Stratford Town (A)

[Del]

Match scheduled for: Saturday 20 August - kick-off time: 15:00
Venue: The Arden Garages Stadium, Knights Lane, Tiddington, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire CV37 7BZ
Link to opponents official website: https://www.stratfordtownfc.co.uk/

League table: https://southern-football-league.co.uk/ ... 22/2023/P/

[Glyn]

That league table's just a tad out of date Del!

https://www.flashscore.co.uk/football/e ... standings/

Six-pointer on Saturday then!

[Del]

Big signing for Stratford today then .. Adam Rooney

https://www.stratfordtownfc.co.uk/news/ ... %99m-yours

[PitmanKeith]

That league table's just a tad out of date Del!

https://www.flashscore.co.uk/football/e ... standings/

Six-pointer on Saturday then!

Now corrected

[Del]

Another excellent match preview here: https://www.hednesfordtownfc.com/2022/0 ... ord-town-2

[PitmanKeith]

Disappointing to see no new signings come in before this game, we are desperately short of fire power up front.

[Del]

Match info for anyone bothering to travel!

https://www.stratfordtownfc.co.uk/event ... the-pitmen

[Lee K]

Match info for anyone bothering to travel!

https://www.stratfordtownfc.co.uk/event ... the-pitmen

£3 for a Carlsberg? That’s quite cheap these days to numb the pain…

[Del]

Live commentary today courtesy of Pitmen radio: https://mobile.twitter.com/Hednesford_T ... 6465747969

[Town Crier]

Match info for anyone bothering to travel!

https://www.stratfordtownfc.co.uk/event ... the-pitmen

£3 for a Carlsberg? That’s quite cheap these days to numb the pain…

O-Yay, O-Yay, O-Yay
May see you there Lee K
Need to finish work early if I can though,, bit of a drive
O-Yay

[Del]

STRATFORD TOWN 1 - 0 PITMEN

League table: https://www.flashscore.co.uk/football/e ... standings/

Official 677

Full Times
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Bedford 1v8 Tamworth
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Ilkeston(red card) 1v1 Redditch
Leiston 3v1 Mickleover
Needham Market 3v1 Stourbridge(red card)
Nuneaton 3v1 Barwell
Rushall 3v1 Bromsgrove
St. Ives 2v0 Kings Langley
Stratford 1v0 Hednesford

[jackiemaund]

It was lovely sunny morning and so I decided to have a pleasant drive to Stratford.
WHY DID I GO?
WHAT A MISTAKE
For those of you who went on Tuesday but didn’t make it today the most accurate review I could give is for you to cast your minds back to Tuesday and what you saw and then duplicate that for today’s game.
It was the same team playing the same old turgid football.
Their goal came in the first half when a high bouncing ball seemed to deceive all our defenders but Sammon’s got on the end of it hit it towards goal and it took a deflection off one of our players and went in.
Luck was the only way either team was going to score and it was there lucky day.
Frankly they were no better than us and has the game progressed it became obvious that the overall standard of play was very poor.
We both looked what we are relegation threatened teams.
In the whole ninety plus minutes plus there was little football played with us pushing forward in the last ten to try and rescue something but it was pitiful to watch.
Yes another bore fest.
Sullivan is lost on the wing and Lita is isolated.
Defensively we are stronger with Ison I thought our best player both defensively and pushing forward however the two full backs do not have the scope in their game to be overlapping full backs.
There is to put it bluntly a lack of continuity and understanding throughout the whole team.
In the end I think we did muster three shots but they were all off target and their keeper was rarely threatened.
It’s not has if the players don’t try they are either not of the required quality or frankly don’t know what’s required of them.
Man of the match-Ison six out of ten played at a reasonable level throughout.
Officials- Has usual over fussy at times but no huge errors,seven
Supporters-Not many of us in truth and pretty well brassed off I’ll give us nine for going
Management- Made one or two odd subs no real ideas on how to change the game I’ll go for three
Their gate-was given out has 677 which was met with howls of astonishment has it couldn’t have exceeded 350
Next match Bedford at home next Saturday they look like another relegation threatened team so be prepared for a repeat of previous games.
Only one goal in four so it should be fun.
Sadly no more highlights of games for the time being has Dan has left the club.

[C D S]

Despite not expecting to go, I was strong-armed into going by my dad at lunchtime, who hasn’t been to a Hednesford game for donkey’s years. On the way back, he told me that he “admired my commitment to putting up with that rubbish week in, week out”. Thanks for that.

Just lift any match review from the first three games and paste it here as it was a depressingly familiar pattern; oodles of possession but unimaginative pap in the final third. Yet another meagre first-half showing which saw us chasing the game after switching off for the Sammons goal, which was all it took for the hosts, who showed very little desire to press home their advantage for the remainder of the game. A theme that is quickly emerging is that many teams in the league have looked to build strong, solid defences (including ourselves) but show very little ambition/quality to attack and look to ‘nick’ these tight games with one moment of inspiration. Redditch did it, Mickleover nearly did it, Stratford did it today but we don’t seem to know how to do it.

