Commitment, goals, controversy

Kidsgrove Athletic 2 Chasetown 3…I’m not normally a League Cup person, preferring league games to cup ties whatever the competition. But if the dramas served up in my two flirtations with the Doodson Sport Cup this season are any guide I’ve probably changed my opinion of the type of competition in which many sides rest key players. Last month in the First Round, Romulus and Stafford Rangers served up a dramatic 2-2 draw, which Rangers won on penalties. Tonight, in the Second Round, Kidsgrove and Chasetown served up a thrilling contest full of commitment, goals and controversy. Penalties became a distinct possibility as Kidsgrove fought back from 3-0 down to come within a foot of forcing another penalty shoot-out.

While Stafford Rangers headed to Loughborough Dynamo tonight (and lost 4-2), I headed for the Seddon Stadium, a ground that became familiar in 2008. Following the sad death of the legendary Peter Hallett, my stint as a roving non-league reporter for The Sentinel saw me cover Kidsgrove’s games against Gresley Rovers, Glapwell and Willenhall Town.

Arriving tonight in the nick of time because of having to visit two pubs en-route in search of a forthcoming meal venue, programmes were still available at the turnstile and a teamsheet pinned up in the tea bar. Line-ups were also announced over the PA as were every goal and substitution.

There is no doubting that the Seddon Stadium on Hollinwood Road is an impressive step four venue. The sloping playing surface is flanked on all four sides with seated stands, some with blue seats and most with orange ones [which I speculate originated either Vale Park or Bloomfield Road]. I challenge anyone to name another ground at this level with seats on all four sides of the pitch.

As an added twist, tonight’s tie was an exact repeat of Saturday when Kidsgrove came from behind to defeat, wait for it, Chasetown 2-1 in a league game played at the Seddon Stadium. After Paul Sullivan put Chasetown in front on 43 minutes, Thomas Wakefield quickly equalised before half-time and Nathan Chinn-Shaw scored Kidsgrove’s winner on 72 minutes. Following that win, Kidsgrove (13 points from 19 games) remained in 20th position in the Evo-Stik League Division One South table while Chasetown (19 points from 19 games) slipped to 17th.

Chasetown (in red) got the game underway attacking down the slope and, in a face-paced start, should have been awarded a 6th-minute penalty and a man advantage. Ashley Whitehead, the last defender, appeared to haul down Danny Smith, yet Mr Mycock amazed everyone by waiving play on. In the next attack, a shot from Nick Wellecomme hit a defender on the arm inside the area but again the referee wasn’t interested.

“That’s two now,” someone shouted towards the referee, presumably referring to two decent shouts for a penalty, though I was with the match official on the second incident.

Chasetown kept up the pressure on the Kidsgrove defence and only a double save from goalkeeper Danny Read to first deny Wellecomme and then Joe Halsall.

Eventually, the deadlock was broken just after the midpoint of the first half. Ramone Stephens ran at pace down the left and crossed low into the area where Simon Brown ran in to thump a low first-time shot past Read from around 6 yards out.

The evening for a Chasetown fan stood near me got even better when I told him the time of the goal. Good news for him as he had ticket ‘24’ so no need to check what my goalden goal ticket, actually ‘78’.

The announcement soon after of the winning raffle ticket numbers wasn’t good news either. 201–205 not even close to my 271–275.

Just after the half-hour mark, the bravery of Chasetown goalkeeper Ryan Price prevented an equaliser from Nathan Chinn-Shaw, who I remember starring for Meir KA a few years ago.

The save turned out to be a vital one as Chasetown doubled their lead just before half-time. Read picked up a booking for bringing down Danny Smith inside the area and smashed home the resulting penalty. Smith, incidentally, scored the goal against Port Vale which put Chasetown into the FA Cup Third Round six years ago.

Half-time failed to put a break on the visitors and they scored again in the 49th minute to seemingly put the outcome beyond doubt. Read did well to save an initial shot from Danny Smith but former Brocton and Stafford Rangers striker Wellecomme converted the rebound, via the hands of the goalkeeper.

Danny Smith and Wellecomme soon combined again though, this time, the latter fired wide. As Chasetown continued to pressurise the Kidsgrove defence, Wellecomme put the ball in the back off the net and Read dropped a free-kick, only for the referee to spot an infringement.

The tie wasn’t over as Kidgrove pulled a goal back with 20 minutes plus stoppage time remaining. Chris Smith played a free-kick forward into the area from 40 yards out and Karl Espley glanced a header past Price.

