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Stretford Paddock FC’s Rhodes Cup journey came to an unfortunate end on Saturday after Mellor Firsts defeated Paddock in their quarter-final clash. The scoreline finished 3-0 to the home side, meaning that Paddock’s cup dream was over as well as their first season in amateur football.

Going into this fixture, it was obvious that Paddock were the clear underdogs in this tie. Before the original league season was null & voided, Mellor sat top of the Premier Division with a flawless record of 6 games, 6 wins and a 20+ goal difference. They also qualified top of their Rhodes Cup group after winning their last group stage game 8-0.

Additionally, manager Stephen Howson was facing his touchline suspension for this game after he was sent off against Manchester Polonia a few weeks ago. As a result, assistant manager Pete Burns and First Team Coach Josh Reed took the reigns for Paddock’s quarter-final clash.

As the rain poured down in Marple, Mellor started the game on the front foot with some early shots from the edge of Paddock’s box which goalkeeper Kian Pearce had to parry away.

15 minutes on the clock, Mellor came inches away from opening the scoring. Mellor’s number 6 had a venomous strike from the edge of the area that crashed against the underside of the crossbar. Luckily, the ball bounced on the goal line before Denzel Kuzakwawo finally cleared the ball away.

Mellor’s early pressure soon paid off, as on the 23rd minute Mellor’s low cross to the back post saw their number 7 bundle the ball across the line after a deflection from Luke Zakian aided the ball into Paddock’s net.

To add to Paddock’s woes, top goalscorer Jay Phillips was forced off with a groin injury with Momen Yousif coming on as his replacement.

1-0 down, Paddock came close to equalising 10 minutes later when Ronaldo Brown’s low driven cross from the right-wing found Okera Simmonds but his tame effort didn’t trouble the Mellor keeper.

The referee blew for half time and Paddock had it all to do in the second half if they wanted any chance of getting to the semi-finals.

But it was Mellor that continued to show their class. Only 60 seconds after the restart, Paddock’s half clearance from a free-kick fell to Mellor’s number 15 on the edge of the area who’s half volley found the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

A few minutes later, Okera Simmonds tried to revive Paddock once more when his shot from the edge of Mellor’s box was easily saved from the goalkeeper.

An hour gone, Paddock continued to fight to get back into the game. But Mellor’s defence stood strong when their left back made a last-ditch challenge to stop Nosa Iyamu converting from Zakian’s cross.

Mellor put the final nail in Paddock’s coffin on the 77th minute when a mazy run from one of their midfielders saw them drive into Paddock’s box, his low cross beat everyone and found Mellor’s number 9 who was able to touch it home.

3-0 down and down to 10 men, Paddock looked like they still had the legs on Mellor. 10 minutes left on the clock, Hamza Aabuzour, Rivaldo Brown and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts came close to getting a consolation goal but it wasn’t meant to be.

The full time whistle went for this game and for Paddock’s season as this 3-0 loss meant that Mellor continued onto the semi-finals of the Rhodes Cup.

Manager Stephen Howson said “We’re extremely gutted at losing to the best team in the entire league system because we set exceptionally high expectations.”

“I am proud of what we have achieved so far. And I want to push on and finish next season with silverware, big scalps and many more adventures.”

“We’ve worked hard to achieve what we’ve done so far during the pandemic. Now we know the standard of what the Premier Division is like, we have a target.”

By Tom Parker

Follow @SPaddockFC on Twitter for live-match updates and subscribe to our YouTube channel for highlights.

Stretford Paddock FC’s limited edition Green & Gold 3rd Jersey is available for pre-order now.

Designed by our new kit supplier – PUMA. We wanted to bring something that football fans would love.

It’s iconic. It means whatever you want it to mean. 50+1. We say it because we believe in it.

This is a strictly limited edition pre-order. Our Green and Gold kit was planned to be launched in time for the 22/23 season, but popular demand has seen this timeline rushed forward. As this is an entirely custom kit, and not off the shelf, there is still a manufacturing process that is required to take place. This is fixed at 16 weeks. We expect delivery in approx September and will distribute immediately. Pre-order will run for one month, 1st May until 31st May 2021. No new orders can be taken after that date.

To pre-order follow this link – Stretford Paddock Green & Gold Puma Shirt

or visit the club shop on the menu above.

Kit design in collaboration with @KonceptKits

Manager Stephen Howson said that Stretford Paddock will have “a formidable task” to qualify for the Rhodes Cup quarter-finals when his side visit Abacus Media on Saturday (2pm KO).

After back-to-back 4-0 victories, Paddock have propelled themselves into a position where a victory on the weekend will guarantee progression to the quarter-final stages.

With Group D’s top two sides playing each other on the weekend – Manchester Polonia and North Walkden – a victory for either team would mean Paddock would just need a draw to escape the group.

But with no guarantees, Howson’s men will be setting their sights on nothing but victory, fully in the knowledge that Abacus also need three points to move into the next round.

“We’ve got a formidable task,” said Howson, “Abacus sound like they’re a good side, they’ve been doing well in the Premier Division before that got cut short.

“They’ve gone and took on a team today and put five past them where we got shut out, so you can’t take them lightly, you’ve got to go and take the game to them. You’ve got to go and try and beat them and that is exactly what we’ll be doing.

