Market Drayton Town’s players start a gruelling UniBond League South run of three long distance away games in eight days at Brigg Town tomorrow – with a place in Shropshire FA’s showpiece Challenge Cup final at stake.
With defenders Ashley Burd and Marc Stallard cup tied and Jason Francis nursing a nagging rib injury, they know extra squad places will be up for grabs in the final, being played at Shrewsbury Town’s stadium on Tuesday, April 20.
Especially as manager Simon Line insists current, rather than past form will be his yardstick for selection. “You’ve got to pick any cup final team on league form and the lads accept that,” he says.
The Drayton boss hopes his team, unluckily beaten 4-2 at Witton Albion on Good Friday and disappointing in Monday’s 3-1 home defeat by league leaders Mickleover, will accept the challenge.
He said: “We have a run of away games at Brigg Town, Shepshead Dynamo on Tuesday evening and then Carlton the following Saturday before the final.
“They’re very tough fixtures but in a way, they give the lads an opportunity to express themselves. “We didn’t do ourselves justice against Mickleover and our confidence took a big hit.
“But in these games, there’s no danger of relegation; no pressure from playing a big game at home and the lads can go out and enjoy themselves.
“That sort of situation can often work wonders for a team – and having a cup final to look forward to can help as well.”
Town must still be kicking themselves for Monday’s defeat by Mickleover. They didn’t play well but neither did the champions elect and anyone wandering into Greenfields without knowing the teams would never, never, ever believe there’s a 33 points gap between them
But as Line bluntly observed: “Mickleover are doing what we used to do best; even when they are not playing well, they’re working hard, working for each other, battling for every ball and giving real backing to the most skilled men they have in the side in the belief that they’ll swing it”
Line was “very, very disappointed” with Town.
“After some excellent performances in recent games, particularly in the second half on Friday at Witton Albion, although we lost, I really thought we had turned the corner,” he said. “We were unlucky at Witton; not so against Mickleover. We simply didn’t have enough people accepting responsibility for their own jobs, let alone helping their team mates, which has been our great strength in reaching this level of football.”
Mickleover’s opening goals, by the influential feisty Martin Smythe in 10 minutes and Marc Stryzewaki on 20, were down to some Sunday-morning style defending.
Martyn Davies gave Town hope with a 47th minute penalty when Stuart Ellis was pulled down.
But after being refused a second convincing penalty shout and seeing their best attacker, Ellis, send two free headers wide when he should have hit the target, Town lost their way again and Karl Ashton’s soft 75th minute strike only confirmed Line’s viewpoint.
In contrast, a lapse of just nine minutes – plus some inexplicable refereeing – cost Town victory at Witton. Apart from the collapse when Carl Lamb (18 minutes) and Brad Maylett (24 and 27) fired Witton into a 3-0 lead, Town had the promotion-chasing home side struggling for much of a hard-fought, entertaining encounter.
They totally bossed the game for the opening 10 minutes without scoring and after their dramatic defensive collapse, battled back to 3-2 with a superb 25 yard free kick from Stuart Ellis and Tom Rogers’s typical six yard snatch shot on 51 minutes to raise realistic hopes of victory.
But with Witton on the ropes for the final run-in, some totally unrealistic decisions by referee Mr G Etchells sent Town home without a point.
First he turned down a blatant penalty for handball in the box by Brian Pritchard – a real anniversary present for the genial bearded giant of a man playing his 700th game for Witton.
Then he ruled Mark Grice offside for what looked a perfectly valid goal and to cap it all, he awarded Witton a flattering 90th minute penalty, put away by Ronnie Morgan, for what looked a fine tackle by Stallard to dispossess the dangerous Maylett as he sought a hat-trick.
Line admitted: “I talked to the ref about the offside ruling, our penalty appeal and the penalty he gave against us. He knew we were not happy.”
By Terry Morris
