matches against Hednesford Micky Moore made one alteration this time. Lawrence Rawlings was fit again after injury and came into the starting line-up with Will Grigg moving to the subs bench.
Town started brightly with Mark Faulds prominent in midfield and had a good opportunity to test home keeper Dan Read in the fifth minute when Jack Byrne was brought down by Steve Jardine 20 yards out, but Michael Crawford blazed the free kick harmlessly over. Rawlings was looking lively on his return attempting a couple of shots which were easily held by Read, and Town might have had a penalty in the 15th minute when Chris Morris wrestled Jerome Grandison to the floor on the edge of the area but the referee waved play on.
The only response from the Vics was a shot from distance by Scott Burge which was comfortably wide of Mark Sheils‘ right hand post.
Although Town were on top there already signs that their normal passing game was not totally on song - possibly the two hard games against Hednesford were having an effect - and they had a scare in the 20th minute when Crawford carelessly lost possession allowing Matt Quinn a shooting chance which was deflected away for a corner. Shortly after Burge went close with a header from a Richard Goodwin free kick, and when Town conceded another free kick 10 yards outside the penalty area Quinn’s effort had Sheils scrambling across his line as the ball went narrowly past the post.
Town needed to get more fluency into their play in order to impose their quality on the battling home side, and from the 30 minute mark they gradually did so with a slick move leading to their first goal in the 39th minute. Rawlings made a good run down the left touchline before laying the ball off to Crawford whose pinpoint cross was headed in by Rory May off the foot of the far post.
Five minutes later Town were two up. May picked up a loose ball in midfield, slipped it inside to Byrne and set off down the inside left channel for the return. Byrne’s first time pass was inch perfect and when he reached the penalty area May’s finish was clinical.
It could have been even better for Town and the Big Man as in the last action before the break he had another opportunity but this time he couldn’t get enough power into his shot and it was acomfortable save for Read.
Half Time - Biddulph Victoria 0 Stratford Town 2
The second period began with a 20 yard effort from Byrne which was wide, but Town were now becoming lethargic and the Vics almost pulled a goal back in the 50th minute. Gareth Alborough failed to intercept a through ball intended for Quinn and the Vics front runner was away with only Sheils to beat. Cutting into the penalty area he looked certain to score but Sheils timed his challenge perfectly and was able to push the ball to one side as Quinn prepared to shoot.
Barely a minute later Sheils had to repeat his heroics coming to the edge of his area to thwart Chris Boast as he chased another long ball over the static Town defence.
Micky Moore saw the danger signs and sent on Grigg and Wood to replace Robinson and the tiring Rawlings, but the Vics sensed that they were still in with a chance and their persistence paid off in the 66th minute. Yet another long ball was hoisted over the Town backline and when Sheils hesitated as the ball bounced James Marrow beat him to it and headed it into the empty net.
Town looked to respond and May and Grandison both had efforts blocked by Read but the Vics were keeping going and Sheils was relieved to see a 30 yard shot from Andy Aspinall just beat the angle of post and bar as Town hung on.
Gradually with time running out the Vics began to fade and Town made the points secure in the 82nd minute with a sweetly taken goal from Grigg. Wood gained possession on the left side of midfield and sent over a curling cross aimed for Grigg at the far side of the penalty area. Although challenged by Burge the 16 year old kept his eye firmly on the ball as it hovered towards him, watching it right on to his boot and then volleying it past Read, in doing so becoming the youngest ever player to score for Town in the MFA
The Vics were beaten and Town could have added to their lead in the time remaining. Grandison set up a chance for May but he was crowded out before he could shoot, then May expertly controlled a clearance from Sheils on the left touchline and whipped over a centre to Grigg whose firmly struck effort was blocked by Read while in added time Ashley Pringle beat the offside trap only for his effort to strike Read‘s legs and bounce away.
