|
<< main >> |
|
||
| 'Psycho' scores in Stride tribute match |
| A
healthy crowd of 1,347 turned out at Eton Park on Friday night to pay tribute
to Brewers skipper Darren Stride, honoured with a testimonial match against
the team he supported in his youth, Aston Villa. Since making his debut in an FA Cup match at Sandwell Borough in September 1993, Burton-born fans favourite Stride has come to epitomise the spirit of the club, and Friday's match was a fitting occasion to mark his ten years at the club, with Villa boss Graham Taylor fielding a team packed with Premiership star names. Albion also had a special guest player in their line-up, former Forest and England star Stuart Pearce (pictured right), who showed that he has not lost his knack of taking killer free-kicks, the highlight of the evening being the one he slammed home from the edge of the box on 19 minutes, following a foul on John Howard. |
|
| It
was a consolation for the Brewers in terms of the result, with first half
goals from Lee Hendrie, Stefan Moore and Oyvind Leonhardsen, and a late lob
from Peter Whittingham giving the Villa XI a 4-1 victory, but the night was
all about Stridey, as evidenced by the warm standing ovation he received
at the end. |
|
Earlier
in the week, the Brewers had continued their Spring revival with victory
by the single goal against Southport - a third successive home victory
and fourth successive clean sheet leading Albion (for a few days at least)
into the dizzy heights of page one of the Conference table on Ceefax. Christian Moore's 63rd minute volley proved enough to secure the three points, with Moore almost doubling his tally near the end with a Dale Anderson-esque run from the half way line. Three 'Port defenders were left trailing in his wake but Moore couldn't squeeze the ball home from a narrow angle. |
| Victories
for Margate and Northwich Victoria at the weekend mean that those two sides
climb above the Brewers, who now find themselves in 13th place, some six
points clear of the relegation zone, although the expected changes to the
league structure for next season mean that Conference survival is all but
assured for Nigel Clough's side. Just four games of the 2002-2003 season remain, beginning with a trip to Edgar Street, home of Hereford United this Saturday (3pm). The visit of Stevenage Borough on Saturday 12th April, is followed by a trip to Yeovil Town, who by then should be confirmed as Nationwide Conference champions, on Saturday 19th. Barring a reprieve, Kettering Town look to be heading in the opposite direction, and they will bid farewell to the Conference, en route to an immediate return to the Dr. Martens League, when they visit Eton Park on Easter Monday. The season ends with the Brewers travelling to Morecambe on Saturday 26th April. |
|
||
| The revival continues |
| Three
games unbeaten, three clean sheets and two Saturday home wins on the bounce
- as the 2002-2003 season heads into it's final straight Albion's Conference
status looks a lot more secure regardless of the current wranglings over
league expansion. A report in today's Non-League Paper says that Conference chairmen have voted in favour of expanding the league to 24 teams next season, meaning only one team - probably Kettering - will go down at the end of the current campaign. Nigel Clough was predictably not talking too much about such matters, preferring to concentrate on his side's battle to earn themselves a second season in the Conference on the pitch, and his players didn't let him down with another determined, hard-working display against a Farnborough side still reeling from the defection of former manager Graham Westley to fellow relegation candidates Stevenage, who's chairman (surpise surprise) is leading the campaign for Conference expansion. |
|
| It
was the visitors who looked the brighter in the opening stages, Dean Green
heading wide from a corner in the first minute and seeing a right foot shot
saved by Duke soon after, Paul Harkness also testing the Brewers 'keeper.
