FC STRATFORD 2-2 ALCESTER TOWN: THE FULL MATCH REPORT & A FEW IMAGES...

 Lasher Ludford Rescues A Point For FC Stratford, As Alcester Seethe…

FC Stratford 2-2 Alcester Town

The two players wearing 5 for their respective teams were rather outstanding on a pleasant September evening in Stratford… Both Jamie Hatfield for the hosts and the excellent Drew Ricketts for the guests performed strongly and effectively and both would have been blokes infantrymen would follow into no-man’s-land during World War 1 trench warfare. However, this was a strange game to evaluate, for the visitors were all pace and creativity going forward, courtesy of the splendid Chris Henry in midfield and Kymani Brade and Kyle King, who impressed mostly through the attacking channels. Both scored after the interval but despite some rollicking offense by the visitors, more goalscoring opportunities fell the way of FC.

Despite conceding twice soon after the recess, the hosts managed quite a number of shots at goal and it was only due to the fine goalkeeping form of Josh Benton (not Josh Denton, as I thought the Alcester team-sheet read) that FC didn’t claim all three points. That would have been harsh on Town however, for their play was often swashbuckling and the Blues only became really threatening when replacement Lewis Ludford, robust and bearded, arrived to lash in a number of rather powerful shots at goal, like ballista bolts. Tom Daccus had reduced the arrears already but Ludford’s 35 yard free-kick strike was one to be remembered by all at the stadium on the night, although in truth, the Alcester contingent was totally unhappy with the award of the free-kick in the first place.

In fact, Town were also puzzled when defender Joe Drake-Cervantes stretched out a foot as he attempted to bring down a long ball a few yards outside his own 18 yard box, facing his goalie. The ball flew off his toe and Benton collected it, yet the referee decided it had been a back-pass and harshly awarded a free-kick inside the penalty-box to FC. Fortunately, Ash Wilkes’ shot from Tom Parnaby’s nudge was well blocked by the Alcester defence. 

The hosts were a little slow to start the match but through some hardy Hatfield defending and some busy, irritating midfield work by Tez ‘No Scissors Owned’ Morton, Alcester were mostly kept at bay, bar four goal attempts. The impressive Henry struck a free-kick which home ‘keeper Luis Sone had some difficulty in grabbing near his left upright, Ollie Gibson threatened with head and boot, although not with any real danger but King finished off a driving run through the middle with a shot from downtown which clipped the top of the crossbar. Otherwise, despite some clever approach work, too often the offensive moves stuttered slightly at around the 20 yard mark. 

Astute defending by Drake-Cervantes and skipper Drew Ricketts had frustrated the home forwards, despite some lively moments by Petar Tonchev whose two efforts at goal were worthy. First he cut inside from the left and drove a decent shot which Benton did well to beat away and later in the half he volleyed low and just wide from Daccus’ right-side centre. Daccus himself shot way too high from 10 yards, following good approach play by Parnaby, then smacked a free-kick into a compact Alcester wall that the real Romans would have been proud of…

That wall was also tested by Ash Wilkes but the industrious fleet-footed Parnaby would be the major guerrilla threat to the modern Roman army. He drove too high, took a Wilkes pass at inside-right and smacked a shot which Benton did well to turn aside and then made a piercing central run, before firing another powerful effort which again Benton palmed aside but Ryan Reeves was adjudged offside as he fastened onto the rebound.

Thus the interval arrived and this intriguing match would subsequently become even more exciting, for the guests finally made some of their fast approach work count, scoring from a free-kick situation and then from a rebound shot. The central free-kick resulted in a long shot by Brade apparently taking a slight but crucial deflection from the crowd in front of the surprised Sone and the ball flew off the custodian’s glove or arm into the gaping net. He would not be happy with his lot on that occasion…

Replacement George Davis assisted Gibson and thus King too, in the creation of Alcester’s second goal. A pass through inside-right led to Gibson’s low shot under pressure being saved by the advancing Sone’s right boot, the ball popped up towards the left upright but King was untracked and he smashed the loose ball high into the net with relish and joy.

