Paddock claimed their first victory of the 2024/25 season with a hard-fought away win over a spirited Warrington Rylands Development side.
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Stretford Paddock took to the field with two changes from their opening day stalemate with St Helens Town, with Kayode Adewale and Mike Taylor stepping up to replace Michael Olatunji and the unavailable Sam Pratt.
One week ago, Paddock started really poorly against St Helens and no doubt this was front of mind when Paddock opened the scoring after just three minutes. A perfectly weighted through ball from Janeiro Salmon-Harris split the Rylands defence and was picked up by Joao De Andrade at full speed. With his first touch, he diverted the ball across goal, away from the onrushing keeper and into the path of Mike Taylor to finish from close range. Surprisingly, despite some impressive cameo performances and key contributions from Taylor last season, this was his first goal for Paddock and he wouldn’t have to wait too much longer for his second.
After forty minutes Taylor almost doubled his tally direct from a free-kick which he curled expertly around the Rylands two man wall but frustratingly for Paddock whistled past the near post and out for a goal kick with the keeper at full stretch. Many people in attendance thought the shot was heading in, including four members of the Irish Supporters Club who travelled across to witness the first away game of the season for Paddock. They came expecting goals and Taylor seemed determined to meet their expectations.
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With the first 45 drawing to a close – and the referee starting to think about ending the half – Taylor did get his second goal of the game. A move that started with goalkeeper Florian passing short into his defence, was spread wide to right back Alex Black who was making his first start for the club. From the half way line, he played a diagonal pass over the top of the Rylands defence into the path of Taylor who had beat the offside trap. With his left boot he cushioned the ball into his own path before dispatching the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. An excellently taken goal by Taylor and an impressive assist from Black on his full debut just as the referee signalled for the half time break.
The second half started in a similar vein to the first half, with wide men Ronaldo Brown and Joao De Andrade threatening the Rylands goal with their pace and direct running. A few moments into the half, the pressure told, as a strong run down the left side by Ronaldo left two defenders in his wake before he calmly rolled the ball into the path of Joe Coleman – who had made a third-man run from midfield – to add the finishing touch for Paddock’s third of the afternoon.
The third goal changed the game. The pace dropped and the intensity of the opening stages of the game seemed to blow away with the windy Warrington weather. Paddock seemed content to keep the ball without offering a threat and Warrington seemed content to let it happen. However, you could sense that the keep-ball session wasn’t going to plan as misplaced passes and poor decision-making was seeing Warrington Rylands repeatedly regain possession and create chances on the counterattack – and that’s exactly what happened for their first goal of the afternoon. A long clearance from the Warrington keeper was picked up by Michael Olatunji who beat his marker and played safely into Zak Bell in midfield. Zak then played a risky pass across the back line which was under hit into the path of the grateful Rylands forward who accepted the gift before shooting the ball into the bottom corner beyond a clearly frustrated Florian. Bell held up his hand in apology, a rare mistake from the midfielder who until this moment had put in a strong performance with near flawless ball retention. But lapses in judgement and concentration will be punished in this division as Paddock and others have learned to their cost on numerous occasions.
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The Warrington goal changed the flow of the match completely. The game shifted on its axis. Warrington Rylands who had seemingly accepted the game was beyond them at 3-0 suddenly had their tails up, and felt they had enough time to get something from the game – and who could blame them? They were getting chances and Rylands positivity seemed to shock Paddock who appeared to lose their close control of the game which they had enjoyed for large spells. Rylands were galvanised and unrecognisable from the first half. Paddock were now facing an opponent with a very keen intention to get the ball forward with urgency and energy.
Paddock keeper Florian Salceanu who was largely untroubled in the first-half was forced into two key blocks as Warrington forwards raced towards goal after racing clear of the Paddock rearguard. He then showed tremendous athleticism to stretch to parry a shot from distance as Warrington looked to make the spell of pressure count. The game became stretched as both sides lacked any semblance of midfield control and opted to attack their opponent with only ten minutes remaining on the referees watch. But that was enough time for the flow of the game to change once more.
As one keeper excelled in one goal, another then provided a gift which ultimately settled the game as a contest. A full 25 yards from his own goal, the Warrington keeper received a return pass from his defender and – under pressure from Paddock sub Vic Iyumva – released the ball too slowly, lost possession leaving Joao De Andrade, with an empty goal (and a vacated penalty area) ahead of him. Joao punished the mistake to score his second goal in two games. Warrington’s spirited second half resistance was finally quashed and Paddock saw out the game at 4-1 to pick up a first win of the new season.
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