“We are going to win 4-3,” sang the small group of fans behind the goal.

They were right to be optimistic and 1-3 became 2-3 in the 79th minute. Substitute Ryan Grocott sent a 25-yard drive through a crowded area and past unsighted Price.

Kidsgrove had one last chance in stoppage to force what had earlier looked an unlikely penalty shoot-out. Brandon Mighten fizzed a low diagonal shot from the right across the face of goal and barely a foot wide of the far post.

So Chasetown avenged Saturday’s league defeat at the Seddon Stadium and now await the Third Round draw. One name that will be missing is that of Stafford Rangers who lost 4-2 at Loughborough Dynamo tonight.

Tuesday 3rd December 2013
Kidsgrove Athletic 2 Chasetown 3
Doodson Sport Cup Second Round
At: Seddon Stadium, Hollinwoth Road
Kick-off: 7-45 pm
Admission: £7; Programme: £2 (36 pages)
Weather: cold, damp

Kidsgrove Athletic (blue/blue/blue): 1. Danny Read, 2. Ashley Whitehead, 3. Andrew Taylor (capt), 4. Chris Smith, 5. Wayne Johnson, 6. Karl Espley, 7. Nathan Chinn-Shaw, 8. Michael Carr, 9. Matt Haddrell, 10. Aiden Matranga, 11. Ryan Smith. Subs: 12. Kevin Street (not used), 14. Thomas Wakefield (for Espley, 79), 15. Ryan Grocott (for Chinn-Shaw, 67), 16. Brandon Mighten (for Ryan Smith, 67), 17. Paul Taylor (not used). Manager: Anthony Buckle.

Chasetown (red/red/red): 1. Ryan Price, 2. Jack Farmer, 3. Louis Keenan, 4. Chris Slater (capt), 5. Tesfa Robinson, 6. Joe Halsall, 7. Simon Brown, 8. Daniel Bragoli, 9. Nick Wellecomme, 10. Danny Smith, 11. Ramone Stephens. Subs: 12. Tyrone Williams (not used), 14. Grant Beckett (not used), 15. Craig Bannister (for Danny Smith, 87), 16. Lee Butler (for Stephens, 74), 17. Paul Sullivan (not used). Manager: Craig Harris.

Referee: Steven Mycock.
Assistants: Paul Connett and Jonathan Blower.

Attendance: 66
Duration: first-half: 45:00; second-half: 48:09

Goals:
0-1 Simon Brown (24)
0-2 Simon Brown (43 pen)
0-3 Nick Wellecomme (49)
1-3 Karl Espley (70)
2-3 Ryan Grocott (79)

Cards:
Kidsgrove: Michael Carr (YC, 38), Danny Read (YC, 42), Andrew Taylor (YC, 90)
Chasetown: Tesfa Robinson (YC, 61), Jack Farmer (YC, 65)

Sutton Coldfield Town 4 Kidsgrove Athletic 3

Saturday 29th December 2012
Sutton Coldfield Town 4 Kidsgrove Athletic 3
Evo-Stik League Northern Premier Division One South
At: Coles Lane
Kick-off: 3-00pm
Admission: £7; Programme: £1-20 (24 pages)
Weather: showers, heavy at times
Attendance: 170
Duration: first-half: 47:00; second-half: 48:50 

“That was one hell of a comeback”, said one supporter at full-time after Sutton Coldfield recovered from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Kidsgrove 4-3 with a spectacular winning goal scored by Luke Chapman. Sutton’s four-goal haul included a ‘double’ from Mark Danks who took his tally since joining the Royals to ten goals in eight games. He gave Sutton an early lead before Kidsgrove responded with three unanswered goals including two in four minutes from Andy Kinsey. The Royals fought back through Danks, Jamie Sheldon and Chapman’s unstoppable 35-yard screamer to make it four league wins in a row. 

I fancied this game whatever the weather as it pitted a decent and entertaining Sutton Coldfield side against Kidsgrove who I’ve got fond memories of visiting several times during my stint with The Sentinel. It turned out that only a handful of non-league games on grass throughout the Midlands survived the rain and none locally. 

As I mentioned on Boxing Day in my blog of the 2-0 win over Halesowen Town, Sutton are chasing promotion to the Premier Division and went into this game in third position with 24 points from 24 games. Kidsgrove, however, found themselves at the wrong end of the table in 19th position with 23 points from 22 games. 

