By Dhruv Shah
Stretford Paddock 5 (J. de Andrade 15’, S. Pratt 22’, D. Hall 46’, M. Taylor 50’, J. Coleman 61’) beat Hartford FC 2 (F. Fritton 10’, E. Jones 65’)
Following a wobble at the beginning of March, Stretford Paddock have bounced back spectacularly, recording their 3rd consecutive league win in Cheshire League 2, beating Hartford FC by a 5-2 margin at the Moss Farm Leisure Complex, solidifying their grip on 2nd place in the league table.
Paddock went into this game on the back of a couple of 2-1 victories, against Mersey Valley and Newton-Le-Willows respectively. With confidence growing within the team, the men in red were ready for the crucial game against Hartford FC. Fulwood was given the armband in this game, and it was the attacking trio of Joao de Andrade, Damani Hall and Sam Pratt who would once again cause havoc in the attacking half for the reds.
It was a rather unspectacular start to the match for Paddock, as Franky Fritton from Hartford scored the opening goal in the 10th minute. However, Paddock were able to land a punch themselves within the next 5 minutes, with Watters being brought down inside the penalty box and Joao de Andrade stepping up to convert the spot-kick, making it 1-1 inside the opening quarter hour of the game.
On the 20th-minute mark, Sam Pratt found some room inside the box by making a darting run from the far post, slotting the ball into the back of the net to give Paddock the lead. The Reds did not back down after getting the lead, with the relentless pressure almost resulting in another goal as Damani Hall hit the post just before the break. The half-time whistle came at the right moment for Hartford, allowing them to reset for the second half.
However, those hopes were crushed by Damani Hall within seconds of the second half, as Paddock managed to score a scrappy goal to give themselves a 2-goal cushion. In the 50th minute, Mike Taylor came up with a tidy finish and put the game beyond any doubt, increasing their lead to 3 goals. However, around the 60th-minute mark, Joe Coleman put the icing on the cake by scoring a beautiful goal from outside the box, making it 5-1 to Stretford Paddock.
In the 65th minute, Hartford were able to pull a goal back via Ethan Jones, but the game had already been decided by then. Coach Stephen Howson was able to rotate his squad as the clock started ticking down towards the final whistle. In the 72nd minute, Kiefer Cole and Leland Irvine were brought on for the away side, and it was followed by another couple of substitutions in the 84th minute as Noah Lawton and Frankie Warburton came on. The changes meant that there were five 16-year-olds on the field when the full-time whistle was blown by the referee, a testament to Stretford Paddock’s focus on youth development.
It was a significant victory for Stretford Paddock, as they gained three crucial points in the race for promotion. Another positive for the Reds was that Mersey Valley, their biggest competitor for the top two spots, lost their game against Newton-Le-Willows, opening up a 4-point gap between them. Paddock’s next league game is against Lymm Rovers, another team which is a genuine rival in the fight for promotion. It promises to be a thrilling encounter and we hope to see you there!
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