Men's 4th XI Vs Market Drayton 2

Telford and Wrekin fourths played away at Market Drayton seconds on an overcast damp afternoon. Both teams started brightly but Telford had the majority of possession. Although Telford were the better team, they struggled to transition the ball from midfield into attack. The breakthrough came in the eighth minute. Roger Marsh had a short corner strike stopped illegally on the line by a defender's foot. Josh Carr-Yetzes stepped up to take the resulting penalty stroke and just about squeezed the ball into the corner netting to the keepers right. Telford would maintain a narrow lead through to half time.

After the break the dynamic changed. Market Drayton found it even harder to create many through roads to the Telford D. Bradley Williams made several fine saves whenever they did. The rotating back line of Chris Cousins, Paul Cousins, Matt Cousins, Dave Stephenson and Kieran Barclay, were very adept at crushing the opposition advances and distributing the ball well around and out from the defence. In the forty-ninth minute Telford would extend their lead. The ball made its way from defence to midfield before Matthew Fennell-Fox received the ball on the right inside the Drayton twenty-three. Matt passed to Joshua Sykes who calmly advanced into the D and hit the ball through the goalkeeper.

In the fifty-fourth minute Telford scored from a short corner. A Josh CY pass from the top off the D kissed the stick of Scott Marshall via a mis-trap, happily Conor Ashbridge was there to collect the loose ball. Conor shot and the keeper saved the ball onto his own defender off whom the ball deflected slowly into his own goal. The last goal came in the sixty-second minute. A short corner routine from Roger Marsh to Scott Marshall saw Scott hammer the ball precisely into the righthand corner of the goal. Telford would see out the game for a four to nothing victory.

Lessons to be learnt for Telford, but another hard-fought victory will see them stay top of the division. Matthew Cousins had a tremendous game in defence with great speed of interception, versatility, organisation in the back line and excellent passing. Thanks to Tom Hurst for umpiring.

Goals; Joshua Carr-Yetzes – 1 (PS,8)

            Joshua Sykes – 1 (FG,49)

            Conor Ashbridge – 1 (PC,54)

            Scott Marshall -  1(PC,62)

Assists; Matthew Fennell-Fox – 1 (FG,49)

              Scott Marshall – 1 (PC,54)

              Roger Marsh – 1 (PC,62)

Man of the Match; Matthew Cousins

DOD; Roger Marsh for ordering a fancy looking coffee in the bar after the match.

Umpires; Tom Hurst, Market Drayton