Several other familiar faces had the same idea as me with ‘Stourbridge Tim’, ‘Gornal Grumpy Dwarf’, ‘Albion Steve’ and ‘Albion Paul’ also at Coles Lane this afternoon. Teamsheets were available in the clubhouse foyer – much appreciated! 

Kidsgrove (in a change kit of all red) got the game underway attacking the car park end in the first half – right to left in relation to my seat in the stand. 

The first decent chance came in the 11th minute when a miss-directed pass from the Kidsgrove midfield ended up at the feet of Daryl Taylor on the right. He fed Luke Chapman who saw a low near-post shot kept out by the boot of Dave Dyson. As the game came to life, Kristian Ramsey-Dickson fired low across the face of goal in Sutton’s next attack. 

It was no surprise when Sutton took the lead in the 17th minute when Mark Danks beat one defender before firing low past Dyson from 15 yards out. 

Like Boxing Day, the Sutton defence looked tight and in no mood to concede. No sooner had I jotted down this comment… a lapse at the back gifted a goal to Kidsgrove in the 34th minute. Liam Shotton, brother of Stoke’s Ryan, crossed low from the right-bye line and unmarked Kinsey fired home the equaliser at close range. 

Louis Keenan thumped a 21-yard free-kick inches wide of the right-hand post before Kinsey struck again to give Kidsgrove an unexpected lead. The prolific striker had time to pick his spot before shooting past Lee Evans from a few yards out. 

Sutton quickly responded only to have a ‘goal’ disallowed for offside. Taylor’s weak shot rolled into the net past Dyson but Kristian Ramsay-Dickson was flagged offside for interference in front of goal. 

Heavy rain before and during half-time kept me firmly in my seat though ‘Albion Steve’ decided to brave the elements to pick up the half-time scores, especially for his Albion at Old Trafford and rivals Villa at home to Wigan. 

At 1-2, I felt that the first goal of the second half would determine which side would claim the three points. Shotton went close as he beat Evans with a 20-yard shot which narrowly missed the target. 

It was Kidsgrove who scored the next goal six minutes after the restart. Evans needed to leave his line for the edge of the area and prevented Shane Reaney from getting in a shot. The ball, however, was laid back to Dan Skelton who drove into an empty net from 25 yards out. 

If my theory was correct, then game over and three points for Kidsgrove. 

Wrong. Neil Tooth made a bold change by replacing a defender, Keenan, with a forward, Jamie Sheldon, and the move paid dividends within three minutes of the substitute’s arrival. Ramsay-Dickson found Taylor on the right who crossed to the far post where Sheldon sent a right-foot shot past the partly unsighted Dyson to make it 2-3. 

The comeback continued in the 71st minute. A long throw from the right by Ramsay-Dickson into the area wasn’t cleared and Danks’ low shot found the bottom-left corner of the net to make it 3-3. 

With their tails up, Sutton won a corner which Sheldon delivered into the area. Ramsay-Dickson powered a first-time header towards goal which Jack Sherratt headed off the line. 

Pressure continued and eventually Sutton bagged the winner in the 81st minute. And what a goal. Luke Chapman picked up the ball 35-yards out and hit an unstoppage swerving 35-yarder which gave Dyson no chance whatsoever of keeping out. 4-3 to Sutton. 

Sutton made a couple of further changes – including the welcome re-appearance of Stuart McNaught at Coles Lane who has recovered from a broken leg. 

With just one other Division One South game surviving the weather – Brigg Town 3 Rainworth Miners Welfare 2 – Sutton took full advantage of their rivals’ inactivity to move level on points with second-placed Stamford AFC. 

So that wraps up my 116th and final game of 2012, a year which has brought me a mammoth 524 goals – at an average of 4.5 per game – and just one goalless draw. Local trips have dominated the past two months and I look forward to continuing this next year mixed in with some longer journeys. 

Sutton Coldfield Town (blue/blue/blue): 1. Lee Evans, 2. Scott Lycett, 3. Louis Keenan, 4. Lee Parsons (capt), 5. Joel Kettle, 6. Phil Male, 7. Daryl Taylor, 8. Danny Edwards, 9. Kristian Ramsey-Dickson, 10. Mark Danks, 11. Luke Chapman. Subs: 12. Jamie Sheldon (for Keenan, 54), 14. Reece Leek (for Taylor, 86), 15. Carlos Thompson (not used), 16. Stuart McNaught (for Danks, 90), 17gk. Jake Bedford (not used). Manager: Neil Tooth. 

