WORCESTER RAIDERS 4-2 FC STRATFORD: THE INDEPENDENT, HONEST MATCH REPORT...

 New Signings Ease Raiders To Victory & Give FC Stratford The Blues

Worcester Raiders 4-2 FC Stratford

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

Thanks to Craig Teague from Worcester Raiders for not only leaving my name at the main reception within the very fine Sixways Stadium but also for welcoming me into the corporate lounge, which was also rather smart. If I’d not already eaten my dinner, I would have loved to have sampled the sandwiches provided… Hmm…

The view from the one available grandstand was really fine and of course, the floodlights were so much brighter than those I am used to these days, leading to some clearer video clips from my coverage of the six-goal contest.

THE TOSS...

Raiders had begun the game so well, threatening from both flanks, where the irrepressible Isaac Cooper on the right and the lively Jordan Cox on the left had worried FC’s Steve Ruck and skipper James Robbins regularly. Although Cox was injured during the opening 45, it was noted that both of those Stratford defenders were substituted during the second period.

A single goal by new signing Connor Deards from close range had given the hosts a deserved 1-0 lead at the interval but Cox’s replacement, also a new signing, Kai Mahon, grabbed a second-half hat-trick to down the Blues, despite a spirited second 45 by the visitors.

DEARDS: A GOAL WITHIN ABOUT 16 MINUTES...

Lewis Ludford scored direct from a right-flank corner for FC but, er, with his right boot, to make the score 2-1 and then Levi Steele, who has never scored in front of my camera before, nodded in to make the score 3-2. However, Mahon’s third strike was a beauty and worthy of winning any game…

During the opening half, FC’s tactic of playing the ball away from defence was laudable but too often it resulted in a tedious long pass for Steele or Tom Parnaby to chase. There seemed to be too little zip or pace emanating from the Stratford midfield. Subsequently though, more was seen of Ludford and Dean Poulson after the break, as the guests became a little more expansive. 

However, FC’s goalie Eddie Cox made several saves to keep his team within reach, mostly from Cooper but ultimately, the clinical finishing of Raider Mahon would decide matters.

Connor Deards…

I spotted the transfer news on Twitter that Connor had transferred from Bedworth to Worcester Raiders and thus I was to witness his first match in red…

DEARDS APPEARS TO HAVE GROWN AN EXTRA ARM IN HIS TIME AT BEDWORTH...

So it seemed destined that just beyond the 15 minute mark, Joe Billingham’s free-kick rebounded off Steele’s torso, defending with a leap almost on his own goal-line, which allowed Deards to poke the loose ball into the net from close range before FC’s Dan Atkins could react. 

DEARDS TURNS IN HIS GOAL...

Deards had already struck a shot against Ludford to win a corner but really, after the recess, when following up Eddie Cox’s low save from yet another Cooper shot, the striker maybe ought to have doubled his tally from 7 yards. Matt Nutt’s challenge and deflection prevented that happening, however.

DEARDS IS NOT IMPRESSED BY THE REFEREE VAPING DURING PLAY...

Isaac Cooper…

FLYING SAVE BY COX FROM COOPER...

Turning inside from the right-flank and using his left boot proved awkward for his opponents and before the break he had one effort at goal deflected wide while the next, from inside-right, was turned away spectacularly by goalie Cox. Cooper's set-pieces were pretty useful too… Deards assisted Cooper for another shot but Cox was down quickly to save with his feet then the ‘keeper pushed another low drive from the number 7 away for a corner.

COOPER (WHITE ANKLES): DANGEROUS AT TIMES ON THE FLANKS...

Cooper’s other low shot in the second period was again saved by Cox but the Raider would also claim an assist for Mahon’s first goal.

Kai Mahon…

The new recruit from Cheltenham Saracens mainly seemed to be settling into his role after Jordan Cox departed and managed just one shot at goal in the opening period which went wide from downtown. However, in that second 45 he scored three times from three shots…

First, Deards sent Cooper away on the right but instead of cutting back onto his left foot the playmaker sent a low cross into the 6 yard box where the onrushing Mahon reached the ball first and scored from a couple of yards out.

MAHON SCORES HIS FIRST...

His second goal was also a result of Deards’ involvement and a low 19 yard shot found its way just inside the left upright with Eddie Cox sprawling.

MAHON SHOOTS...

...& IT'S 3-1 FOR RAIDERS...

The third goal by Mahon came at the right time, for FC were doggedly looking to regain parity but Mahon needed no assistance as he collected the ball inside his own half. He simply carried the ball towards the left flank and then cut inside, leaving FC’s replacement Ben Johns off balance and tumbling backwards onto his galligaskins. The next opponent was Abdul Muhammed but Mahon evaded his challenge easily before curling a low, right-footed shot just inside the right pole from 19 yards. Now that was a really decent goal…

4-2 & MAHON'S HAT-TRICK IS COMPLETE...