At the other end Andy Ducros was causing problems for Boro down the left
flank, while Boro 'keeper Tony Pennock had to claw away a header from Darren
Stride. A goalless first half looked on the cards until Albion seized the lead two minutes before the interval. Pennock's rushed clearance was headed straight back toward him by Andy Sinton, and as the Boro defence froze expecting an offside flag against Andy Ducros, who as it happened was running back and not interfering with play, Christian Moore raced through unchallenged to claim his (and take note of this Moore-knockers) seventeenth goal of the season. Farnborough again came out of the blocks well after the interval, Paul Harkness having a header saved by Duke, with Green and Lenny Piper missing chances, but Albion wrapped up the three points 17 minutes from the end - Craig Dudley swinging a cross in from the right and John Howard controlling the ball well before slotting home past Pennock - his first Brewers' goal capping another impressive performance from the former Chesterfield man. Ben Petty should have made it 3-0 but blasted over with just Pennock to beat, while Chris Piper's cross-cum-shot clipped the crossbar in the denying stages, denying struggling Farnborugh what would only have been a consolation goal. The Brewers now look to further cement their Conference survival by making it three home wins in a row when Southport are the visitors to Eton Park on Tuesday evening (7.45pm). There's no league match this coming weekend but a good turnout is expected at the Park on Friday night when Aston Villa promise to field a strong team for Darren Stride's testimonial match (7.45). |
| Relegation situation as of 22/3/02: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| confguide.com has a full guide to the Conference relegation picture, with remaining fixtures for all the bottom eight clubs - click here... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||
| Clough happy with 'Gate clean sheet |
| Nigel
Clough has declared himself satisfied after a typically dour battle
with Margate on Saturday saw the Brewers return from Kent with a goalless
draw after a stalemate at 'Gate's temporary home at Dover's Crabble
Athletic Ground. "We've been in a few unpretty games like that recently and have been on the losing end," Clough told the Burton Mail, "So it's nice to come away with a point and another clean sheet, which is what we aimed for. "The pitch wasn't conducive to playing good football so we played it safe. That's the way it has to be - not pretty but effective. We played great football on good pitches at at places like Northwich, Telford and Stevenage earlier in the season and tore them apart. But you can't do that on the sort of pitches we're playing on at the moment, not even Eton Park, so it's important to adapt and play football accordingly." |
|
| Albion
had the better of very few clearcut chances in the first half at Crabble,
with Mark Blount heading an early effort narrowly over and Christian Moore
failing to make the most of a quality cross from Andy Ducros. The closest
Margate came to breaking the deadlock was a Jay Saunders 'goal' disallowed
for his foul on Aaron Webster. The second half was equally uninspired, Andy Sinton's volley which sailed narrowly over the bar on the hour mark being their best chance, but the Brewers had Matt Duke to thank for preventing what would have been a sickening late winner, producing a stunning save to keep out Jean-Michel Sigere's injury time effort from 12 yards. Results elsewhere were largely favourable for the Brewers, with Stevenage and Woking cancelling each other out in a 1-1 draw at Broadhall Way, and Gravesend being held at home by the same scoreline by Northwich. With Farnborough in FA Trophy action and Leigh and Kettering without a match, only Nuneaton of the seven teams below the Brewers managed a win, beating Halifax 2-0 at Manor Park. Albion remain in 15th position, four points clear of the relegation zone, and will be hopeful of climbing further away from the drop zone with two successive home matches to come - Farnborough Town, only a point behind the Brewers but with two games in hand, visit Eton Park this coming Saturday (3pm), with mid-table Southport to follow a week on Tuesday (25th March, 7.45pm). |
|
||
| Back on track |
| Brian
Clough in the stand, Matt Duke between the sticks and Chester City sent packing
on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline. It was like last season all over again,
as the Brewers awoke from their sleepwalk toward the relegation zone with
the kind of determined, committed performance we were starting to wonder
when we'd see again. It's taken until mid-March, but Albion's first Saturday home win of the season couldn't have come at a better time, a precious three points, combined with defeats for Nuneaton and Leigh, lifting Albion back up to a more comfortable 15th place in the table. Nigel Clough had before the match appealed for the fans to continue to stick with the team, and the majority of a 2,000 plus crowd (swelled by a healthy contingent from Chester) played their part in encouraging Albion to a sorely-needed morale-boosting victory. |
|
| Whether
it was a pre-match ear-bashing from Clough, or the reality of their peril
beginning to sink in, Albion from the off played with a renewed sense of
urgency and commitment, personified by inspiring performances in midfield
from skipper Darren Stride and eve-of-game capture from Chesterfield, John
Howard. Andy Ducros and Christian Moore jinked and harried their way into
chances up front, while the returning Mark Blount turned in a flawless
