FC STRATFORD 3-1 STONEHOUSE TOWN: THE MOWDOG'S INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

 Ludford Drags Blues From Adversity To Three points…

FC Stratford 3-1 Stonehouse Town

The Mowdog’s Thoughts…

The first period of this encounter was untidy, scrappy and only really noteworthy for the inaccuracy of the visiting Magpies’ shooting and indeed the lack of efforts at goal by the hosting Blues. Certainly the desperate moment when home defender Dully Muhammed went down a-wheezin; and a-gaspin’ caused some concern for spectators and players alike but it turned out that he had apparently swallowed a fly… Dramatic… I reckoned that like in the famous song about the old lady who swallowed a fly, he should have swallowed a spider to catch the fly, but we wouldn’t have wanted to see Dully being tickled inside, then eating a bird to catch the spider and, er, so on until he ate a horse and died…

LIGHTS ON DUSK...

Why have I mentioned that? Well, the first period was so dire to watch that Dully brightened the dull play displayed on the narrow Home Guard pitch. Well done to Dave Poulson though for doing some awkward work on the floodlights prior to this contest.

DULLY ASKS THE REFEREE HOW HE COULD POSSIBLY SWALLOW A COW...

Ryan Thwaite, Kyle Gibbs and Tim Williams shot wide for the guests during that half, home goalie Eddie Cox managed to bat clipped efforts by Alex Kibble and Lloyd Gardiner away for corners, Magpies’ skipper Kibble saw a shot from downtown deflected well off target and the lively, creative Harry Burns drove a shot way too high.

Subsequently though, Lewis Ludford, who would later prove to be the match winner for Blues, went the closest to scoring before the players tramped off the field at the interval to be moaned at, when Ben John’s diagonal pass beat Magpie Rich Thwaite and freed the bearded one at inside-left but his low drive was blocked by the advancing Town goalie Ash Gale. 

That FC finished the game more strongly than the Magpies, scoring from three Ludford set-pieces, was significant and at least the spectating folks were entertained for the final 25 minutes or so.

LUDFORD'S CORNERS ALLOWED FOR NO SOCIAL DISTANCING...

Lewis Ludford… 

He rammed in some hard tackles after the break but when Levi Steele, whom I have yet to see score a goal (does he have a fear of watchful badgers?) was fouled by Kibble, who was cautioned for his misdemeanour, Ludford prepared to take the ensuing free-kick from 27 yards or so, inside-left channel. His curled effort entered the net just inside the left upright for a fine goal, although Gale seemed confused by the dipping, swerving trajectory.

ALEX 'NO QUIBBLE' KIBBLE IS BOOKED...

LUDFORD LINES UP HIS FREE-KICK...

...WHICH BEATS A 5-MAN WALL & THE 'KEEPER TO OPEN THE SCORING...

Two left-wing corners then undid Stonehouse, following their equaliser by Adam Bloomfield. First, Steele cleverly dropped off his marker beyond the far stick, nodded the ball goalwards and Ryan Palmer somehow nudged the ball over the goal-line with his torso.

PALMER FORCES HOME THE BALL FROM STEELE'S ASSIST & IT'S 2-1...

Palmer had replaced the injured Petar Tonchev early on and he again struck from less than a yard when another left-flank Ludford corner dropped virtually on the goal-line in another untidy scramble.

A LUDFORD CORNER & ANOTHER PALMER GOAL...

Ludford then sat down for a rest, was replaced and must have received his club’s worshipping handclaps as he exited the stage. A fine goal, one actual assist, a partial assist, then home to bed…

ENOUGH FOR LUDFORD...

Ash Gale… 

Stuck in traffic, arriving late, the referee told me he would give the Stonehouse gloveman until 7.55pm and then the match would start. He made it but was afforded only seconds to warm up. He was in truth rarely troubled, although his low save from Ludford and a later tip-over of a fine right-footer by FC’s Steve Ruck were both good stops.

The three goals conceded must have been galling for him, for the two from corners were scored in melees close to goal due to Ludford’s clever trajectories. 

Levi Steele…

Worked so hard. Always willing and available. Refused to score because I was there…

The Magpies…

After losing central defender Lee Keveren at the break, their defence wasn’t quite as tight from then on but strangely, three of the chances against them after half-time fell to two of the home defenders, for an overhead effort by the effective Matt Nutt flew over the target and two volleyed attempts by Muhammed flew beyond the goal-frame. 

Maybe Palmer would rue his late miss, firing too high from a good position late on but it was from 12 yards, not 1… Just jesting Ryan, honestly… Gale gathered Steele’s only real shot at goal, bar an untidy deflected effort by the number 9 before the recess. 

STEELE CROWDED OUT...

Magpie Ryan Thwaite was booked too but their goal stemmed from strong play by Burns, who fed Kibble and he spotted the unmarked Bloomfield, 20 yards from goal at inside-right, for the Blues’ defence had somehow been sucked centrally towards the ball. Nutt couldn't reach the assist and Bloomfield shot past the advancing Cox into the bottom left corner of the net for parity.

BLOOMFIELD PREPARES TO SCORE...

Late in the match, both Burns and Bloomfield lifted shots well over the target but in all honesty, the ascendancy worked so hard for by Town before the interval had disappeared, leaving them rueing some profligate finishing during the opening period.

Final comments…

I guess FC boss Danny Janes would have been pleased by the form of his skipper James Robbins, alongside defenders Nutt and the fly-eater, although in midfield, Ryan Reeves was subdued, possibly because of the strong contribution made by Magpies Kibble, the more than useful Burns and Gibbs, who looked to have the ability to take opponents on, although perhaps that didn’t happen often enough.

Worst memory…

What happened between 7.45 and 8.35pm.

Best memories…

Circus act Dully the Fly-eater and Lewis ‘I don’t usually score with headers’ Ludford’s sublime free-kick goal. Lewis was also the featured FC player in the match programme on the night… Doesn’t get much better than that…

TEAMS: 

FC STRATFORD:

EDDIE COX, BEN JOHNS, JAMES ROBBINS (CAPT), DEAN POULSON, ABDUL MUHAMMED, MATT NUTT, RYAN REEVES, LEWIS LUDFORD, LEVI STEELE, PETAR TONCHEV, STEVE RUCK.

SUBS:

DAN ATKINS, FREDDY MURPHY, BEN COX, RYAN PALMER, TOM DACCUS.

STONEHOUSE TOWN:

ASH GALE, ROB HUMPHREYS, RYAN THWAITE, RICH THWAITE, LEE KEVEREN, NICK HUMPHREYS, ALEX KIBBLE (CAPT), HARRY BURNS, TIM WILLIAMS, LLOYD GARDINER, KYLE GIBBS.

SUBS:

ELLIS DUFFUS, ADAM BLOOMFIELD, GEORGE CALLINAN.