Morton would be cautioned during the second period, as would Gibson and Davis for Alcester but much of the ire displayed was aimed at the officials. No change there, then… Henry and King wasted free-kick shots, whilst Gibson was denied by a fine Sone save, when the ‘keeper leapt to tip a rising, angled 18 yard drive over his crossbar.

FC were urged on by their patient manager, Danny Janes and James Gifford, Matt Nutt (for the injured Abdul Muhammed) and Ludford really did make a difference, as Town found themselves faced by a desperate, hurrying home team. Nutt headed too high and then straight at Benton from choice positions, Daccus shot straight at the goalie from almost on the byeline, although Gifford’s two headed efforts didn’t threaten the Town gloveman at all, whilst both Parnaby and Daccus squirmed efforts wide at the near, right stick. However, Daccus and Ludford would prove to be the main goal threats to the Legion of Romans from Alauna (its ancient name). Daccus had already fired a good free-kick at Benton, who dived right to turn the ball aside rather well but soon, a Parnaby assist sent him towards the right byeline, from whence his low cross struck Drew Ricketts, thus wrong-footing the visiting defence, allowing Daccus to cut inside and rap a smart finish into the left corner of the net from an angle.

Benton saved in a one-on-one situation from Daccus but Ludford smashed his first 25 yard free-kick into the Roman wall, his rebound thump taking a fortunate deflection for the visitors. Ludford’s next drive saw Benton plunge down to his left and just about spoon the ball up and around his left post. Another Ludford effort took a deflection wide but then, the splendid equaliser arrived. There seemed little in a collision 35 yards from the Town goal but it seemed that perhaps the official saw a bit of a pull by Henry as two players fell to the ground… Perhaps. The free-kick was awarded and Ludford clearly intended to shoot and shoot he did… The ball flew in spectacular fashion past the leaping Benton and dipped into the top right corner of the net for a superb goal from way downtown… Ludford nearly won the game too with a 27 yard scorcher which rose just too high…

So, all in all, this had been an entertaining match with some fine attacking moments and some fine goalkeeping by both custodians. Certainly the visiting defence was pressured later in the game but Harry Jennings, Matt Bailey, Drake-Cervantes and the Centurion Drew Rickettsius battled manfully. Steve Weladji had supported his midfielders with some effort, Jack Ricketts too but certainly Brade, King and Henry will cause some real problems in this league during this season.

Ben Johns and home skipper James Robbins really had to work hard to keep their foes at bay from the full-back positions and Muhammed had defended doggedly too, alongside the bearded Briton, Hatfield. Tonchev had been speedy, Daccus was often a danger, Morton had been a niggling opponent and Parnaby was chirpy and clever and undaunted in his attacking wiles from deep. The defence was visibly calmer than I had seen on a worse surface at Lane Head last Saturday, for Sone generally passed and received the ball comfortably.

However, Benton, Drew Ricketts and Hatfield must be applauded for their contributions, whilst Ludford’s missile firing from his ballista of a right boot had confounded the whole Roman Legion from Alauna… 

Fair play to him…   

TEAMS:

FC STRATFORD:

LUIS SONE, BEN JOHNS, JAMES ROBBINS (CAPT), TEZ MORTON, JAMIE HATFIELD, ABDUL MUHAMMED, PETAR TONCHEV, RYAN REEVES, TOM DACCUS, TOM PARNABY, ASH WILKES.

SUBS:

MATT NUTT, NICK COX, LEWIS LUDFORD, JAMES GIFFORD, COURTNEY SOWE. 

ALCESTER TOWN:

JOSH BENTON, HARRY JENNINGS, MATT BAILEY, JOE DRAKE-CERVANTES, DREW RICKETTS (CAPT), JACK RICKETTS, KYLE KING, STEVE WELADJI, OLLIE GIBSON, CHRIS HENRY, KYMANI BRADE.

SUBS:

JOSH ALLEN, GEORGE DAVIS, KARL WALKER.