“I think it is probably also in their hands [Abacus] that if they beat us that they’re in the quarter-finals so it’s all on the cards for both teams here. Both teams are going to go for it, maybe that suits us because a draw is not enough for them, I think they have to come out and beat us, they have to come and score. Sound, let’s go toe-to-toe, let’s have a tear up, and let’s see who’s standing at the end.”

Follow @SPaddockFC on Twitter for live-match updates and subscribe to our YouTube channel for highlights.

By Ethan James

After the 4-0 demolishing of Signol Old Boys, Manager Stephen Howson will be reorganising his Stretford Paddock troops for battle against High Lane this Saturday (3 pm KO).

In what has been described as a ‘must win’ clash for Paddock, both teams find themselves locked on four points in the 20/21 Rhodes Cup group stages.

Howson’s men find themselves a place higher and with a better goal difference than this weekend’s hosts, as both clubs fight to make up ground on North Walkden and Manchester Polonia in an attempt to escape Group D.

High Lane entered the group stages from AFL Lancashire and Cheshire Premier League – a division above Paddock – but found themselves having only played three matches and winless.

“I don’t know anything about them – I know that they’ve struggled in the Premier League this season but that means nothing,” said Howson, “I know everybody has got the opportunity to be difficult on any game.”

Paddock come into the fixture having claimed their first win of the group stages last weekend – a 4-0 thrashing of Signol Old Boys – with Howson’s side recording their first-ever clean sheet and now hoping to gain some momentum.

“I think the clean sheet is bigger than anything – we’ve scored four goals before, we’ve scored more than four goals before.

“The thing about playing us is that no one gives up. I think the gift of the curse of having the camera there is nobody gives up, nobody wants to be on YouTube having seven, eight, nine slots past them. So we have everyone on their best day – no one’s had a bad game against us.

“I don’t think we’ve been outplayed once – and we’ve lost games – but we’ve had chances to win those games in every instance.

“We need two games to guarantee [progression into the knockout rounds]. How do we get through? The simple thing is we win both games and there’s a weird set of circumstances for us not to progress. So, we’re almost guaranteed to go through if we win both games.

“I like the pressure of that, I think our lads might perform better when the pressure is on us a little bit.”

Due to our participation in this weekend’s social media blackout – a show of solidarity against racism and online abuse– we will not be posting our usual live-match updates on Twitter.

Full highlights of the match will be posted on our YouTube channel after the blackout.

Follow @SPaddockFC on Twitter and @stretfordpaddck on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel for highlights.

Catch Up With Our Last Game:

Manager Stephen Howson compared James Oatt’s sacrifices to Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidic as the defender picked up April Player of the Month.

Oattsy’s outstanding month started with winning a penalty in the last-minute against Manchester Polonia, which Okera Simmonds then dispatched to steal a point.

A bitterly disappointing 3-0 defeat to North Walkden soon followed, but an injured and selfless Oattsy volunteered to go in the sticks for the second half in replacement of his injured goalkeeper.

Last weekend, Paddock’s number 27 was instrumental in a 4-0 victory over Signol Old Boys with the club claiming their first-ever competitive cleansheet.

“What Oattsy epitomised this month was sacrifice for the team,” said a proud Howson. “In the first game we had a new defensive shape at set pieces and corners and it was Oattsy’s job to get his head on stuff, in a Vidic style of doing it, just clearing anything that comes into his zone – which he did very well.

“He did so well he got a cut on his eyebrow which is the most Vidic thing I could think of anyone doing.

“Looking at the range of tasks that he had to do, his enthusiasm when being asked to do any job, his teamwork and sacrifice, he is everything a team player should be. A well-deserved Player of the Month award.” 

Oattsy and Stretford Paddock FC take on High Lane in a must-win clash this Saturday (3pm KO) as both teams look to progress from the Lancashire & Cheshire AFL Rhodes Club Group D.

Follow @SPaddockFC on Twitter for live-match updates and subscribe to our YouTube channel for highlights.

Stretford Paddock FC are delighted to announce a four year deal with Puma to become the exclusive technical sponsor of the club and Puma Teamwear to be recognised as the club’s authorised supplier of kit and training wear. The deal comes into effect at end of the Rhodes Cup campaign, and will see Puma supply kits for the firsts and reserves sides as well as our new development squad.

Chairman and Manager Stephen Howson had the following to say on the announcement of the deal:

“This is an exciting deal for the club, I was looking for a partnership that matched a few essential criteria when it came to our new kit supplier. Puma can deliver a professional and high quality product, but do that with a hands on customer service, too. I was very keen to work with Puma once they discussed the kind of activations and access available to us. A four year commitment also demonstrates their faith in what we are doing as a club. I’m looking forward to working with the team.”

Martin Ivison from Puma UK said:

“Everyone at Puma is really excited and looking forward to starting our new partnership with Stretford Paddock FC, and it will be great to see the team run out onto the pitch in Puma next season. Stretford Paddock is a club which is clearly ambitious, and we are delighted to be their Kit Supplier for the next 4 seasons. We look forward to a long and successful partnership.”

Home & Away Kit will be available to the public on June 1st. Members & Patreons will be sent a link out on Monday 3rd of May, to pre-order.

The Green & Gold 3rd kit, which was originally planned for release for the 22/23 season, has been brought forward due to popular demand, and will be available to public pre-order on Friday 30th April. Further details to follow.

Visit the Puma Teamwear website here: https://www.pumateamwear.com/