Kidsgrove Athletic (red/red/red): 1. Dave Dyson, 2. James Curley, 3. Paul Taylor, 4. Paul Donnelly (capt), 5. Phil Parkinson, 6. Karl Espley, 7. Shane Reaney, 8. Dan Skelton, 9. Liam Shotton, 10. Andy Kinsey, 11. Jack Sherratt. Subs: 12. Alan Nagington (for Reaney, 87), 14. John Johnston (for Sherratt, 77), 15. Ashley Hill (not used), 16. Jordan White (not used), 17. Kevin Street (not used). Manager: Shaun Hollinshead. 

Referee: Kevin Andrews.
Assistants: Shaun Willoughby and Andrew Stickley. 

Goals:
1-0 Mark Danks (17)
1-1 Andy Kinsey (34)
1-2 Andy Kinsey (38)
1-3 Dan Skelton (51)
2-3 Jamie Sheldon (57)
3-3 Mark Danks (71)
4-3 Luke Chapman (81) 

Cards:
Sutton Coldfield: Lee Parsons (YC, 82), Phil Male (YC, 85)
Kidsgrove: Karl Espley (YC, 90+2) 

Photo on programme cover by Ian Hartwell

Sutton Coldfield Town 0 Kidsgrove Athletic 2

Saturday 4th February 2012
Sutton Coldfield Town 0 Kidsgrove Athletic 2
Evo-Stik League Division 1 South
At: Coles Lane
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Admission: £7; Programme: £1-20p (24 pages)
Attendance: 141
Weather: snow
Duration: first-half: 45:46; second-half: 41:48 or c47:00

On a day when the wintry weather claimed the vast majority of non-league games, the players of Sutton Coldfield Town and Kidsgrove Athletic coped admirably with blizzard conditions on the snow-covered Coles Lane 3G pitch. After a goalless first half of few clear-cut chances, the finishing of Liam Shotton proved the difference between the teams as the striker netted both goals to give in-form Kidsgrove a 2-0 victory.

After days of sub-zero temperatures, it was no surprise yesterday evening and this morning to read about postponement after postponement on the Non-League Matters Forum. Indeed, once I’d decided not to head to Wigan v Everton or the evening rugby league at Salford City Reds, it was a case of which 3G pitch to head for. Fortunately, I opted for the easy option of Sutton Coldfield by train rather than a ‘new ground’ at either Salford Victoria or Manchester Gregorians. A good decision on two counts: Salford Vics was off and the afternoon snow would have given a ‘horrible’ drive back to Stafford from Sutton.

Snow started to fall as the train pulled into the station around 1-30 pm and grew heavier as I walked to the ground. Programmes were on sale by the entrance next to the stand. I was last at Coles Lane in 2006 and don’t think anything has changed apart from the playing surface. The tall stand with changing rooms below was still there as was the cover behind the right-hand goal and the cover on the far side near the clubhouse. I did spot some terracing on the far side of the stand.

Teamsheets were available though a late change saw Liam Shotton move up from the bench in place of Dave Walker in the Kidsgrove starting line-up. One player I was hoping to see in action this afternoon was former Stafford Rangers defender Ed Booth, Unknown to me, however, he left Sutton for Rugby Town in November after making 203 appearances for the Royals. 

Looking at the Division 1 South table, Sutton Coldfield (44 points from 29 games) stood in eighth position, five points off the play-off zone. Poor recent form of just one win from their last seven games had hit their promising promotion bid. In contrast, Kidsgrove (34 points from 28 games) had eased their earlier relegation fears with a run of six league games without defeat to move up the table to 13th position. Topping the table were Neil Grayson’s Carlton Town on goal difference from Grantham Town.

Sutton Coldfield Town (in all blue) got the game underway attacking the clubhouse end in the first half, right to left in relation to my seat in the stand. The only thing of note during the opening 14 minutes was a booking for Kidsgrove defender Paul Taylor. Around the quarter hour mark, Sutton had a couple of opportunities but Scott Rickards fired a free-kick against the wall and Jon Jones headed wide from Matt Jackson’s left-wing cross.

Managed by Peter Ward, the January Evo-Stik League Division 1 South Manager of the Month, Kidsgrove were inches away from taking a 17th minute lead. From a foul on Andy Kinsey on the left, Ash Carter delivered the resulting free-kick to the far right post where Paul Taylor ran in to fire just wide.

