PAGET RANGERS 1-1 DUDLEY TOWN

 

     MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION ONE

           Central Ground, Coles Lane, Sutton Coldfield, B72 1NL

                         8th October 2022,    3pm Kick-Off

There is another rail strike on today and following my last weeks bus journey back home, I have decided to make sure that I will not be going through the city centre this time.

Travelling back from Darlaston had been fine until I got to the centre of Birmingham and then realised that the traffic was so bad that nothing was moving by Moor Street rail station for the five minutes I was waiting for the No.4 bus back to Acocks Green. I decided to start walking, which I did for most of the way (with a 20 minute meal stop), until I finally managed to get a bus for the last mile and ended up getting back at 9pm!

So today I am going to Sutton Coldfield via Erdington to watch the leaders of the Midland League Div One, Dudley Town in their away match at Paget Rangers who ground share with their landlords, Sutton Coldfield Town at Coles Lane.

It promises to be an intriguing clash as Paget have a good home record while Dudley are proving to be a handful both home and away.

It's a glorious day of sunshine with temperatures around the 15-16 C mark.

I take the 11A bus to Erdington without any problems, have time for a light meal at a local cafe and then catch one of the several buses that go to nearby Sutton Coldfield.

I have got to the Central Ground 20 minutes before kick-off, pay my entrance fee and have time for a leisurely cup of tea. 

For a match like this, it's looking to be a disappointing turn out, although I do know that Paget these days don't have a large following.

Both teams in the past have enjoyed brief stints in the Southern League and now ground share with other clubs who have artificial pitches (Dudley Town at Sporting Khalsa).

When the teams come out, 'The Bears' of Paget Rangers are attired in their usual colours of yellow & black striped shirts, black shorts & yellow socks while 'The Robins' of Dudley Town are wearing their first team strip of red shirts, white shorts and black socks. 

The visitors are using their pressing game to good effect in this half, being awarded several free kicks and winning plenty of corners too.

Dudley's No.11, Harry Crook cuts the ball back from the right for No.8,Todd Sherwood to volley wide of the left hand post and then Crook goes close with a free kick which skims the top of the cross bar.

In the 18th minute the home side spring to life when they break away and their lanky No.9, Szhem Whyte-Hall has his shot easily saved by the Dudley keeper.

The visitors next go close when their No.6, Owen Massey, heads just over the bar from a corner.

Dudley's failure to make their dominance count comes back to haunt them in the 38th minute, when Whyte-Hall makes a good run down the right. His attempted lob deflects off the Dudley Town No.5 who'd turned his back and the ball loops up, hits the cross bar and comes down for The Bears No.7, Tim Oyanda, lurking near the far post, to volley in the ball with his outstretched right foot (a la Erling Haaland).  

So the home side, who have battled well despite not seeing much of the ball, unexpectedly go in to the break with a goal lead and it promises to be an interesting second half in this tightly fought contest. 

The Dudley Town fans move down to the far end where their team will be attacking and they have been very quiet in the first half. There must be about 20-30 of them.

When play resumes they become more vocal and their efforts lift their team to push harder for a goal.

The Robins go very close in the 56th minute, when they have an in-swinging  corner delivered from the right and the ball ends up just going wide of the far post. 

However a few minutes later, the dangerous Harry Crook is put through again on the right and an over eager Paget defender takes his legs away from him for them to be awarded a penalty, which is scored by Owen Massey, much to the delight of the nearby Dudley Town fans. 

Paget Rangers are definitely not out of this contest yet and their No.11, Harry Jackson, fires in a fierce shot which stings the hands of Ethan Hawkes in the visitors goal.

Then in the closing minutes, both sides have great opportunities to get the winning goal. Firstly, Dudley Town's Harry Crook cuts the ball back in to the penalty area for their No.9 to fire wide when it might have been easier to score and then a Paget forward bursts through on goal only to blaze the ball way over the bar.

That's how the score stays when the ref blows his whistle for the end of a match, which was a credit to both teams.

Dudley Town stay on top despite this draw, with Bilston Town cutting down the gap to just one point after their hard fought 1-0 win over Smethwick Rangers and Leicestershire's Ashby Ivanhoe are just one point behind them in 3rd spot.

Paget Rangers are lying in 10th place and maybe fancy finishing in the top 5 or 6 if they improve their away form? 

 

Entrance Fee:                 £6 (£4 concession)  

Match Programme:       none available

Match Attendance:        70

Entertainment Value:    8.5/10           

   

DUDLEY TOWN 4 - 0 CRADLEY TOWN

 

       MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION ONE

       Guardian Warehousing Arena, Noose Lane, Willenhall, WV13 3BB

                         19th February 2022, 3:00 pm Kick-Off

As the recent weather has been so appalling and it's been raining this morning I don't have much choice but to travel to a game being played on an artificial surface. Also as I have not watched a MFL Div 1 game so far this season, it's a good opportunity for me to see Dudley Town play at their current ground where they are the tenants of Sporting Khalsa.

