Market Drayton Town manager Simon Line is calling upon on his men to round off their see-saw debut UniBond League South season on high note when Lincoln visit Greenfields tomorrow.
“Playing our final game at home offers a great opportunity for us to give supporters a happy end to what’s been a long and difficult season,” he said.
“We’ll be going all out to put the disappointments of Tuesday’s Shropshire Challenge Cup final defeat by Ellesmere Rangers behind us.
“We’ve all had some knocks along the way this season but we’ve all got to remember that beating Lincoln would bring us a total of 56 points – that’s a great achievement in itself, considering we started with a safety target of 40 in mind.
“The lads have been a credit to the club. They’ve always continued to battle, whatever the changes. They’ve established themselves as a squad capable of holding their own at this level and making Drayton’s place in the UniBond again next season safe.
“They were all bitterly disappointed with Tuesday’s final. It was a justifiable result. Ellesmere really did well and deserved it – but also, we simply didn’t play as well as we can.
“Fortunately, we now have a final home game to show what we can do and sign off the season in style.”
By one of those tricks of fate dogging Drayton all season, Tuesday’s defeat was plotted by Matt Burton, who managed them earlier in the season during Line’s three month spell as boss at Hednesford.
Burton declared himself speechless immediately after his side had blitzed the favourites 3-1 at ShrewsburyTown’s Prostar Stadium but was soon back to form, announcing: “I’m over the moon, really, over the moon. This is the first thing I’ve won as a manager and it’s great, just great.”
Ultimately, Rangers beat Drayton at their own game, working their socks off as a team. They were tough in defence, fiery seeking possession and prepared to protect and support their most gifted players with some formidably unselfish running and tackling by others less skilled.
Rangers tore into their clearly nervous opponents with two soft early goals, the first from the burly Gary Meredith and the second a sad affair, keeper Steve Taylor mishandling Andy Reeve’s hard low corner into the net at his near post.
When, one wonders, did a Taylor’s considerable ability last desert him so dramatically?
Drayton pulled back to 2-1 three minutes after the break when Martyn Davies scrambled home his sixth goal in three games and with wing strikers Stuart Ellis and Nicky Porter at last hitting their stride, the whole Town bandwagon began rolling with more style and substance.
But Rangers keeper Andy Mulliner made a couple of bold interceptions to deny David Howells, Davies, Porter and Jamie Haynes and then Burton cannily lowered the pressure on his defence with a substitution.
He introduced a nippy ball-playing Kenny Paul just at a time when Drayton’s defenders appeared to have won the physical battle with some big opponents. With his own rearguard creaking, Paul picked up the ball on the edge of Town’s penalty area, fiddled and faffed in front of goal, drawing in the cover, and then flicked out a chance that right winger Nathan Leonard tucked into the far corner of the net for a killer goal.
Drayton battled back but their efforts lacked conviction and while both sides impressed with some good moves in the closing minutes Rangers remained on course for what could be a great cup and league double – they have five games left to clinch promotion from the Midlands Regional League.
Without stalwarts Paul McMullen, Porter and fit again Jason Francis, who were all rested for the final, Drayton’s defence was also in trouble on Saturday, conceding four goals in the first 46 minutes at Carlton and eventually losing 5-3 in the league.
For half an hour or so Line’s gamble looked like coming good. But two goals in three minutes from Karl Slack left them chasing the game.
A third from Tristram Whitman on the stroke of half time and another by Justin Jenkins seconds into the second half should have sewn things up for Carlton – but Town had other ideas with a spirited comeback bringing two penalties from Davies after fouls on Ellis and Howells. The first marked a personal milestone for Davies, his 100th goal for the club.
“At 4-2 it looked as though we were in with a shout” said Line. “The lads had them rocking.”
But another defensive lapse handed Carlton a crucial fifth on 72 minutes and although Haynes cut the leeway again with a cracking 80th minute free kick, Town’s hopes of clawing back a point were in tatters.
By Terry Morris