Gregory hat-trick puts Town in seventh heaven

Pre-season Friendly

Stratford Town 7

Coventry Sphinx 0

Report by Bryan Hale

STRATFORD'S scintillating pre-season form continued at the DCS on Thursday evening as they overwhelmed Coventry Sphinx to extend their winning run to five during which they have found the back of the net a scarcely believable 24 times.

Richard Gregory led the way with another hat-trick but equally pleasing for Town supporters was the sight of Edwin Ahenkorah returning from a six month injury lay-off with a double of his own in the final quarter of the game.

Even without Mike Taylor, Simeon Tulloch and Emmitt Delfouneso, who were all rested, Town were soon bossing possession against their Midland League opponents, and could have taken the lead in only the seventh minute when Charlie Evans couldn’t connect cleanly with Trey Brathwaite’s low cross into the six-yard box.

But Evans made amends just three minutes later when he surged forward from the halfwayline to thread a sliderule pass through to Will Grocott who calmly steered it past Sphinx keeper Scott Dutton from virtually on the penalty spot.

Gregory was again looking sharp, and sprinted clear down the right on 20 minutes only to shoot against the advancing Dutton, but he was on the scoresheet two minutes later when he blasted a spot kick past Dutton after a Sphinx defender had handled the ball as it took an awkward bounce in the penalty area.

Grocott was not far away with a fierce effort from distance as Town continued to move the ball about in some style, and they made it 3-0 in the 39th minute when Gregory released Evans down the inside right channel and he cut in to steer a delightful left foot drive beyond Dutton into the bottom corner of the net.

And it would have been worse for Sphinx in the final minute of the half but for a spectacular save from Dutton as Kieren Westwood let fly from fully 25 yards out.

Even with Carl Adams making a number of changes it was still the same after the restart and eight minutes into the second half Town added a fourth. Gregory’s low drive from a narrow angle was deflected behind and when the corner was not properly cleared Grocott floated the ball over from the left for Gregory, unmarked at the far post, to volley in.

Town keeper Niall Cooper was at last called into some serious action in the 64th minute with a smart save from a decent Luke Downes try, but shortly after Adams sent on Ahernkorah for his first appearance since limping off at Dunstable on 26th January and his impact was both immediate and devastating.

Within 20 seconds of his arrival on the pitch he galloped away down the left and blasted the ball into the roof of the net to put Town five up.

Shortly after he was involved in a bizarre incident when he managed to hit both posts as the ball ricocheted around in the six-yard box and on 81 minutes he showed his power once again as he made it 6-0 with another blistering run and finish in a near action replay of his earlier strike.

Then barely a minute later Logan Kelling had a rasping effort beaten away by the Sphinx substitute keeper and Gregory pounced on the loose ball to round off the scoring and set Town up for their final friendly at Bromsgrove Sporting on Saturday.

TOWN: Cooper, Cullinane-Liburd, Westwood, Fitzharris (Gomez 61), Francis (Fox Ht), Clark (Ahenkorah 71), Sheldon (Bagient 69), Brathwaite (Kelling HT), Richard Gregory, Grocott (Hylton 54), Charlie Evans (Brooks Ht).