The Mahon celebrations...

Raiders raiding…

Jordan Cox curled a shot off target early on, Rich Smith almost reached a low Cooper centre and then, following an obscure ‘dropped-ball’ for Cooper to deliver into the penalty-box, the central striker’s header was comfortable for the gloves of Eddie Cox.

SMITH: STRUCK A POST...

A one-two with Deards saw Smith’s quickly taken shot blocked by Cox’s legs but then after the interval, Smith’s dinked shot looped against the upper reaches of the left stick.

Lewis Ludford’s corners…

In a short period of FC attacking after half-time, Ludford’s flag-kicks proved uncomfortable for the home defence, really pressuring defenders Sam Carey and Jordan Stoddart as well as ‘keeper Craig Bufton.

Twice, headers at the far post were scrambled clear by Raiders, one from Steele, one from Atkins but the special delivery, a right-footer from the right-side quadrant, flew over the stretching Bufton and to the surprise of many, flashed high into the far side of the net and that goal gave Stratford some faith at 2-1.

LUDFORD'S CORNER FINDS ITS WAY INTO THE NET FOR 2-1...

Levi Steele…

I should be tired of remarking that this central striker’s current play would be an asset to most teams at Step 5 and likely teams at Step 4 too but, er, I’m not…

STEELE (9): IMPRESSED AGAIN...

The work ethic is remarkable, chasing long ‘passes’, lost causes and also running down retreating defenders. He holds up the ball with stubborn intent, looks to be team-player and wins his share of headers whilst being a genuine threat. I had seen him play several times this season but hadn’t seen him credited with a goal so when the ball was played to Ash Wilkes, who had replaced Ruck on the left-flank, that statistic was wiped out. A deep cross was pumped accurately into the penalty-box by the left-back, Steele jumped between Carey and Raiders’ splendid left-back Aksum White and got in a neat header which avoided Bufton’s clawing fingers and entered goal near the right vertical.

STEELE FLICKS HOME A HEADER FOR 3-2...

The striker also did well to twist and get in a left-foot shot which Bufton collected and his back-header from another Wilkes centre dropped past the goal-frame. Before half-time his shot from inside-left was deflected upwards and away for a corner but he did assist Poulson for a shot at goal which the midfielder chose not to comply with. Instead, the ball was shuffled left to Ruck whose shot flew well over the target.

Steele played well. Again…

The FC offense…

Tom Daccus, who was involved in a tough tussle with Raider White, forced a save from the advancing Bufton in the first-half and Nutt glanced a header from Ludford’s right-side corner well wide of the far post. After the break Parnaby was beaten by Bufton to Steele’s neat pass before bobbling a shot from distance past the left upright. 

STATUESQUE...

Corners from the hard tackling Ludford caused more trouble for the Raiders than any real creativity by the Blues, in truth…

The final words…

So Worcester Raiders deserved to win the game, no doubt, but Stratford minds would have been thinking, “What if…” The final 15 minutes might have seen them snatch a fortunate point but Mahon the Clinician saw to it that this didn’t happen…

Late cautions were earned by White, Johns and another Worcester replacement, Kirk Layton…

WHITE, WHO HAD A FINE MATCH FOR RAIDERS, RECEIVES A CAUTION, PRESUMABLY FOR KICKING AWAY THE BALL...

AFTER FOULING PARNABY, LAYTON GETS A BOOKING...

I totally enjoyed my Sixways experience and hopefully I can return to provide coverage of more Raiders games, maybe even pay the Warriors a visit… Hmm…

Oh, galligaskins is an old word for 'shorts’…

TEAMS:

WORCESTER RAIDERS:

CRAIG BUFTON, LOGAN STODDART (CAPT), AKSUM WHITE, SAM CAREY, JORDAN STODDART, JABER AHMED, ISAAC COOPER, JOE BILLINGHAM, RICH SMITH, CONNOR DEARDS, JORDAN COX.

SUBS:

HARRISON YATES, KAI MAHON, KIRK LAYTON, OLLIE THOMPSON, VANYLSON DA COSTA SILVA.

FC STRATFORD:

EDDIE COX, JAMES ROBBINS (CAPT), STEVE RUCK, DEAN POULSON, ABDUL MUHAMMED, MATT NUTT, DAN ATKINS, LEWIS LUDFORD, LEVI STEELE, TOM PARNABY, TOM DACCUS.

SUBS:

BEN JOHNS, NICK COX, ASH WILKES, DANNY JANES, RYAN PALMER.