Droylsden F.C.-The bloods on the net!

STAFFORD RANGERS 2 – 1 DROYLSDEN

BLUE SQUARE PREMIER – Saturday 26 April 2008

Report by Gary Owen

The Bloods unfortunately lost out in this, the battle of the wooden spoon, and collected their tenth red card of the season in the process.

Robbie Talbot and Terry Fearns both had early efforts for Droylsden as the visitors began the brightest, but a calamitous error by Kevin Lynch led to Stafford opening the scoring on 13 minutes. The Droylsden midfielder dwelt on the ball in his own box, and he was robbed by Nick Wellecomme, who squared for veteran Neil Grayson to score from just 8 yards out.

Moments later, Lynch had to be replaced through injury by former Stafford man Ged Murphy, but his return to Marston Road lasted barely fifteen minutes until he saw red for an apparent elbow on Jonathan Loukes.

Whilst Murphy was on the pitch, though, he saw Ishmale Reid shoot at Paul Phillips from an angle, and them himself combined with Fearns to create an opportunity for Talbot, but the striker scuffed his shot wide of the mark.

The home side had claims for a penalty denied on 20 minutes when Grayson felt he had been fouled, but the referee waved play on, and then awarded a free-kick the other way for a foul by the frustrated Grayson.

Jamie McGuire then volleyed over, and Loukes had a shot go off target for the home side, before the man in the middle dismissed Murphy and then brought the first half to a close.

The Bloods were out of the tunnel first for the re-start, and were quickest out of the blocks at the whistle, too. They drew level on 51 minutes when Sean Newton's deflected free-kick flew into the top corner after Talbot had been fouled, much to the delight of the significant travelling contingent - more than half of whom had marked Droylsden's final game of the season by turning-up in fancy dress (including yours truly!)

Stafford responded through Grayson, whose shot was too high, and then a great run by man-of-the-match Djoumin Sangare was cleared by Colin Cryan, but only as far as Grayson, whose shot was blocked.

On 69 minutes, Stafford scored the winner when a clearance by The Bloods' defence was charged-down, and Wellcomme picked his spot by curling the ball beyond the reach of Phillips and into the net off the far post from the edge of the box.

The ten men of Droylsden failed to test Danny Allcock any further, with Damion Jarrett seeing his shot saved by Phillips and the Chris Flynn shooting over the bar before Mr. Pawson brought the season to a close, leaving both of these sides to consider what might have been, before re-grouping next term for what will no doubt be another challenging season in the Blue Square North.

TEAMS:

DROYLSDEN

Phillips, Roche, Newton, Cryan, Strong, Lynch (Murphy, 1'), McGuire, Burbeary, Talbot (Dugdale, 75'), Fearns, Ellis (Halford, 46').

Sub. not used Denham, Dugdale, Williams

STAFFORD R.

Allcock, Gibson, Sangare, Sutton, Daniel, Flynn, Loukes, Jarrett, Reid (Smith, 86'), Grayson, Wellcomme

Subs. not used Ingram, Richards, Hopkinson, Allen.

ATTENDANCE: 685

REFEREE: Mr. Craig Pawson (Sheffield, South Yorkshire)