SEPTEMBER 2007

Saturday 1st September

STAMFORD 1-1 ASHTON UNITED

The Daniels picked up their first draw of the new season on Saturday, sharing the spoils with an Ashton United side which was involved in a stalemate for the third time in four matches. This was the most entertaining match of the season so far with superlative goalkeeping displays from Stamford’s Chris Sanna and opposite number Damian Rooney preventing this from being a high scoring encounter.

There was plenty of positive end to end football from both sides during the contest although the Daniels will view this as two points which slipped away. Stamford’s first opportunity fell to Leon Mettam who was unable to turn in a mishit Andy Toyne shot, but it was the visitors who went ahead from their first real attack after 19 minutes. Matt Edgington played the ball in from the right, Tommy Taylor dummied to create space and Iain HOWARD had the freedom of the penalty area to fire home.

The Daniels responded and fit again Adam Jones rose to head goalward from Daniel French’s corner, only for the well placed Ian Bennett to block on the line. End to end football saw Tony Battersby glance a header wide from a French free kick and Sanna save a close range Taylor header.

The tempo increased towards the interval. Sanna went full length to turn away a Taylor effort while at the other end Mettam had a header from a French centre saved by Rooney. Mettam teed up French to volley goalward, Rooney equal to the winger’s effort and then Sanna thwarted Howard who had weaved through the Daniels rearguard.

Stoppage time saw Rooney save superbly from Mettam, while a corner played short to Tyrone Kirk saw the recent recruit cross deep for Battersby to head back across goal with no team mate able to connect. Stamford resumed in positive mood with Mettam just unable to reach a French cross and Kirk having a shot blocked after Lee Colkin’s through pass played him in.

The Daniels deservedly equalised after 58 minutes. Battersby crossed from the right, French’s stinging shot was blocked by Rooney only for KIRK to follow up to net his first Stamford goal. Ashton enjoyed a good spell midway through the half with Sanna pulling two more top drawer saves out of the locker to prevent Taylor from giving the visitors the lead. Anything Sanna could do, Rooney could match and the Ashton custodian brilliantly turned away a French volley from substitute Martin Wormall’s cross before saving Mettam’s stoppage time effort from distance.

Stamford: Sanna, Taylor, White, Colkin (Julian 82), Jones, Toyne, Kirk (Wormall 68), Childs (Hughes 51), Battersby, Mettam, French.

Attendance: 202. Man of the Match: Sanna.

Tuesday 4th September 2007

EASTWOOD TOWN 3-2 STAMFORD AFC 

The Daniels are still searching for their first away reward in the UniBond League after this Tuesday night reverse at Coronation Park. Manager Graham Drury handed Robert Hughes and Martin Wormall places in the starting line up with Kevin Childs and Leon Mettam dropping to the bench.

A bright start to the game saw the Daniels threaten on the flanks through Tyrone Kirk and Daniel French, and Tony Battersby twice went close after good deliveries by French. Good footwork by Kirk saw him shimmy past his marker before bringing a fine save from Alex Goddard in the home goal, while Andy Toyne’s smart turn created an opening only for a deflection to take the ball to safety.

Eastwood had their moments too with Linden Meikle narrowly off target after a solo run and Craig Swinscoe forcing Chris Sanna into a fine save. The Badgers took a 43rd minute lead against the run of play, Anthony Howells taking advantage of a fortunate deflection to cross from the left for Ricky HANSON to convert.

Playing up the slope Stamford levelled after 56 minutes with a stunning 30 yard blast from Scott TAYLOR. Having hauled themselves back into the contest slack marking at a corner proved costly for the Daniels after 63 minutes, SWINSCOE left all alone to bury a header from Meikle’s free kick.

Substitute Mettam had a shot saved before more suicidal defending saw Stamford fall further behind after 74 minutes. They stopped waiting for an anticipated handball in the Eastwood half and when it wasn’t given were caught cold by a ball over the top which sent HOWELLS clear to round Sanna and tap into the empty net. The Daniels looked a beaten side but rallied late on. Mettam had a shot blocked on the line before the home side were reduced to ten men, Paul Mitchell dismissed for a second caution after 89 minutes.

Wormall showed good skills to work an opening only to fire wide of the target and Stamford’s second goal arrived too late to give them hope of any reward, METTAM scrambling in a French cross in the eighth minute of time added on.

Stamford: Sanna, Taylor, White (Julian h/t), Colkin, Jones, Toyne (Childs 69), Kirk, Hughes, Battersby (Mettam 59), Wormall, French.