With most MFA sides engaged in the F A Vase this win lifts Town level on points with Friar Lane and Epworth at the top of the table albeit having played two games more. The two sides meet at Friar Lane next Saturday which will make for an interesting clash, but meantime Friar Lane are at home to Barwell on Tuesday evening while Town are at Studley as the League at last takes meaningful shape
TOWN : Sheils, Miller, Crawford, Faulda, Munday, Alborough, Rawlings (Grigg 56), Robinson (Wood 56), May, Byrne (Pringle 75), Grandison.. Subs Not Used - Ruck and Johnson (GK)
BIDDULPH : Read, Goodwin (Johnson 61), Burge, Hall, Jardine, Morris, Aspinall, Quinn, Marrow, Platt, Boast (Mould 56). Subs Not Used - White, Lawton and Melvin
Town Yellow Cards - Wood
Biddulph Yellow Cards - None
Attendance - 84
Town Man of Match - Mark Faulds - on a day when one or two Town players were somewhat below par he put in a typically energetic performance in midfield and kept going for the full 90 minutes..
Match Stats :
Town - GA 17 OT 10 HW 0 CW 3 FC 14 OS 2 YC1 RC 0
Biddulph - GA 13 OT 5 HW 0 CW 7 FC 12 OS 4 YC 0 RC 0
Wednesday 19th September
HEDNESFORD DO JUST ENOUGH TO SEND TOWN OUT OF THE CUP
Stratford Town 0 Hednesford Town 1
Pedro 70
In the end Unibond Premier League side Hednesford proved just too strong for Town at a wet Damson Park on Wednesday evening and went through to the Second Qualifying Round of the F A Cup with a goal 20 minutes from time. Nevertheless Town gave another battling performance hitting the woodwork yet again and seeing another effort cleared off the line, but in retrospect the first game on Saturday was their big opportunity, and the clear cut chances which Hednesford allowed them then were not forthcoming this time around.
After Saturday’s gutsy display Micky Moore named an unchanged team, but Hednesford made four changes with the most significant being that Mario Pedro, who had impressed when coming on as substitute on Saturday, started up front wide on the right.
From the kick-off it was clear that Hednesford were determined to put their limp performance in the first game behind them as they put Town under pressure straightaway, forcing a corner within 20 seconds and giving Town no time to settle into any sort of rhythm. Pedro was the focus of their attacks and in the sixth minute he picked out Peter Knox with a pinpoint cross but the tall striker headed well over.
With another newcomer Reece Styche also showing some nice touches on the left Hednesford were dominating, and Town’s only effort of note in the first 15 minutes was a Jerome Grandison shot which was easily held by Rene Gilmartin. Knox put another attempt over the bar in the 18th minute when a long ball into the Town penalty area was only half cleared, but Town were now beginning to get into the game and went agonisingly close to taking the lead in the 22nd minute.
After some neat build-up play Will Grigg threaded a shot through from the right hand edge of the area which beat Gilmartin only to clip the far post, bounce out and be booted away as Mark Faulds challenged for the rebound . Had it gone in 16 year old Grigg would undoubtedly have become Town’s youngest ever scorer in the F A Cup.
Hednesford were suddenly looking less sure of themselves and Paul Robinson was booked in the 27th minute for bringing down Rory May as the Big Man tried to force his way through the middle. However Pedro was still a danger and as the half hour mark approached he cut inside to unleash a firm shot which was fortunately straight at Mark Sheils.
Centre half Tom Marshall went up for a corner in the 37th minute after an effort from Styche had been deflected away but he ballooned his shot high and wide, and Richard Robinson was booked for a foul on Ross Adams, but the game now became somewhat scrappy with both sides wary of making a costly mistake, and half time arrived with the tie still goalless.
Half Time - Stratford Town 0 Hednesford Town 0
Hednesford were first to threaten after the break with Pedro again proving troublesome out on the right, but Town were soon to respond with a teasing cross from Kirk Miller causing near panic in the visitors’ defence before being hacked clear.
Neither side was creating any really serious chances but Town yet again almost broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when Richard Munday’s header from a right wing corner was cleared off the line by Paul Robinson with Gilmartin nowhere.
Hednesford’s anxiety was becoming increasingly apparent and they tried desperatelt to up the tempo. Tom Ward beat Sheils to a through ball but Gareth Alborough was back to clear up, a header from Ward was not far away, and when a Marshall effort from 35 yards was spilled by Sheils only a brave block by Miller prevented Macpherson from putting the visitors in front.
