FC STRATFORD 0-3 ALCESTER TOWN: THE MATCH REPORT...

Romans Plunder Stratford

FC Stratford 0-3 Alcester Town

By the end of this interesting encounter FC Stratford would surely have been wondering how they had been defeated by three clear goals. The Romans had exploited weaknesses in the home defence to snaffle all their first period strikes, two by Wade Malley, who gave FC’s Sacha Everard a very uncomfortable evening. The other goal was grabbed by Jake Brown, assisted by Malley, wearing number 7, whose rushes to the left byeline were seemingly too much for Stratford’s rearguard. Although the hosts created a number of chances themselves before the break for tea and biscuits, they either spurned them through inaccuracy or due to visiting goalie Conal Dowling’s saves. Yet despite some neat midfield play by home skipper Dean Poulson, supported by Nick Cox and at times Nat Percival, piercing the Roman defensive wall proved to be too difficult a manoeuvre. The no-nonsense Karl King, Toby Checketts and Dan Dineen were formidable for Alcester and FC were thwarted a number of times by that dominant trio of relative giants throughout this watchable contest.

READY TO GO...

BROWN ATTEMPTS TO DEFLATE THE BALL...

Stratford’s number 7, Freddy Murphy (both 7s were voted their teams’ best players by their opponents…) was notable for his dribbling skills but his finishing wasn’t clinical, whilst striker Dylan Parker impressed with his work ethic, neat control in possession and much of his vision but again, the finishing touch was missing. It must have been galling though for FC’s goalie Luis Sone, who played for Alcester last season and had kept goal for Studley in a pre-season 2-2 draw at Alcester a few weeks back, to have conceded twice before actually making any real contribution to the match. First, when adventurous home right-back Michael O’Regan was dispossessed by Roman Jamie Vadasz, the left-sided Alcesterman sent Malley a-jinking and a-jesting through inside-left, covered by Everard but as the forward neared the byeline, his low cross-shot beat the disappointed Sone’s fall and entered goal just inside the far upright. 

0-1...

Later in the half, Malley chased a bouncer into the right side of the penalty-box but it wasn’t awfully clear whether Sone’s charge from goal and subsequent leap had sent the striker sprawling, or whether defender Dan Kirby might have nudged him also. Whatever, Malley rapped a low penalty past Sone and Town led 0-2. 

PENALTY...

0-2...

Malley latched onto another long kick on the left-flank after Everard misjudged the flight of it but this time his low cross-shot flew by the far stick, with Sone looking seriously relieved. Sadly for Everard, the curse of Roman Legionary Malleyus was to reappear and again the forward almost reached the left byeline but this time his fierce release was bulldozed over the goal-line by his bullish sidekick Brown, for 0-3.

YELLOW FOR PARKER...

0-3...

Late in the half, Malley saw a shot blocked and Brown drove too high, but in truth the hosts, although clearly shaken, attempted to use the lush turf upon which to create some purposeful offense. Both full-backs, O’Regan and the effective James Robbins found a good deal of room wide but the exploitation of their forays was never fully achieved by their attacking colleagues. Left-side attacker Tom Daccus was foiled early on by Dowling, who sprang into action like a cat after a ball of wool to block his point-blank diving header from Parker’s finely judged centre. Daccus also rapped a shot wide and an agile effort onto the roof of the net, both from Murphy’s assists.

AFTER THE TEA & BISCUITS...

Murphy certainly had the ability to get by defenders but he managed four unsuccessful goal attempts before the break. A header dropped onto the goal-net’s roof, a free-kick sailed wide, a shot went straight to Dowling and when he tricked Vadasz and got in a low drive, Vadasz recovered brilliantly to get in a telling block. Robbins drove too high, Parker was denied by Dowling’s plunge as he chased, but the striker was also cautioned for clipping the Romans’ gloveman on another chase. The nearest anyone came to a Stratford goal, bar Daccus’ early header, was when Cox’s back-header somehow squirmed between Checketts’ calves in a goalmouth fracas, forcing the alert Vadasz to clear the ball away from the defensive right post. 

MIKEY CORRIGAN IS HURT...

Alcester were unable to recreate their dangerous offense after the interval, managing only two worthwhile shots. King’s low effort clipped Dineen and flew wide, whilst Tez Morton, he of the flowing mane and the ability to dissuade anyone from recognising him when wearing his civvies, drove off target from 26 yards. Replacement Michael Mannion was also cautioned for displaying a flailing sole of cleats… 

WOW...

The hosts were promising some kind of revenge but in reality, much of their approach work, smart and neat though it often was, failed to culminate in any real worry for Dowling and his covering Roman hordes. Parker’s shot was blocked at the left upright, following Murphy’s assist, three times Poulson threatened, twice from one-twos with Parker but each time Dowling collected the ball near his right post with little real trouble. Daccus drove too high, as did Everard, replacement Dan Atkins headed well over the crossbar but in fairness Murphy was again the main offensive threat for FC, with three decent attempts at goal. First he broke centrally but with a colleague to each side probably in better positions, he drove off target from 19 yards, then King did well block his low effort from 15 yards and finally, a massive and impressive dribble by Murphy into the 18 yard box, as if the ball was tied to his shoelaces, ended with Dowling plunging again, as the off-balance Stratford player so nearly scored a quite magnificent goal… 

BLACK SKY...
(GREAT SONG BY BREWER & SHIPLEY...)

Substitute Robbie Sone looked bright in his cameo role and fired a decent 27 yarder just wide late in the game. However, Alcester did get the ball into the net once but an offside flag went up like the tail of a wren and the ‘goal’ was rightly disallowed.

All in all, a pleasing win for Alcester and six points from six, built upon strong defence, Malley’s marauding and some fine play by the Corrigans. Mikey was supportive at right wingback and Dylan’s neat control at number 10 was useful for his team. Skipper Alex Price was his usual assured self and offered the get-out pass for team-mates, whereas Morton mopped up behind Centurion Priceus, not with his hair, I add, hastily…

Poulson drove his team on until the end and FC will surely have other very successful days this term…

The Romans? Robust…

TEAMS:

FC STRATFORD:

LUIS SONE, MICHAEL O’REGAN, JAMES ROBBINS, NICK COX, SACHA EVERARD, DAN KIRBY, FREDDY MURPHY, NAT PERCIVAL, DYLAN PARKER, DEAN POULSON (CAPT), TOM DACCUS.

SUBS:

JAMES KELLER, REECE STALEY, DAN ATKINS, ROBBIE SONE, ROB SINGER. 

ALCESTER TOWN:

CONAL DOWLING, MIKEY CORRIGAN, JAMIE VADASZ, KARL KING, TOBY CHECKETTS, DAN DINEEN, WADE MALLEY, ALEX PRICE (CAPT), JAKE BROWN, DYLAN CORRIGAN, TEZ MORTON.

SUBS:

DJ PITT, NIALL GILBRIDE, RYAN DREW, MICHAEL MANNION, MANI SINGH.