Clinical FC storm to midweek cup victory
Cradley Town 2, FC Stratford 6
A DAZZLING display of clinical finishing saw FC Stratford retain the Birmingham FA Midweek Floodlit Cup despite twice falling behind to their MFL League One opponents.
The game immediately burst into life with four goals inside the opening 20 minutes with Cradley twice nosing ahead.
Their first came after ten minutes when a loose pass from the otherwise excellent Kian Hamer was pounced on by Sam Banner and after striding into the area he fired low past keeper Callum Monaghan.
FC were back on level terms three minutes later when Jacob Williams won the ball deep in the opposition half, passed to Dan Atkins who then picked out Robbie Sone who steered his shot past the keeper.
Cradley took less than a minute to regain the lead though. Kane Harrold was given too much time and he curled the ball inside the post from 20 yards.
A fine full-length save from Nana Frimpong kept out a deflected Cian Hodson effort on 19 minutes but it was all-square again a minute later when Sone’s corner found Joe Waterfield jumping highest and the Stratford central defender powered his header home.
There followed a lull as both sides got their breath back but then, on 37 minutes, FC took the lead for the first time when the ball broke for Dan Atkins on the edge of the area and his shot was deflected past the Cradly keeper.
The MFL Division One side started the second half the stronger with the lively Harrold having a header saved before Banner stabbed a shot wide from in front of goal.
Those misses proved costly as Stratford extended their lead on 56 minutes. Tim Oyander’s trickery wrong-footed his marker again and again and when he drilled in a low cross, Williams was able to turn the ball home.
The central midfield trio of Atkins, Williams and skipper Hamer continued to dominate the middle of the park and there was almost a fifth for Stratford midway through the half when Sone’s curling effort crashed against the upright and Sam Rodber’s rebound was blocked.
There were a series of stoppages as the game wore on with players going down with cramp before two late goals wrapped up a convincing performance.
On 87 minutes, excellent work from substitute Ralfie Penton saw him jink past his marker before whipping a low ball into the area which was turned into his own net by Cradley skipper Darren Whitley.
And Penton capped an impressive cameo performance when he scored FC’s sixth deep in added time, firing into the empty net following a miscued clearance by the keeper.
Cradley: Frimpong, Edwards, Bibb, Harvey (Young 85), Hadley, Whitley, Saho (Crump 46 (Palmer 67)), Underhill (Milne 62), Harrold, Ward, Banner. Subs (not used): Gould
FC Stratford: Monaghan, Hodson (Budd 80), Cook, Hamer, Waterfield, Everard, Oyander (Rodber 57), Williams, Sone (Penton 73), Atkins (Cox 88), Chaundy (Tanor 63).
Referee: Lewis Smith
FC Star Man: Dan Atkins
Opposition Star Man: Kane Harrold