Eventually Hednesford’s persistence told. In the 70th minute substitute Gordon Simms made good ground down the right and put over a teasing cross. Sheils punched it out but the ball fell to Macpherson on the edge of the area, he fired it back in and the lurking Pedro stabbed it past Sheils from close range.
Town now had to respond and Steve Ruck put over a useful cross from the left which was just out of May’s reach and then Grandison’s pass looked promising for May until Marshall got in a crucial tackle.
Hednesford were now trying to keep possession as much as possible but without looking totally convincing, and Town were certainly not out of it. May kept beavering away against the strength of Marshall and Paul Robinson and Grandison tried to use his speed to create space for an opening as the visitors hung on grimly.
Then with five minutes of normal time remaining Town came the closest that they were to get to drawing level. May’s pressure earned a corner on the right and when it came over an almighty scramble developed in the six yard box as May and Ashley Pringle amongst others tried to force the ball over the line until it was eventually gathered by a relieved Gilmartin.
Town continued to battle on but it was not to be their night. Hednesford might have had a second as Town pushed forward, but even when they won a couple of corners they chose to play them short in order to run down the clock. At the final whistle they had probably just about done enough, but over the two games they had seldom shown that they were two levels higher than Town in the non-league pyramid, and Town can certainly be proud of their efforts in both matches.
With Tipton also losing in a replay the only MFA side now left in the Cup is Market Drayton, while Town now have the long journey to Biddulph on Saturday as they return to League action before the much shorter trip to near neighbours Studley next Tuesday.
TOWN : Sheils, Miller, Alborough, Richard Robinson,, Munday, Crawford, Grandison, Faulds (Pringle 82), May, Byrne, Grigg (Ruck 58). Subs Not Used - Wood, Overton and Johnson (GK)
HEDNESFORD : Gilmartin, Adams, Sucharewycz (Simms 33), Hawthorne, Marshall, Paul Robinson, Pedro, Macpherson, Knox (Adam 58), Ward, Styche (Heath 71). Subs Not Used - Wood & Sanders
Town Yellow Cards - R Robinson , Byrne and Munday
Hednesford Yellow Cards - P Robinson
Attendance - 196
Town Man of Match - Richard Munday - another assured defensive display - always in the right position and got in some telling tackles and headers whenever Town were under pressure.
Match Stats :
Town - GA 9 OT 4 HW 1 CW 6 FC 10 OS 6 YC 3 RC 0
Hednesford - GA 14 OT 6 HW 0 CW 7 FC 13 OS 2 YC 1 RC 0
Saturday 15th September
TOWN SO CLOSE TO F A CUP UPSET AT HEDNESFORD
Hednesford Town 0 Stratford Town 0
Unibond League Premier Division Hednesford are two levels higher than Town in the non-league pyramid, but in a First Qualifying Round F A Cup Tie which didn‘t really come to life until late on Town more than matched them and with just a little more steadiness in finishing would have come away from Keys Park with a famous victory. 
The travelling Town supporters were disappointed to learn that Paddy Connolly had sustained a knock against Boldmere and would miss the match, and in his place Micky Moore introduced 16 year old Will Grigg (pictured right). Other changes were made in defence where Gareth Alborough replaced Ian Wood in the centre, Kirk Miller came in at right back with Richard Robinson going into midfield and Michael Crawford moved to left back with Steve Ruck dropping to the subs bench, while Mark Sheils took over in goal from Craig Johnson.
The match got off to a tentative start as both sides took time to settle. Whereas Town were defending an unbeaten run of nine matches this season Hednesford had lost their previous four conceding 14 goals in the process, and were clearly lacking in confidence. Much of their play was across the field as Town funnelled back to defend in numbers and in the first 20 minutes the only action of note was a crisp shot from Ross Dyer which was too wide to trouble Sheils.
Gradually Town began to piece some useful attacking moves together, and Jack Byrne’s shot from distance in the 22nd minute was indicative of their increasing belief. Shortly after Mark Faulds threaded a pass through to Rory May and the shot from Town’s top scorer was turned round the post by ex-Walsall keeper Rene Gilmartin
At the other end Town had a scare when Sheils dropped a cross but Peter Knox blazed the loose ball well over the bar.