A couple of decent efforts at goal in the second half that were saved, but we were shot-shy when working the ball across the edge of the penalty area, with Parker and Bennett both guilty for not shooting when the play opened up in front of them. The over-indulgent play of last season creeping in once more - for the love of god man, shoot!

I still believe that somewhere in this squad we have the semblance of an XI that could be pretty competitive, but it’s clear to me they are not being managed effectively. The body language of the players looks off and there were several disagreements between the players when things didn’t come off in the second half, particularly between some of the attacking players.

Parker saw plenty of the ball so arguably the best of a bad bunch as man of the match. Good hustle from O’Sullivan in the first half but marked out of the game in the second half. Lots of passengers out there again today not earning their money.

A team containing McCone and Sammons will always prove a solid prospect and so it proved; McCone and defensive partner James O’Neill strolled through the game and could even afford to take the time to have a bit of banter with the travelling fans, such was our ineffectiveness up front and lack of punch. Can’t really understand how Rooney was named their man of the match; I mean, he was OK but did nowhere near enough to justify the award

The manager will be praying for a favourable draw in the F.A. Cup on Monday as more ropey showings in August and an early exit from this will not reflect well on his tenure; the cup gives you a genuine benchmark from season to season and if we can’t prove that we’ve moved forwards since the Cleethorpes defeat last year then to me that’s a good place to draw a line in the sand and take corrective action if needs be.

Oh, and there was absolutely no way there was 677 people there today; I’ve been the Knights Lane a couple of times and I’ll tell you there were no more than 400 there.

[Lee K]

It’s getting far too easy these days for me to wait for CDS’s match report and then agree with everything he says.
It was better than the Stourbridge performance but we just don’t ever look likely to score and when their goal went in you knew that was probably it.
We’ve got a week off now and then we have a home game against a team who lost 8-1 today, so I’m sure we’ll know in 7 days time whether we really are in the crap or not.

[sheriff]

all i have to say

[Del]

Obviously I don't get to attend games - so Dan's highlight videos were the only way I could see what a disappointment the team have been so far. The fact that his highlights were getting shorter and shorter indicates what a difficult job it must have been putting a few minutes together!
Dan - thanks for all the work and effort you have put in over the years .. I hope your departure is your choice and your choice alone, perhaps you will post on here to let everyone know as this is an independent forum and not ruled by HTFC or HTFCSA!

It says it all to me when a player signed as a prolific goalscorer is then substituted when the team are crying out for a goal.
KMR really does seem to have lost the plot but still retains the backing of the Directors and experienced Director of Football who perhaps take a different view of things than the hardened supporters.

[Graham Jones]

Obviously I don't get to attend games - so Dan's highlight videos were the only way I could see what a disappointment the team have been so far. The fact that his highlights were getting shorter and shorter indicates what a difficult job it must have been putting a few minutes together!
Dan - thanks for all the work and effort you have put in over the years .. I hope your departure is your choice and your choice alone, perhaps you will post on here to let everyone know as this is an independent forum and not ruled by HTFC or HTFCSA!

It says it all to me when a player signed as a prolific goalscorer is then substituted when the team are crying out for a goal.
KMR really does seem to have lost the plot but still retains the backing of the Directors and experienced Director of Football who perhaps take a different view of things than the hardened supporters.

Just to clarify as I’m reading wild speculations.

Dan has not left the club. He is on a few weeks break for reasons I do cannot speak about, given the fact I wish to do the right thing for Dan.

[Del]

Thanks for the reply Graham .. not actually wild speculations but just repeating part contents of many texts/emails I have received over the past week or so from supporters who try to keep me updated regarding HTFC issues.
Be good to get someone else in on 'work experience' to cover him as he will be missed, maybe the HTFCSA could help out?

Issue now clarified and put to rest.

[PitmanKeith]

Good news Graham, whatever the issue thoughts with Dan

[Graham Jones]

Thanks for the reply Graham .. not actually wild speculations but just repeating part contents of many texts/emails I have received over the past week or so from supporters who try to keep me updated regarding HTFC issues.
Be good to get someone else in on 'work experience' to cover him as he will be missed, maybe the HTFCSA could help out?

Issue now clarified and put to rest.

Not aimed at you Del. Appreciate it’s based on what others have speculated.

Yes I agree. Sadly it came out of the blue last minute, and I have been very tied up with lots of other preplanned work for the club and race that could not be moved in order to arrange cover.

[C D S]

Best wishes to Dan - the video highlights/interview packages are a crucial part of the media offering at the club and are produced to an excellent standard by him. They're a big miss when we don't have them, although I think he'd have struggled to put much together in the past two games!

[Del]

Best wishes to Dan - the video highlights/interview packages are a crucial part of the media offering at the club and are produced to an excellent standard by him. They're a big miss when we don't have them, although I think he'd have struggled to put much together in the past two games!

100% agree

[sheriff]

yes best wishes to Dan who dows a stirling job

[Perton Pitman]

Sending best wishes to Dan - he does a great job which is really appreciated

[jackiemaund]

Sending best wishes to Dan - he does a great job which is really appreciated

Seconded