News

by Casey Evans

Stretford Paddock FC were made to rue missed chances again in their home fixture against Hadfield Athletic last Saturday, and after a hard-fought game the honours were even in a 2-2 draw.

Set pieces were a big part of Hadfield’s game and this was obvious from the get-go, as they set up in the box for a long throw to make use of their tall, powerful players and within 5 minutes they were ahead as Hadfield swung in a free kick and it was met in the box and slotted home. The visitors were up 1-0.

Paddock struggled to find their feet early on but soon they were able to string together a nice move which put forward Rivaldo Brown clean through on the right-hand side of the box and he calmly slotted home to level up the scores and make it 1-1.

Rivaldo had a chance to double his tally soon after, breaking through and finding himself again one on one with the keeper, but this time he went for power and unfortunately blasted it clean over.

The story was much the same from the week prior, where Paddock were creating high quality chances but unable to slot them home. Adam Ashton unfortunately fell trying to get on the end of a good ball in and couldn’t get it in the back of the net in the resulting scramble.

Paddock went into the half with the scores tied at 1-1 and Stephen Howson, who was back in the technical area for this game, would have been disappointed as he would have wanted his team to go in front first and stay in front.

The second half showed much of the same, with both sides making good chances and a few last ditch challenges from Hopley and Hobson being the difference in the state of play. Unfortunately in the 59^th minute, Hopley tried to dispossess Hadfield in his own box and gave away a penalty to Hadfield which they converted to make the score 2-1.

To add more of a headache to the coaches in the Paddock dugout, Hopley unfortunately suffered an injury whilst making a challenge and had to be subbed off with Paddock again searching for an equaliser.

New signing Gabriel Fernandes looked good on the ball and almost found the equaliser with a stunning free kick which seemed to dip out of nowhere, but unfortunately the ball struck the cross bar and Hadfield were able to clear.

In the 83^rd minute Paddock got their chance. Fernandes received the ball in the centre of midfield and made an inch perfect pass over the defence to find Jay Phillips, who controlled the ball well and found himself clean through and slotted it home, taking his tally to five for the season and putting Paddock back in the game with around ten minutes to go.

However, neither side were able to capitalise with a deciding goal and the game ended in a 2-2 draw. This was disappointing for both sides as it saw Hadfield remain in 3^rd and Paddock remain in 4^th with four sides in the league now on 10 points.

Manager Stephen Howson said: “Yeah I didn’t want to bounce back I wanted them to fight back and I wanted them to fight and work hard for what was hopefully going to be a win, obviously it wasn’t a win and the draw feels like a loss”

“Obviously there was a lot of fight shown in that. What we did do is play some wonderful football today, some wonderful one and two touch which is obviously what we’re all about and I think some teams come here and think they can play football against us and after ten minutes, it’s no coincidence everybody sits back on their laurels.

“The problem we’ve got at the moment is that it works when they do that and you can nullify us by getting everyone behind the ball. We got done by a set piece again and a penalty but like I said but like I said the result is all that matters.

“Ultimately we’re here to win and we didn’t win today so I’m not happy.”

Stretford Paddock will continue their campaign at home on the 24^th of October against Moston Brook.

By Casey Evans

Stretford Paddock FC unfortunately fell to a 2-0 defeat to Newton FC in their first of their three consecutive home fixtures but will be hoping to bounce back with a win on the 17th October against Hadfield Athletic AFC.

Missed chances were the order of the day for Paddock in their first loss of the season, they created multiple chances to get back into the game after suffering two goals in the first half, the second of which being a freak deflection which hit the post then went in off the back of Hart. However, Paddock were unable to convert any of these shots and that is something they will be hoping to improve on, against Hadfield.

Hadfield on the other hand are coming into this game on the back of a win against Signol Old Boys, where they dished out a 6-2 defeat to the away side. They currently sit just above Stretford Paddock in the table in 3rd, with one more goal difference than Stephen Howson’s side.

A win for either side could see them move up into the top spot in the table, so it will be a tough fixture for Paddock.

Manager Stephen Howson said: “It’s good to be back in the dugout this weekend after my brief stint in isolation, for the visit of Hadfield Athletic, looking at their results so far this season, it looks like they’ll be a formidable opposition. It seems like the game is going ahead despite the talk of Manchester heading towards a Tier 3 lockdown.

“We’ve been asked to discourage people from attending, but those who do, are able to do so in a socially distanced and safe manner as there is plenty of space around the pitch.

“I was extremely disappointed with the failure of the team to convert chances in to goals last weekend, and I’ve had the lads working hard on rectifying that in training this week. Bouncing back from a defeat is important. The ability to do that shows resolve and character and I believe in this group to do just that.

“We’re still without several key players due to injury and suspension, but we also have newly registered players who will be making their debuts this weekend, too. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes at the club to be excited about. I’d like what happens on the pitch to start reflecting the work of the players and staff, too.”

To echo the words of the manager, we ask that if you or anyone in your household is suffering from COVID symptoms, please do not attend the ground so we can continue to operate safely in these uncertain times.

We also ask that you have the NHS Track and Trace app downloaded on your phone, as we will be scanning them on entry.

by Casey Evans

Stretford Paddock FC fell to their first defeat of the season against Newton FC on Saturday after winning their first three games in the Lancashire and Cheshire League.