As the half hour mark approached the home fans were becoming noticeably impatient with Hednesford struggling to make any real impact, and Town were soon to threaten again. An inswinging corner from Alborough caused panic in the home defence and when the ball fell to young Grigg his snap shot was not far away.
Then in the last five minutes of the half Town had two great opportunities to go in front. In the 40th minute an astute pass from Grigg set up a clear chance for May but he tried to be too precise with his effort and put it wide, and then in the final minute a fine cross field ball from Jerome Grandison sent May clear on goal through the inside right channel but this time he pulled his shot beyond the far post as Gilmartin came out to challenge.
Half Time - Hednesford Town 0 Stratford Town 0
Town began the second half as they had had finished the first by applying pressure to the by now nervous home defence. Byrne’s shot from 25 yards brought a fine save from Gilmartin and May did well to work an opening on the edge of the area only to put another effort wide. Hednesford’s only response was a shot from Knox straight at Sheils following a free kick after a foul by Faulds.
Hedenesford were becoming increasingly anxious as the game wore on and on the hour mark made the first substitution of the match bringing on Mario Pedro for his first appearance of the season after a spell at Tamworth. He was to prove the most lively of the home side’s forwards but Town continued to have the better of the exchanges.
In the 67th minute May showed his creative side by sending Byrne through on goal with a slide rule pass but Gilmartin was quickly off his line to block the midfielder’s effort, and then Grigg’s pass gave Grandison a shooting chance but he hit it straight at the well positioned keeper.
With 20 minutes to go Ruck was sent on to replace Grigg who had played splendidly on his debut at this level, and he surely has a bright future ahead of him.
Hednesford had hardly troubled Sheils since the interval and long range efforts from Adams and Pedro were both wide while Tom Marshall was too high with a header from a rare home corner.
The game was now starting to liven up as both sides realised that one goal would win it, and Town were desperately unlucky in the 81st minute when another 25 yard effort from Byrne smacked against Gilmartin’s left hand post with the keeper well beaten with May then being penalised for pushing when he challenged for the rebound.
Not long after Byrne was again close to breaking the deadlock Faulds was brought down 5 yards outside the penalty area as he surged through and Byrne’s free kick was heading for the top corner until Gilmartin got across to palm it round the post at full stretch.
But Town’s best chance was still to come. As stoppage time commenced Byrne fed Ruck down the left and his perfectly flighted cross was aimed for May lurking at the far post. The goal to win the game seemed a certainty but to the disbelief of the Town faithful the Big Man’s header went the wrong side of the upright from barely three yards out.
There was still time for Gilmartin to make a smart stop from a Grandison shot and for Sheils to have to make his best save of the afternoon from a close range Rob Hawthorne effort before the final whistle signified a replay on Wednesday at Damson Park.
Town will feel that this is one that got away and there is no doubt that Hednesford were relieved to be able to have another chance in the replay, but Town will now have home advantage, and Hednesford will have to play a lot better than they did here if they are to make their higher status tell.
TOWN : Sheils, Miller, Alborough, Faulds,, Munday, Crawford, Grandison, Robinson, May, Byrne, Grigg (Ruck 70). Subs Not Used - Wood, Pringle, Overton and Johnson (GK)
Town Yellow Cards - None
Attendance - 380
Town Man of Match - Jack Byrne - worked tirelessly in midfield throughout the match and his late effort which hit the post was worthy of winning any match.
Match Stats :
Town - GA 14 OT 5 HW 1 CW 5 FC 7 OS 4 YC 0 RC 0
Hednesford - GA 9 OT 2 HW 0 CW 3 FC 14 OS 3 YC 1 RC 0
Wednesday 12th September
MORE FRUSTRATION AS TOWN SHARE SIX GOALS AGAIN
Stratford Town 3 Boldmere St Michaels 3
May 30 Stevenson 9
Connolly 45 & 58 McKenzie 16 (pen)
Holmes 73
Yet again Town managed it - for the third successive home game they snatched a draw from the jaws of victory by allowing an average Mikes side to escape with a point after gifting them a two goal lead and then, having fought hard to get in front, losing concentration and conceding a late equaliser.
