Town fail to repeat heroics as they bow out of FA Trophy

STRATFORD Town could not repeat their weekend heroics on Tuesday evening as Grantham cruised into the next round of the FA Trophy with a 4-0 win at the Meres, writes Bryan Hale.

Both teams were unchanged from Saturday, although Carl Adams opted for a 4-4-2 formation with Trey Brathwaite moved to left back and Liam Francis switched into midfield.

Town made a bright start with Dior Angus not far away with a fierce left-footer in the opening 30 seconds, followed by Francis having a fifth-minute effort turned behind by the Gingerbreads' keeper Kieran Preston.

And it was Preston who prevented Grantham from falling behind on 13 minutes when Guy Clark made ground from the back to meet an Angus cross with a dipping header which was tipped over by Preston as he arched backwards.

But six minutes later Grantham took the lead with their first real attack. Lee Shaw received the ball on the right and cut inside to work it onto his left foot before drilling it past Niall Cooper.

Town responded with Richard Gregory hitting a decent attempt straight at Preston, but Grantham were looking far more threatening now and ten minutes before half-time Cooper did well to push away another rasping drive from the lively Lee Shaw.

Grantham doubled their lead only three minutes into the second half when Felipe Barcelos burst into the penalty area to shoot low past Cooper.

Soon after, Barcelos had another well struck effort held by Cooper and followed that by cutting in from the left to hit a right footer inches over.

Will Grocott almost got Town back into the game with a thunderous attempt from distance which was acrobatically beaten away by Preston, but Grantham weren’t going to let a two-goal lead slip away from them again.

With ten minutes to go, Luke Shaw broke down the right and when his centre wasn't properly cleared, Harry Clifton thumped the loose ball home into the top corner from the edge of the area.

And Town’s misery was complete in the 87th minute when Lee Shaw’s precision cross from the right was side-footed in by Barcelos as the Gingerbreads ended the game comfortably in control.

Stratford Town: Niall Cooper, Warren Brooks, Trey Brathwaite, James Fry, Liam Francis, Guy Clark, Dior Angus (Kyle Jaynes 68), Will Grocott, Richard Gregory (c) (Edwin Ahenkorah 62), Jamie Sheldon, Simeon Tulloch.