MATCH REPORTS 2007/2008
TOWN YOUTHS OPENING GAME AT KNIGHTS LANE
BIRMINGHAM MIDWEEK YOUTH CUP SEMI-FINAL
Thursday 6th March
TIVIDALE STRIKE EARLY TO END TOWN YOUTH'S CUP HOPES
Tividale Youth - 3 - Evans 7, Kettle (2) 9 & 20
Stratford Town Youth - 0
Town Youth’s run to the semi-finals of the Birmingham County Youth Cup ended in disappointment at Tividale on Thursday evening when the home side powered to a three goal lead inside the first twenty minutes and eventually ran out worthy winners.
Playing conditions were not that easy with a firmish pitch and a stiff breeze making close control difficult and neither side threatened until Tividale went ahead in the 7th minute with a simply worked goal which Town should really have prevented. The tricky Adam West made good ground down the Tividale left and put over a routine cross which was headed neatly past Nick Holt by the unchallenged Jonathon Evans.
Two minutes later Town conceded an even worse goal. Evans hoisted a long throw into the Town penalty area from the right and as everyone seemingly stood and watched the tall central defender Joel Kettle had the simple task of nodding it past the stranded Holt.
Town tried to hit back straightaway. An Oliver Senior shot from distance was comfortably held by Todd Henderson, and when Jay Tilbury beat the offside trap to go on a promising run down the inside right channel Henderson did well to advance to meet him and deflect his effort for a corner.
Nevertheless Tividale were clearly the more dangerous side and in the 20th minute they put the result beyond doubt with a third goal which again was not defended well. Another long throw from Evans - this time from the left - caused mayhem in the Town penalty are and when the loose ball fell to Kettle he lashed it past Holt to end the game as a contest.
For the rest of the first half Tividale then ran the show and Town hung on the best they could. In the centre of the Tiividale defence Kettle and the equally tall Adam Burrows were totally dominant, while in midfield and up front Evans and West caused Town no end of problems.
Gareth Hadden was close with a shot from 20 yards out and a header from Nathan Phillips was brilliantly saved by Holt as Town somehow managed to reach the interval without slipping any further behind..
Half Time - Tividale Youth 3 Stratford Town Youth 0
Tividale almost made it four in only the second minute after the restart when a Burrows shot from the edge of the penalty area following a left wing corner was cleared off the line by Alistair Edwards, and not long after Hadden was only narrowly wide of Holt’s right hand post with a snap shot from 20 yards.
Town made two substitutions as the hour mark approached bringing on Adam Humphries and Tom Hicks, and with Tividale also making changes the game became more even. Town striker Morgan Taylor kept running and chasing and Tividale keeper Henderson was at last brought into the action to deal with a firmly struck effort from Jack Edwards. The two Town substitutes then combined with Humphries setting up a chance for Hicks which was just inches too high.
At the other end Holt made a brave save from a fierce Hill effort as Tividale continued to look the side most likely to score and Town’s revival began to peter out. With a couple of minutes to go substitute Leigh Robbins was close to registering an own goal when both he and Holt went for the same ball as a cross came in from the right , but in the final few sends of the game Town came the closest yet to a consolation goal when a close range effort from Taylor hit the post and then Tilbury hit a shot straight at Henderson from 10 yards out after a loose clearance from Burrows.
So Town battled hard right to the end and certainly never gave up, but Tividale were a bigger, stronger and more street-wise side, and deservedly go through to the Final where they will meet Burton Albion at a venue yet to be decided.
TOWN : Holt, Hale, A Edwards, Bailey, Dyke, Senior (Robbins 82), J Edwards, Johnson (Humphries 57), Taylor, Tilbury, Wilson (Hicks 57). Unused Subs - Grey & O’Brien
TIVIDALE : Henderson, Bradley (Mitchell 72), D Edwards, Burrows, Kettle, Wilkes, Hadden, Hill, Evans, Phillips (Siviter 66), West (Plinston 65). Unused Subs - Powell & Fisher
Town Yellow Cards - None
Tividale Yellow Cards - Evans
MANAGERS VIEW
Three games into the season we asked Youth Team Manager, Mark Edwards for his thoughts so far…
Mark said, “We have a much bigger squad this season with a combination of ages and in my view it’s also a stronger squad than last season. We have 6 players in the squad with County Football experience for example and we’re now drawing players from a much wider area.”
Commenting on the results so far he said “We need to get a win under our belt to give the team some confidence, the rest will follow. We haven’t been able to field our strongest side yet due to holidays and unavailability but I’m convinced that once we get settled we’ll be OK”.
On the appointment of Martyn Dyke as Assistant Manager, Mark said, “Martyn has been able to provide the important link as the U16s Manager between that age group and the Youth team because it is a big jump in standard. Martyn compliments the Management team, he’s not a bawler or a shouter and he’s very useful to the development of the younger players.”
Mark concluded, “Of the teams we’ve seen so far, Racing Club Warwick look a good side and will be there abouts at the end of the season and I was also impressed by Daventry but it’s very early days yet”.
9th September
Stratford Town Youth 2 v Racing Warwick 3
With six players of the squad missing due to illness and holiday commitments the team opened their league programme away at their local rivals.
With a strong wind in Stratford’s favour it was not long before Stratford put the Racing defence under pressure and after 20 minutes Oliver Senior took advantage of a defensive mix up to round the keeper and role the ball into an empty net to score his and the teams first goal of the season.
However town did not press home their advantage and allowed racing to come back into the match with a shot come cross beating Nick Holt and nestling in the top corner of the goal to bring the scores level.
The game was now beginning to reach its potential of a hard fought local derby with four Racing players having turned out last season in friendlies for Stratford adding that little bit extra to the match. Just before half time Tom Hicks again took advantage of another mistake by the Racing goal keeper to chip in Stratford’s second goal from the edge of the box to take a 2-1 lead into the interval.
With the strong wind behind them Racing brought the game to Stratford and after 15 minutes scored the equaliser when a long range shot was deflected past the Stratford keeper.
The game then really took on an end to end pattern with Racing playing neat football and Stratford being more direct and with the game looking like being a stalemate Racing scored a third goal with the linesman flagging for offside subsequently over ruled by the referee.
Bedworth Utd 2 v Stratford Town Youth 0
Again with eight players missing through holidays and illness Stratford fielded a very inexperienced side.
Both teams started the game very quietly with the match needing someone to take control but from two consecutive corners Stratford should have taken the lead and as is often the case Bedworth took full advantage and scored on their next attack.
Soon afterwards a defensive error allowed Bedworth a soft second goal which was taken into half time by the home team.
Stratford started the second half strongly but lacked a cutting edge in the final third, two substitutions added to Stratford’s game but despite all the effort chances proved few and far between and with 10 minutes left Bedworth should have wrapped the game up when a defensive error allowed a Bedworth forward to break away only for Nick Holt the Stratford keeper to make a fantastic one on one save to keep the scoreline respectable.
Next weeks game should be a different proposition with most of the squad back for selection.