Stratford turn form book upside down to defeat Poole

STRATFORD Town turned the form book upside down as they ended their 12-game winless run with a battling 2-1 success against high-flying Poole at Tatnam on Saturday, writes Bryan Hale.

The game got off to a quiet start as both sides found it difficult to cope with the swirling breeze, and neither goal had been seriously threatened when Stratford went ahead in the 17th minute with a sumptuous strike from Kieren Westwood.

Receiving the ball from Jack Roberts all of 35 yards out, he let fly with a vicious left-footer which swerved and dipped as it flew into the net past the static Poole keeper Nick Hutchings.

Poole looked anything but a title-chasing team as they struggled to get their passing game going.

Stratford were looking the better side and Aaron Moses-Garvey was only inches too high on 25 minutes followed by a Westwood cross only being cleared by a diving header from Will Spetch.

Poole’s best chance arrived five minutes before half-time when Luke Burbidge’s cross from the right was mis-controlled by Luke Roberts, allowing Andy Kemp to smother the ball at the foot of his left-hand post.

Poole upped their tempo after the break and the towering central defender Mike Walker went close with a header from a corner before they equalised from the penalty spot in the 68th minute.

Burbidge surged into the area where he was brought down by Anthony Charles and substitute Steve Devlin drilled his spot kick past Kemp as the Stratford keeper plunged to his left.

Three minutes later, Stratford regained the lead when Dior Angus floated the ball in from the left and Tyrone Fagan out-jumped Hutchings to head into the empty net.

Poole tried hard to get back into the game but with Emmit Delfouneso outstanding in a resolute Stratford defence, they couldn’t find a way through as Carl Adams’ side held on for all three points.