performance alongside Stuart Reddington at the heart of defence. It took just eight minutes for the opening goal to arrive, and it was a beauty, Andy Ducros combining with Moore before curling an exquisite shot from the edge of the box, out of reach of Chester 'keeper Wayne Brown. Albion could have doubled their lead but Howard's glancing shot on 15 minutes was tipped over by Brown, while at the other end Mark Quayle fired over from six yards with the goal at his mercy. Chester turned up the heat in the second half but Albion's resolute defending kept Mark Wright's side at bay amidst blustery, wet conditions, and gave a platform for Albion to double their lead, 20 minutes from time. Ducros went down on the edge of the box under the challenge of a City defender, and Andy Sinton gloriously curled home the resultant free-kick in true 'Beckham' style, to the jubilation of the home fans. Matt Duke, making his first home appearance since New Year's Day, had to be alert to push a long range effort from Daryl Clare around the post late on, to ensure none of the gloss was taken off an inspired and inspiring performance from the revitalised Brewers. |
|
||
| The heat is on... |
| The
pressure was increased on the Brewers ahead of Saturday's crucial match against
Chester City, with two of the sides immediately behind Albion in the relegation
stakes recording victories last night. Leigh RMI seem to have hit form just as Albion have nose-dived, and the Cheshire side moved level on points after extending their unbeaten run to three games with a 3-2 win over Farnborough Town at Hilton Park - Albion hang on to 17th place ahead of the Railwaymen in the table by virtue of a superior goal difference, but Leigh have a game in hand. Victory by the same scoreline for Nuneaton Borough over Southport moved them seven points clear of Stevenage Borough, who went down 3-2 at Dagenham & Redbridge. Boro remain in the third relegation place but are now just one point behind Woking, and two behind the Brewers. |
|
| In
Saturday's other key games, Leigh are at home again to Scarborough, 19th
placed Woking entertain champions-elect Yeovil Town, Nuneaton travel to Northwich
Victoria while Stevenage are away at Hertfordshire rivals Barnet. It's looking
grim for Stevenage, and even more so for Kettering Town, who need points
from their trip to Hereford to keep their slender survival hopes alive. In other news, Albion have been dealt a further blow with the news that Darren Wassall is almost certain to need an operation after suffering a recurrence of a knee injury which has plagued him all season, in Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Gravesend, and is likely to be absent for the rest of the season. |
| Relegation situation as of 5/3/02: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| confguide.com has a full guide to the Conference relegation picture, with remaining fixtures for all the bottom eight clubs - click here... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||
| A Grave situation |
| Yet
another defeat for the Brewers, this time at the hands of fellow strugglers
Gravesend & Northfleet on Saturday, has heightened the growing sense
of nervousness around Eton Park, with the Kent side leapfrogging Albion into
16th place in the Conference table. The result continues the worst run of form experienced by the Brewers in recent memory, leaving them with just one point from their last seven games, and it's only thanks to the failure of the sides below them in the table to pick up points that Albion find themselves still with two sides, and five points, between them and the relegation placings. |
|
| That
slender margin could be narrowed as early as tomorrow (Tuesday) though, when
three of the teams below Albion in the table will be hoping to make the most
of their games in hand. Nineteenth placed Leigh RMI will draw level on points with the Brewers if they can beat mid-table Farnborough Town at Hilton Park, a home win for Nuneaton Borough against still-not-safe Southport would see them climbing out of the relegation zone and to within two points of Albion, while Stevenage Borough, second bottom and six points adrift of safety, are in desperate need of points as they travel to play-off chasing Dagenham & Redbridge. Favourable results for any of those sides will increase the pressure on the Brewers as they entertain high-flying Chester City on Saturday, into March now and Albion still chasing their first Saturday home victory of the season. Saturday's game at Stonebridge Road also saw Albion's injury woes continue, with defender Darren Wassall's stop-start season continuing with him limping off with a knee injury and being replaced by Glen Kirkwood - his first action for two months following his stress fracture lasted just 40 minutes before Kirkwood himself was replaced. Stuart Reddington had spurned the chance to give the Brewers an early lead, hitting the woodwork with a header on 10 minutes, before Gravesend seized control of the game with two goals in two minutes, the influential Mark Bentley heading home Jimmy Jackson's corner before returning the favour to set up Jackson for a 20-yard curler two minutes later. Stuart Reddington redeemed his earlier miss by finding the net with a long-range effort of his own ten minutes into the second half, but Bentley's second goal, a 25-yarder this time, proved to be the winner - despite Darren Stride giving Albion hope with an immediate headed response from Christian Moore's cross, the score ended 3-2 to Gravesend, and Albion's increasingly desperate search for points continues in what will be a crucial game at Eton Park on Saturday. |
| top | |
| News - March 2003 | << main >> |
