ALCESTER TOWN 3-3 CRADLEY TOWN: THE SHORT MATCH DESCRIPTION + SCREENSHOTS OF THE SIX GOALS & IMAGES FROM THE MATCH, ALL WITH CAPTIONS...

Hammers Deservedly Pull Back A Brace Of Second Period Goals To Draw At Stratford Road… 

Alcester Town 3-3 Cradley Town

(Pre-season game…)

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

Not a proper report for a pre-season encounter, merely a few words about the evening… 

Firstly, thanks to both teams for making the effort to provide me with the names and numbers of their players, making it easier for my commentary…

Cradley certainly held the upper hand for a good deal of the game, although Alcester undoubtedly had their moments too. The guests miscued a few opportunities during the match and home goalie Lewis Crockford made a couple of decent saves, one in particular from visiting skipper Cam Milne.

CROCKFORD FLIES TO GET TOUCH ON MILNE'S EFFORT FROM DOWNTOWN, TURNING IT ONTO THE CROSSBAR...

The opening goal by Cradley was a strange one, as home defender Aaron Xavier used a thigh to pass the ball back to Crockford, who miscued his clearance to Kain Harold’s feet and he couldn’t miss.  

Oddly, the Romans netted two goals immediately afterwards, a poke in by Jack Cole, before he then set up George Davies for a fine volley, high past Hammers’ gloveman Ry Pratt.

A break onto Luke Wyatt’s pass by Cole saw him put his team 3-1 ahead but really that came against the tide, for Cradley had begun to dominate. After Callum Devlin’s header had struck a post, a foul was committed by the hosts and Cradley’s 12 (Trevor?) slipped his spot-kick through a hole in the right corner of the net for 3-2.

The equaliser went in the same place, through the same hole, nudged over the goal-line by Harold, following a good left-flank rush by Till, who had drawn Crockford from goal.

Milne was very active throughout for the guests, Edwards was also lively in midfield and Adam Callinswood was later effective as a replacement. Adam Meecham held the centre of defence together well enough and was quite dominant aerially. 'Saho' and 'Mari' were quick and clever on occasions in attack...

The Romans were well served on the night by Chris Dyson with his neat liveliness, alongside the confident and smart Henry Gibson in midfield but forwards Cole and Joe Reynolds were dangerous and lithe on occasions.

Every player gave what could have been given on a murky, cloudy evening, which spilled the occasional rain spots on the encounter.

Screenshots of the goals... 

HAROLD CONVERTS FOR THE HAMMERS, FOLLOWING AN UNFORTUNATE ALCESTER ERROR...

ASSISTED BY WICKETTS, COLE SLIPS IN AN EQUALISER FOR THE ROMANS...

COLE'S CENTRE IS SMARTLY VOLLEYED HIGH INTO THE CRADLEY NET BY ALCESTER'S DAVIES FOR 2-1...

WYATT'S PASS FREES COLE TO NUDGE A LOW SHOT PAST PRATT FOR 3-1, ALTHOUGH THE HAMMERS CLAIMED OFFSIDE AGAINST THE ROMANS' NUMBER 10...

HAMMER 12 (TREVOR?) NETS A PENALTY FOR 3-2 & THE BALL FINDS A HOLE IN THE NET...

STRANGELY, HAROLD'S TAP-IN GOAL FOR 3-3 ALSO FINDS THE HOLE IN THE NET. ASSIST BY TILL...

General images...

THE NIGHTS ARE DRAWING IN...

AN OFFICIAL WORD WITH DEVLIN...

AARON MARKS TREVOR...

TILL SUFFERED THIS INJURY AS ALCESTER BROKE TO TAKE A 3-1 LEAD. THE HAMMERS WEREN'T HAPPY...

ALCESTER CELEBRATE...

DAVIES, FOREGROUND, HAS VOLLEYED A SMART GOAL TO EDGE THE ROMANS 2-1 AHEAD...

DYSON, LEFT: A NEAT GAME BY THE ATTACKING MIDFIELDER...

WICKETTS & DYSON (HIDDEN) PREPARE TO TAKE A FREE-KICK FOR THE HOSTS...

3-1 TO THE ROMANS...

TILL DOES HIS WINSTON CHURCHILL IMPERSONATION, NO DOUBT SUGGESTING THAT CRADLEY ARE GOING FOR THE WIN NOW...

THE HAMMERS CELEBRATE THEIR OPENING GOAL...

THE REF DOES AN INCY WINCY SPIDER IMPRESSION AS WICKETTS PREPARES TO TAKE ANOTHER FREE-KICK...

WICKETTS IS THE MIDDLE STUMP BETWEEN HADLEY & MEECHAM...

A SPOOKY, VENOMOUS, PREDATORY, TATTOOED SNAKE HAS SPOTTED THE REF...

CRADLEY DEFEND A SET-PIECE...

GOOD TO SEE JACK TILL AGAIN, ONCE OF COURSE OF LYE 'NOBODY LIKES US' TOWN...

NO BEARD ON TILL'S CHIN...

XAVIER: A STALWART FOR THE ROMANS...