STEVE EDGHILL OF BRETFORTON OLD BOYS & LLOYD BURFORD FROM MEADOW PARK COMMENT UPON THE R.M. SMITH CUP FINAL, WHICH ENDED 2-1 TO BRETFORTON...

STEVE EDGHILL WRITES...

 “We set up a game plan to pack the midfield out with our key players and to stop their main midfielder playing. Their number 10 (Nathan Benson) was that player and we succeeded. 

I said to the lads at half-time that Meadow Park were going to be fitter than us, so we would just have to dig deep. And we did just that. In my opinion experience got us through the last 20 mins with myself, Lewis Fathers and Jamie Clarke organising and yet still pressing the ball. 

Hats off to Meadow Park because they are a very well drilled team with great management. We deserved to win the game overall though…”

Steve Edghill, Bretforton Old Boys…

LLOYD BURFORD WRITES...

“Thanks to The Mowdog for the support and coverage first of all… 

I’m not going over sour grapes but we were rabbits in headlights for the first 20 minutes and for me two goals at set pieces could have been avoided. Thought maybe a handball for the first goal but the ball travelling that far meant our defending was poor and we didn’t react well enough. 

For the second goal, the lino gave a goal-kick but the ref said that he didn’t even see the flag. However, that was a poor defensive error from us. We said at the game about the back-post threat and the ‘keeper maybe should have claimed the ball. Need to see the footage but a central defender was at fault for not tracking. 

We got back into the game with a fluke goal. I was actually raging as my full-back was flying but the cross went straight in. We also had couple of half-chances but nothing serious. 

A half-time bollocking from me and we started a little brighter. 

At 30 minutes we changed full-back and winger and I thought we created more going forward but Bretforton just wanted to disrupt play all the time. My midfield is usually key but we had to change to 3-4-3.

That’s when we attacked the left more and won the penalty. My mistake was that I should have pulled rank and instructed who was taking it but I didn’t and the fault lies with the gaffer. 

At the end of the day we tried, we battled, they won, we didn’t. It was a scrappy game of few chances. 

Another day they should have had 3 or 4 red cards but so should we! 

Thanks for the coverage…”

Lloyd Burford, Meadow Park…