Long Stratton Football Club

Long Stratton Res. 3 South Walsham 1 28/08/10

A first win of the season for the reserves, another good performance full of endeavour. After going 1-0 down Ben Cussons powered a header home from a beautiful ball from young Toby Skinner. Ryan Millington (left) capped a strong display with a brilliant finish to make it 2-1, the 16 year old was a real thorn in the side of Walsham's defence all afternoon. Craig Ball hooked home Stratton's third from close range. All this depsite being without McCluskey, Seaman, Stearman, Folkard, Wilby, Saunders, Shaw.....Man of the Match: Ryan Millington

April 21st:   Thorpe 5 Long Stratton Res. 1

One to forget. Delays on Southern by pass following accident. No referee following another seperate accident. A number of players injured following "accidents" on the pitch, with 2 black eyes and two split lips. Terry Green repeatedly told by the Polish Centre back that if he attempted to do anything he would be killed. Unfortunately Terry took this seriously. As all good Centre forwards should know "good movement" is essential. With a bone dry pitch and some aggressive opposition a classic this was not. I was happy to get to bed.

At 2-0 down after 15 mins we started to play a bit and a well taken goal by Mark Jones got us back into the game. In the second half we conceeded another hotly disputed offside goal, which the linesman gave but the referee (their sponser/chairman/secetary) ignored. 5 mins later keeper Harley Hamill suffered his second bad injury and had to come off. By this time he had decided that to continue was possibly to die. Azza Haynes volunteered to deputise but unfortunately forgot about picking up backpasses and this lead to a free kick and 4th goal. I think the 5th was a few seconds before full time but having run onto the pitch so many times with a full medical kit I was hoping the air ambulance was close by because my head was spinning!!. I am afraid that I was unable to make too many detailed notes because there was blood on me pencil. This was not football as I know it (or want to know it). Two games left should be enough to secure Div 4th status, regroup and go again. M.o.m. Jimmy Dale.

A dissapointing display saw the reserves well beaten by a decent UEA side. 7 changes were enforced as injuries and wthdrawals left Simon Hilton with a a very different side to the one that went to Spixworth and won. First half saw UEA well on top with 2 goals early on and another added late in the half. Second half started with an early goal for the visitors. Craig Ball got one back for Stratton and when Mark Jones smacked home an excellent strike a flicker of hope of a comeback briefly lifted the home crowd but it wasn't to be and UEA had time to score twice more and miss a penalty.

14th April:  Spixworth Utd Res. 1 - 4  Long Stratton Res.

Huge game against another relegation threatened team. Sorry but no time to submit a detailed minute by minute account but what matters is the result. With most of the team arriving 25 mins before the kick off preparation was frantic and for the first 20 mins we were still in transit. This allowed Spixworth an opportunity and they went ahead on circa 15 mins. Gradually our workrate, enthousiasm and committment started to show with everyone playing their part and a family affair with a corner taken by Dale and converted by Owen got us back into the game. Good work by Terry was coverted by a precise header by JJ to put us ahead and a further move involving Azza, JJ and Terry resulted in Terry scoring a well deserved goal. The half time score of 3 - 1 was just reward for a great come back. Within 10 mins of the break another Azza through ball saw JJ put a precise lob over the Spixworth keeper. Now thoroughly in command I was able to give the inspirational Azzas blisters a well deserved rest, man of the match JJs back a well deserved break and Stalward Steves stomache some respite bringing on in turn all 3 subs who had played some part in Tues first team game, (the resulting dugout looked like a scantilly dressed version of casualty). Great credit to all players for digging in and turning the game around, especially team captain Jimmy Dale. With 4 games to go this takes us out of the bottom two places but with no room for complacency will be good to enjoy for a couple of days. Onwards and upwards.

Mar 27th :: LONG STRATTON RES. 1 ST. ANDREWS RES. 1...

The Reserves had to settle for a point in the end but were left to rue a host of missed chances in the first half. Terry Green, John McCluskey and Richard Leather all having decent chances to open the scoring. That said St. Andrews came closest to breaking the dealock when they hit the crossbar. St. Andrews did open the scoring in the second half but Dale Wallis equalised, tucking home his spot-kick for his 7th goal of the campaign...Mix-a-Man man of the match was veteran Ricky Braddon...

Mar 20th :: BLOFIELD RES 4 LONG STRATTON RES 2...