Manager Micky Moore made three changes from the side which had drawn at Loughborough. Craig Johnson regained his place in goal, Ian Wood took over from Mark Turner (still not fully recovered from his back problem) in defence, and Michael Crawford, having completed his suspension following his red card at Barwell, came into midfield with Richard Robinson moving to right back and Kirk Miller dropping to the subs bench.
The game started slowly with both sides taking time to settle, but it came to life when the Mikes went ahead in the 9th minute. Town have conceded some sloppy goals this season and this was right up there with the best - or worst - of them. The Mikes forced a corner on the right and when it was hit low into the area it was allowed to reach Tom Stevenson. He didn’t seem to make the greatest contact but it was enough to beat Johnson, and although Steve Ruck was stationed on the line he missed his kick and the ball bobbled almost in slow motion into the back of the net.
Town were rattled and five minutes later Josh McKenzie nearly extended the lead he got onto the end of a long cross from the left by Nathan Gough only to direct his header the wrong side of the post.
The Mikes’ second goal was however not long in coming and again it was gift wrapped. Kirk Smith put over an innocuous centre from the right but the referee spotted Robinson giving McKenzie a push and the big centre forward took the spot kick himself blasting it past and gave Johnson.
Town now had to dig deep, but they were lacking any fluency in their play with little movement off the ball and only when Rory May was involved did they look remotely dangerous. In the 20th minute he latched onto a long ball out of defence from Richard Munday and set off towards the Mikes goal but he was crowded out on the edge of the area and his shot went just past the angle of post and bar.
Inevitably though it was May who got Town back into the game ten minutes later. Picking up a loose ball just inside the Mikes half he sprayed it out to the right where Robinson had acres of space and when the full back advanced and sent over a teasing cross May was there to bullet a header past the static keeper Danny Cobb. The Big Man now has 7 League goals this season and is level with Alvechurch’s Lee Chilton at the top of the MFA Golden Boot standings.
Although still not totally convincing Town were beginning to get their act together but in the 36th minute Gough showed that the Mikes remained a threat when he cut in from the left and forced Johnson to push his fierce drive round the post. Shortly after Toby Salmon was close with a lob from an acute angle and then Stevenson powered in a shot from distance which was only finally cleared by the Town defence at the third attempt.
But with the interval approaching Town at last put some sustained pressure on the Mikes defence. In the 43rd minute Crawford beat Cobb to the ball on the left hand edge of the area and crossed to the far post where May, challenged by three covering defenders, put his header narrowly wide, and then with the final attack of the half Town drew level. May charged into the area down the inside left channel and squared the ball to Paddy Connolly who slotted it past Cobb from six yards out.
Half Time - Stratford Town 2 Boldmere St Michaels 2
Micky Moore made a change at the restart with Kirk Miller replacing Robinson - and also taking over his normal role as Captain - and Town immediately set out to take control of the game from the Mikes. They were now quicker to every ball, the passes were finding their men, and as a result they dominated possession.
The first chance came in only the second minute of the half when Connolly was not far away with an effort from a May centre, and shortly after Miller hoisted a long ball into the heart of the Mikes defence which caused an almighty scramble seemingly within inches of the line before being hacked away. A Ruck effort was then kept out at the expense of another corner and Cobb needed two attempts to safely gather a 20 yard shot from Crawford..
There was only one team in it now, and it was no surprise when Town took the lead in the 58th minute. More trickery from May won a corner on the right and when Crawford aimed his kick to the near post Connolly timed his run perfectly to power in a header from close range.
Surely Town would now go on and win comfortably, and they had a real chance to do so in the 72nd minute. Jerome Grandison, who had had a relatively quiet evening, controlled a long pass from Faulds on the edge of the area with his first touch, swivelled past his marker with his second touch and smashed a left footer past Cobb only to see it cannon against the bar.
Barely sixty seconds later Town pressed the self destruct button and let the Mikes back into the match. Lack of concentration allowed an attack to build up down the left and substitute Jason Holmes who had replaced Gough five minutes earlier gained possession on the edge of the area. He neatly sidestepped Munday and fired in a low shot past Johnson into the bottom corner.
Town now had to respond again. Gareth Alborough had a shot blocked and only a last ditch tackle by Stevenson prevented May from going clear but both sides were tiring and the Mikes held on resolutely to secure the draw.