Saturday 8th September

WHITBY TOWN 6 STAMFORD 3

This was great entertainment for the neutral and the home fans, but not so for the small bunch of travelling fans who made the long trip to the North Yorkshire coast on Saturday. Stamford’s defensive record is now the worst in the division and with three more defenders added to the casualty list on Saturday manager Graham Drury faces a few headaches as the games arrive thick and fast.

The Daniels suffered a pre match setback with skipper Lee Colkin injured in the warm up, so Danny French came into the starting line up with Wayne Hallcro pressed into service on the bench. Once the game started things soon got worse with Alex JANES allowed the freedom of the penalty area to head in Matt Appleby’s corner after just six minutes.

The home keeper made a superb save to keep out Leon Mettam’s fierce shot from the right but the Daniels were on terms after 21 minutes with Mettam setting up strike partner Martin WORMALL for his first goal of the season. Within two minutes Whitby were back in front with Anthony ORMEROD springing the offside trap and running through to score.

Stamford again fought back with METTAM running through the home defence to equalise after 33 minutes. Former Leeds United striker Tony HACKWORTH restored Whitby’s lead after 38 minutes and three minutes later the Daniels lost Scott Taylor to injury with Tony Battersby coming on.

Stamford started the second half well but were rocked after 57 minutes when they were again found wanting at a corner and were punished by APPLEBY. The Daniels were back in the hunt on the hour mark when Adam JONES tapped in from close range.

Whitby ran in two more late goals as Stamford’s patched up defence caved in. HACKWORTH fired home from 25 yards after 85 minutes and then completed his hat trick two minutes from time.

Stamford: Sanna, Taylor (Battersby 41), Julian, Jones (Hallcro 87), White, Burns, Toyne (Kirk 65), French, Mettam, Wormall, Childs.

Tuesday 11th September

STAMFORD 2-2 LEEK TOWN

The evening started off on a very sad note with the minute's silence in memory of Chris Corby - I'd known Chris for nearly 30 years through football and a nicer guy you really couldn't have met.

Once we kicked off with Liam Jacques making his debut from the reserves/Colsterworth Utd in central midfield, it had been a pretty even opening 10 minutes with possibly Leek looking slightly the more threatening when a Tyronne Kirk shot (which was going to go yards wide if truth be told) was diverted goalwards and in by the alert Leon Mettam - a goalscorer's goal that one as he had no time to think about it!

This was followed by some more of the same when a Stamford attack on the left looked to have broken down and the ball ran loose to Daniel French who curled it into the top, far corner with aplomb, taking everyone else by surprise (although I'm sure not himself ).

However, and here's where the good news ends, that was about it from us with regard to actual chances and shots on goal, we had a few minor scrambles and caused some confusion occasionally in the Leek defence but we didn't make the keeper save and we didn't look like scoring again.

And here's where the bad and unfortunately all too familiar news comes back in, no sooner had we gone 2-0 up and I semi-jokingly said that if we get another couple and we might get a point, then lo and behold Leek have a corner from their right and an oh so typical free header goes straight in.

I should state at this point that there will be those with rose-tinted glasses that come on here and say that we had injuries and the ref was awful, both of which are true but Leek were a poor side and the fact that we only created two actual scoring chances and Chris Sanna had several saves to make and there was at least one brave, last-ditch clearance then we wouldn't have even got a point!

Back to the "action" - in fact apart from a couple of good saves from Sanna, an injury to Steve Julian which saw John Burns go to right back and Jonah slide into the middle with Kev coming on in midfield and a nasty looking injury to Frenchy on the stroke of half time that was it for the first half.

Andy Toyne came on for the injured French at the start of the second half, not that you'd have noticed from his "performance" and played wide right with Tyronne Kirk, really the only player to look in the least threatening in the first half, moving over to the left. There then followed half an hour of fairly even but fairly uneventful football with John Burns looking like at last an "old head" was sorting the defence out, a la Martin Matthews. However, it's a hoary old cliche but you defend from the front and Marmie gave the ball away needlessly, not for the first or last time it must be said, and within 30 seconds Leek were level after their player moved forward unchallenged and drilled a shot in from well outside the box all along the ground into the net - well taken but he should never have been allowed to go so far or get a shot in.

At 2-2 I really thought that we would blow it although as it turned out Leek didn't create anything too threatening but to be honest were the more likely to score purely based on possession and the fact they didn't keep giving the ball away or wandering around like lost sheep watching the game happen around them!

In the end the ref put us out of our misery and we escaped with a point.

Stamford... Sanna Jones Julian (Childs) Piecewright White Kirk Burns Jacques French (Toyne) Mettam (Battersby) Wormall

(Match report by Dale "Clipper" Farrow)