Disappointing result from a decent display which could just as easily could have gone the other way. All 4 Blofield goals were poor and flattered the home side. Two resulting from heavy challenges on the young Stratton keeper resulting in simple tap ins, one a deflected free kick and the 4th an own goal.Stratton were the first to offer a decent threat on goal when some good play and a good through ball from debutant Tim Courridge found Shaun Moss through on goal only to be judged offside. However, within a minute the first heavy challenge on Stratton keeper Hamill saw Blofield go one up. Within a minute Blofield went two up when a free kick on the edge of the Stratton box was deflected to leave the keeper stranded.Despite these early setbacks the Stratton lads started to get their act together and in the 20th min a good ball from Moss found JJ McCluskey who found the net with a good finish from 12 yds. With everything to play for both teams were evenly matched and a good save by Hamill from the Blofield No9 just 6 yds out kept Stratton in the hunt and pushing for an equaliser. This came in the 42nd min when excellent work on the left flank by Steve Goddard saw him win the ball and play a great through ball to Shaun Moss whose goal attempt was handballed leaving Dale Wallis to cooly slot away the penalty. However again as in recent weeks the joy was short lived when within a min Blofield went ahead when a further strong goalkeeper challenge resulted in a simple goal.A more determined Stratton side came out in the 2nd half and played some good football without successfully converting this into goals whilst at the back the central partnership of Dale and Southgate together with two excellent saves by Hamill kept Blofield at bay.An unfortunate sliced clearanceby Southgate on 70min resulted in an own goal securing all 3 points for Blofield. This was a game of what might have been and once again a decent display with nothing to show. Early goals again left us trying to come from behind. M.o.m. Jimmy Dale

Mar 13th :: LONG STRATTON RES. 4 WYMONDHAM TOWN RES. 2...

With 6 changes to the starting line up but 14 good players to choose from this was on paper a good squad. But could we play as a team. No problem!! The first 15 mins Stratton dominated much of the play but Wymondham were never going to be a pushover. On the 16th min a poor clearance by the Stratton defence resulted in an excellent cross and good header to give Wymondham the lead. This resulted in a good period of pressure from Wymondham with the Stratton lads trying to get over the disappointment and get back into the game. On the 30th min Dale Wallis found space to chip the Wymondham keeper to bring the score level only for Wymondham to go ahead once again within seconds. A through ball finding their No8 and despite a great effort by keeper Hamill he squeezed the ball in.The remainder of the half saw Ed Hipperson have a good penalty claim ignored but Wymondham have the better of the play.The 2nd half saw Stratton come out strong a put Wymondham on the back foot trying to defend their lead which eventually went against them. Most of the play was in the Wymondham half and in a two min spell 3 efforts saw substitute Ian Deurdan beat the keeper but knock the ball wide, Dave Storey have a shot saved and Sam Wilby just hit the ball wide of the post from a good position. 4 mins later however he made up for this with a cool finish, rounding the keeper after a period of Stratton pressure. In the 84th min an Ed Hipperson corner, return and shot was blocked.Going into the last 10 mins of the game Stratton won 3 corners in succession and a brave, this is mine, challenge from Dave Storey forced the ball into the Wymondham net.Wymondham then starting to try and recover the situation and pushed to get back into the game but the Stratton defence and midfield who had all worked hard and had a great 2nd half held firm. Strattons well deserved 4th came in the 88th min with a J. J.McClusky unstopable rocket from the edge of the area. An excellent team performance and 3 well deserved points. M.O.M. Dave Storey...

Mar 6th :: SHERINGHAM RES. 3 LONG STRATTON RES. 0...

This was a much improved performance from the Res even though the scoreline does not reflect this, especially with the last minute call off from captain Jimmy Dale through illness.A harsh penalty awarded against Strattons keeper Adam Welstead in the 5th minute was always going to make it difficult against the 2nd placed team. A 2nd yellow and sending off against JJ.McClusky on 50 mins just made things harder.For the first 30mins Stratton played reasonable football but lacked some belief and an injury to Welstead made it impossible for him to carry on and Harley Hamill substituted. However the final part of the first half (with both Folkard and Moss making the Sheringham keeper make two excellent saves) provided a much better all round team performance and much optimism for the 2nd half.Unfortunately being reduced to 10 men after 5mins of the half again asked questions of players and team spirit. On 60 min Dale Wallis had to come off injured and was substituted by Richard Leather for his first run out this season.With everyone raising their game and young keeper Hamill making some good saves Sheringham were made to work for their points but scored a second in the 72nd minute and a scrappy 3rd from a corner on 85 mins. If the Res can maintain the belief and spirit shown over much of this game plus a bit of luck better results must follow. M.o.m. Jonny Saunders...