So Town have now drawn 6 of their 8 MFA matches scoring 19 goals while conceding 15. Four of those draws should really have been wins and the goals against total is clear evidence of where the problem lies. High scoring draws may be great entertainment but wins would be even better.
TOWN : Johnson, Robinson (Miller 46), Ruck (Alborough 66), Faulds,, Munday, Wood, Grandison, Connolly, May, Byrne, Crawford. Subs Not Used - Turner, Overton and Sheils (GK)
Town Yellow Cards - Robinson
Attendance - 106
Town Man of Match - Rory May - a class act - he put in a complete centre forward’s performance with excellent ball control when in possession and was a problem to the Mikes defence throughout.
Match Stats :
Town - GA 19 OT 10 HW 1 CW 8 FC 15 OS 3 YC 1 RC 0
Boldmere - GA 9 OT 7 HW 0 CW 3 FC 14 OS 2 YC 0 RC 0
Saturday 8th September
TOWN BATTLE HARD TO SECURE A WELL EARNED POINT AT LOUGHBOROUGH
Loughborough Dynamo 3 Stratford Town
Moreira 41 May 72 & 73
Ross 44 Connolly 90
Munday (og) 82
Another draw - Town’s fifth in seven League games - but unlike the Barwell, Causeway and Oadby matches when Town should have taken all three points this was an end-to-end affair against a competitive Dynamo side in which Town were never in front, and a point apiece was probably a fair result.
The only change to the starting line-up from Wednesday evening against Oadby was the return of the influential Rory May in place of the injured Lawrence Rawlings with Ashley Pringle filling the vacancy on the subs bench.
Town nearly got the match off to a dream start. With barely 15 seconds on the clock Jerome Grandison received the ball from a Kirk Miller throw-in and sent over a teasing cross which was met by Paddy Connolly with a well directed header only for keeper Matt Nurse - who had so often excelled against Town in his Quorn days - to go full length to his right and somehow palm it away.
Wonderful goalkeeping, but Paddy was to have his own special moment some 90 minutes later..
However Dynamo were not slow to show their own attacking potential with Lee Rutter putting a second minute header narrowly wide after a penetrating run and cross from Callum Ross.
Jerome Grandison heads goalwards
Both sides then settled down to play some neat football on the billiard table surface, and the play switched swiftly from one penalty area to the other. May was having a good tussle with the tough Ricky Nurse which was to last all match, while the pick of the Dynamo team was the speedy Jose Moreira on the left wing whose first effort in the 15th minute was not far off target.
With May being so closely marked Grandison was becoming Town’s main danger man, and they could - perhaps should - have been awarded a penalty in the 12th minute when he surged into the area only to be brought down by Jake Betts but to the disbelief of the Town supporters the referee waved play on .
Grandison continued to trouble the Dynamo defence combining well with May to set up a chance for Mark Faulds which was taken off his toe by Mike McLarnon and then feeding the overlapping Steve Ruck only for Ruck to hit his effort straight at Kevin Spriggs.
At the other end centre forward Kris Nurse was beginning to make his presence felt. A low shot in the 25th minute was well held by Mark Sheils who then had to block at Nurse’s feet after another perceptive pass from Ross. Two minutes later Nurse’s run through the middle was only halted by a foul from Richard Munday but the Town centre back redeemed himself by heading away Spriggs’ bullet of a free kick.
With half time approaching it was looking as if the interval would be reached goal-less when Town’s defence was suddenly found wanting twice in four minutes. Firstly in the 41st minute a slick move down the Dynamo left started by another Spriggs free kick ended with Rutter slipping the ball through to Moreira who confidently placed his shot beyond Sheils from 12 yards out. Then a minute before the break Moreira turned goal maker as he easily tricked his way past Miller and squared the ball to Ross in the centre of the penalty area. Ruck was not tight enough in his marking to make a meaningful challenge and Ross was able to turn and hit his shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Half Time - Loughborough Dynamo 2 Stratford Town 0
Loughbrough's Kris Nurse is thwarted by Town defender Richard Munday
Not surprisingly in view of the half-time situation Manager Micky Moore decided changes were necessary, and at the restart he sent on Pringle to replace Mark Turner who had a back problem, moved Richard Robinson to right back instead of Miller to combat the threat of Moreira and brought on Gareth Alborough in midfield.