I have never seem them play before and they are currently doing well, occupying 4th place in the league table. They are one of the oldest clubs in the West Midlands area, being formed in 1888! In the 1980's they even reached the Southern League and spent 2 seasons in the Premier League too. They even reached the 1st Round of the FA Cup and played in front of 5,000 spectators against York City, drawing 1-1 and losing the replay 1-4.

Their opponents today, Cradley Town, also hail from the Black Country and their formation happened in more recent times, in the year 1970, following the merger of Albion Rovers and Haden United, being named Albion Haden United and then Cradley Town in 1975. They currently are 13th in the league table.

I go by train to Walsall and then take the 529 bus bound for Wolverhampton. I get off the bus 20 minutes later at Willenhall, which lies halfway between Walsall and Wolverhampton. I'm disappointed that my original choice of my lunch time stop, the splendidly named 'Greedy Pig Cafe' is not open. Instead I soon find 'Sarah's Cafe' in the town centre and my healthy appetite is appeased by ordering their 'Super Breakfast' which proves to be quite filling and I still have time to have a quick look around the town centre. Willenhall's centre is a bit run down but does have some interesting old buildings, like the The Bell Inn (an old Coaching Inn, dating back to 1659), which has been purchased by the Willenhall Heritage Trust, who have plans to restore it.

Also I find some artwork, celebrating the town's old manufacturing industry of lock making.

    I make my way to the ground, (which I have visited twice before) by cutting through the Willenhall Memorial Park and then I'm outside the ground just 12 minutes later.

I find the entrance and pay my entrance fee and manage to get a programme too for a further £2, which proves to be a good read. I also manage to get a club badge for £4 and it's one celebrating 130 years of existence from the year 2018.

The ground itself has 2 stands on both sides of the pitch, with enough seating for approximately 4-500 spectators, befitting a club of Sporting Khalsa's status (Northern Premier League, Midlands Division).

The teams come out with 'The Robins' of Dudley Town, in their home colours of red shirts, white shorts and black socks, while Cradley are in their change strip of blue shirts and black shorts and socks. Dudley will be looking for revenge as Cradley won the their home league match against them (2-0) earlier in the season.

Dudley certainly make the early running and score after only 6 minutes when the Cradley keeper parries a shot from the Dudley No.9, Matt Gardner but only as far the incoming No.3, Rhys Boswell who sweeps the ball in to the net.

 

A great start for this promotion chasing team!

Cradley are the next to go close when their No.10 has a shot blocked by the home defence.

After 16 minutes, 'The Robins' No.7 is put through on a one on one with the Cradley keeper but has his effort smothered from close range. Dudley aren't to be denied and their No.8, Brad Ward sees his shot take a deflection and then loop over the Cradley No 1.

A bit lucky but it's a fair reflection on how the game is going.

Cradley Town escape further punishment before the interval and will be hoping to get more in to the game in the next period.

There is a good sized crowd today and shows that Dudley Town have a good fan base even though they are playing their home games 10 miles away from Dudley itself. I wonder if they have a plan in place to return to their own borough in the future?

In the 2nd half, Dudley start to take control again and in the 60th minute, Matt Gardner lobs the Cradley keeper from just outside the penalty area for their 3rd goal.

Cradley go close just a minute later but their player wastes the opportunity by blasting well over the bar. This underlines their main problem of scoring goals this season, with a return of just 34 from 28 games.

      (Dudley Town, No.10 Dan Jones, shown here shielding the ball) 

The home team increase their advantage in the 72nd minute when Matt Gardner is nicely played through the middle and places his shot past the advancing keeper.

Cradley are still fighting when they break away soon after this only for their No.15 to shoot across the face of the Dudley goal. 

The Robins are playing with a lot of confidence in the last part of the match and probably should have scored another goal.

They force several corners but are unable to make them count.

So Dudley Town run out convincing winners and look to take their hunt for a promotion place right to the end of the season. They now leapfrog Darlaston Town in to 3rd place (albeit playing one game more) and are now 4 points behind 2nd placed Stapenhill from Derbyshire. Atherstone Town are the runaway leaders, a further 11 points ahead.

Cradley will no doubt be looking to solve their goal scoring problems in the last part of the season and acheive a mid-table position.

Entrance Fee:      £5 (concession)

Match Programme:                 £2

Match Attendance:                156 

Entertainment Value:           8/10