The Royals went even closer to taking the lead on the half-hour. Andy Taylor was booked for a trip on Jon Jones just outside the Kidsgrove area and Mark Bellingham hit the left-hand post with a left-foot free-kick.

With snow continuing to steadily fall and the greenness of the pitch fast disappearing, Luke Chapman looked to catch out Grove goalkeeper Steve Hodgson from 30 yards out with the ball dipping over the bar.

Both sides created a chance each just before the interval. Paul Taylor drove over the Sutton bar and, in stoppage time, Bellingham sent a well-struck free-kick across the face of goal and not too far wide of the far left post.

So, goalless at the interval and out came several officials to sweep snow from the obscured pitch markings. I headed for the tea bar at the side of the clubhouse behind the goal!

Now attacking the clubhouse end, Liam Shotton broke down the right a minute after the restart and cut in before firing low into the near sidenetting. By now, players were forced to play in a proper blizzard.

Shotton was certainly troubling the home defence and played a low ball across the face of goal which the sliding Karl Charlton couldn’t quite reach.

Two minutes later in the 58th minute, Charlton and Shotton combined to beat the offside trap. Shotton got clear and beat the advancing goalkeeper Niall Cooper before slotting into an empty net.

The PA announcement of the “golden goal time 58th minute” reminded me about the scratch card I’d bought earlier. As I revealed the time on my card, hopes were raised with a second digit of ‘8’. Alas, the first digit was ‘6’.

Shotton, who returned to Kidsgrove in December following a spell with Stafford Rangers, doubled his side’s advantage in the 66th minute. Once again the Sutton defence was opened up with another perfect throughball from Charlton which Shotton fired home despite the attentions of Cooper and two defenders.

With the pitch completely covered in snow and not even a hint of green visible, I felt the referee was becoming concerned about the lines being obscured. He was, and called a temporary halt to the game in the 78th minute. “Five minutes break,” the referee announced as players returned to the changing rooms while the lines were again swept clear of snow.

Even though snow persisted, the game resumed after a break of around six minutes with a Kidsgrove throw-in on the far side. Little of note happened up to the full-time whistle, other than a glancing header from Charlton which Cooper held.

During the closing stages, I overheard one spectator in the stand wearing a red Walsall hat comment that “it must be 28 years since I’ve seen a game in conditions like this”. It made about think about snowy games I’d seen – Nottingham United in 2010 and Stafford Rangers v Altrincham in 2005 immediately came to mind. Neither had snow falling during the game. 

At the top of the drive on Coles Lane, I had another chat with ‘Groundhopper Dave’ who had a far more treacherous journey home than me to face.

As a footnote, just two Evo-Stik League games survived the weather, both on 3G pitches: the one I saw at Sutton and another at Durham. The scheduled game at Woodley Sports on the league other 3G pitch was postponed due to snow as was Salford Victoria’s Manchester League game. Manchester Gregorians did play on a 3G pitch at Platt Lane as did Salford City Reds on a snow-covered pitch.

Sutton Coldfield Town (blue/blue/blue): 1. Niall Cooper, 2. Nick Heath, 3. Matt Jackson, 4. Jon Jones, 5. Gareth Johnson, 6. Luke Edwards, 7. Matt Dodd, 8. Scott Rickards (capt), 9. Chris Gumery, 10. Mark Bellingham, 11. Luke Chapman. Subs: 12. Lee Parsons (not used), 14. Jimmy Quiggan (not used), 15. Marcell Simpson (for Johnson, 56), 16. Lyndon Weller (for Heath, 66), 17. Joel Fuller (for Rickards, 38). Manager: Chris Keogh.

Kidsgrove Athletic (red/red/red): 1. Steve Hodgson, 2. Danny Smith, 3. Paul Taylor, 4. Andy Taylor, 5. Jonathan Crompton, 6. Karl Charlton, 7. Ross Davidson, 8. Craig Dove, 9. Liam Shotton, 10. Andy Kinsey, 11. Ash Carter. Subs: 12. Sam Hall, 14. Dave Walker (not used), 15. Geoff Basford (not used), 16. Daniel Bull (not used), 17. Andrew Turner (not used). Manager: Peter Ward.

Referee: Bruce Rogers.
Assistants: Matt Giblin and John Harris.

Goals:
0-1 Liam Shotton (58)
0-2 Liam Shotton (66)

Cards:
Sutton: Jon Jones (YC, 56)
Kidsgrove: Paul Taylor (YC, 9), Andy Taylor (YC, 29), Craig Dove (YC, 55)