The revamped formation looked to work early on and for a spell Town were on top. May was by now getting the better of Ricky Nurse and he worked a good opening for himself in the 55th minute only to hit his firmly struck effort straight at Matt Nurse. Jack Byrne then shot over from distance and Matt Nurse had to make another fine save from an Alborough header.
But Dynamo came back and went close to extending their advantage in the 67th minute. Moreira took a free kick over on the right and Kriss Nurse’s first time effort was only just wide of the right hand post.
It was starting to look as if Town were going to lose their unbeaten tag but in the 72nd minute they were back in the game thanks to a moment of magic and a clinical finish. Inevitably it was Grandison who provided the magic, skipping down the right touchline before delivering a perfect cross from by the corner flag, and May provided the finish climbing above the Dynamo defence to head powerfully home.
Within a minute the scores were level. Mark Faulds threaded a pass into the left hand side of the penalty area and May expertly turned his marker and rifled a right foot shot into the far corner.
Town now looked the likelier winners and another Grandison run through the middle set up a chance for Alborough who disappointingly shot wide when a pass to the lurking May might have been a better option, but with eight minutes left they went behind again.
Byrne brought down Rutter some 5 yards outside the penalty area and Kriss Nurse’s free kick took a crucial deflection off the unfortunate Munday as it flashed past the defensive wall and into the left hand corner of Sheils’ net.
Surely Town could not come back again, but they seemed to have every confidence that they could and in the final minute of normal time they did. Yet another Grandison run and pass sent May racing into the penalty area down the inside right channel, his shot was blocked, the ball was only half cleared and when it fell to Connolly 20 yards out he fairly belted a left footer into the top corner much to the unrestrained delight of his team mates, the Town management and supporters, and not least Paddy himself.
Paddy's down there somewhere...Town celebrate the final equaliser
So a pulsating match ended with honours even and Town now return to Damson Park on Wednesday to face Boldmere before the trip to Hednesford next Saturday as they seek to continue their interest in this season’s F A Cup.
TOWN : Sheils, Miller (Alborough 46), Ruck, Faulds,, Munday, Turner (Pringle 46), Connolly, Byrne, May, Robinson (Wood 87), Grandison. Subs Not Used - Overton and Johnson (GK)
Town Yellow Cards - Munday, Alborough and Ruck
Attendance - 85
Town Man of Match - Jerome Grandison - caused problems to the Dynamo defence throughout with his pace and determination - unlucky not to earn an early penalty when brought down going for goal he put over a classic cross for Town’s first goal and also started the move which led to the dramatic late equaliser.
Match Stats :
Town - GA 14 OT 6 HW 0 CW 8 FC 15 OS 3 YC 3 RC 0
Loughboro - GA 12 OT 5 HW 0 CW 3 FC 15 OS 1 YC 2 RC 0
Wednesday 5th September
YET AGAIN TOWN DOMINATE BUT ONLY MANAGE A DRAW
Stratford Town 1 Oadby Town 1
Munday 23 Phull 86
As was the case in their previous home fixture against Causeway on Bank Holiday Monday this was a match which Town controlled virtually throughout yet only had one point to show for all their efforts at the final whistle.
After the resting of a number of players for the Southam Cup match the team here was back to normal but with Mark Sheils being preferred to Craig Johnson in goal. Rory May was however a notable absentee - apparently being held up in traffic returning from Heathrow - and although named as a substitute he was unable to make the game.
Town were quickly into their stride and forced Oadby back from the kick-off. Lawrence Rawlings was quick to make his presence felt, and when Town forced a couple of early corners central defender Richard Munday was sent up to replace the aerial threat usually provided by the missing May.
In the first 15 minutes Oadby hardly ventured into the Town half, but in their first real attack Sheils had to make a smart save from a Lee Miveld header when the Town defence failed to deal with a corner from the right.
However this was only a brief interruption to the overall pattern of play as Town resumed in control. Rawlings was proving a real handful to the Oadby backline and in the 18th mi