The fixture marked the first of three matches that Stretford Paddock will be playing back at the Butcher’s Arms Ground and before kick-off midfielder Jay Phillips was presented with the player of the month award in front of the 179 fans that had made the journey to the ground.

Paddock suffered from a lapse of concentration early on and it allowed Newton FC to break forward and their player cut inside and curled it into the far side of the net to make it 1-0 to the away side. There was nothing goalkeeper Jonny Hart could do to stop the chance as it was an excellently taken shot.

Paddock had numerous chances throughout the half to get back in the game, a goalmouth scramble which saw shots from Adam Ashton, Louis Fitzpatrick and Nosa Imayu was kept out by the Newton defence and keeper and a fierce shot by Jay Phillips later in the half which unfortunately hit the underside of the cross bar and stayed out.

Disaster struck in the 40^th minute however as a freak near post shot from Newton hit the post and bounced off the back of Hart and into the net. Paddock went into half time for the first time in their short existence, 2-0 down.

The second half was very much the same as the first, with Paddock creating multiple chances, but unable to capitalise on them. Substitute Denzel Kuzakwawo had many chances to score, but either saw them well saved, or sail just over the bar.

Blows were traded throughout the half, with both sides up for the physical battle. 32 fouls were committed throughout the match, giving the referee a lot to do.

Paddock however were unable to make any of their chances count and when the full-time whistle blew, the score remained as it was at half time, 2-0 to the visitors. Stretford Paddock FC had suffered their first competitive taste of defeat.

Manager Stephen Howson, who was unable to attend the game as he was isolating, said: “Watching from home was an incredibly frustrating experience. As I’ve stated following all of our recent fixtures, I remain unimpressed with our performances. I know we can do so much better.

“We controlled every aspect of the game, but switched off twice and lose the game on those moments. We have to understand how important concentration is, in football, as those lapses have cost us 3 points, and a perfect record.

“The most frustrating thing is the lack of penetration. As a team we played some great football, yet we didn’t create or finish enough of the chances that presented themselves.

“We are a young team, but a talented team and I believe in this team to get it right. This entire season is a massive learning curve and this weekend was no different. We’ll take our medicine. We’ll learn from the mistakes and we’ll put them right on the pitch.”

Stretford Paddock FC will be hoping to bounce back with a win in their next game against Hadfield Athletic AFC on the 17^th October.

Stretford Paddock FC are proud to announce that our player of the month is Jacob (Jay) Phillips.

Jay was the coaches’ unanimous choice for the award after his outstanding form this month which has been vital in Paddock’s early push to top the table.

Jay scored three goals this month in two games, including a stunning free kick against Bury Amateur AFC and a curling last minute finish against De La Salle Reds to confirm the three points.

The coaches were also impressed by his relentless work rate and desire to get even more goals for the team and manager Stephen Howson agrees.

He said, “Jay’s been a fantastic addition to the squad, brought leadership, tenacity and quality to go along with the goals he’s added. In two games he’s made a massive impact and full deserves his player of the month, which was unanimously voted for by the entire coaching staff.”

We hope Jay continues his stellar form in the next game and throughout the season.

Stretford Paddock FC are pleased to announce 3 new additions to the squad. Gabriel Fernando (Attacking Midfielder), Kayode Adewale (Centre Half) and Denzel Kuzakwawo (Right Back/Right Wing) have today signed for Stretford Paddock FC and will be available to play next Saturday.

Gabriel Fernando is a Brazilian/Portuguese footballer, aged 24. He is an ex-Manchester City player. He most recently played at RedBull Bragantino.

Gabriel said: “I’ve signed for Stretford Paddock to get back to get back to my full fitness. I can’t wait to get out there to help the team.”

Kayode Adewale is a centre half who is looking forward to play for Stretford Paddock FC.

He sated: “I joined the team because I think this is a great opportunity for me to play for a good team and play at a good standard of football. I previously played as an international trialist for Cowdenbeath FC in Scotland, but was unable to get a contract. Before that I was at Witton Albion FC U21s and before that I also played for FC United U21s.”

Finally, we have Denzel Kuzakwawo. Denzel is a right back or right winger looking to make his mark in the squad.

He stated: ” I joined because it’s good exposure. There’s a good set of lads here and I buy into what you guys are trying to do. I’m enjoying the intensity and sessions so far. I can’t wait to get playing.”

Manager Stephen Howson is excited to see the new players in action:

“Delighted to welcome 3 top draw footballers to the club. We’ve added strength, depth and some high level experience. Gabriel has got some fantastic experience and has looked great in training so I’m very excited to see him in a Paddock shirt. Kayode is a formidable defender, that I have seen play a couple of times, so I’m delighted that we’ve managed to get him. Denzel was highly recommended from my assistant, Pete, so I’m confident in his ability.”

“While we’re not technically bound by a deadline day ourselves, today’s signings represent the end of our active recruitment. We have a lot of players across the two squads, quality is deep, competition for places is strong and I am confident this group can challenge on all fronts.”

“We have begun to turn away players who arrive at training, and unless it’s someone with an extensive professional playing experience, I think that will remain in place.”