Hanley Town won their first-ever FA Trophy match as they beat Cleethorpes Town 2-0 thanks to a first-half brace from Kieran Brown.
The game was a scrappy affair with neither side really able to get on the ball and dictate proceedings and, it’s fair to say the opening goal of the game was the first real chance for either side.
That came on 20 minutes when a good cross from Charlie Walford found Brown just outside the six-yard box. He rose highest to thump his header past Leigh Overton leaving the goalkeeper with no chance of saving it.
Brown would double his tally for the afternoon less than two minutes later when a defence-splitting ball from Saul Shotton found the forward and, he was able to remain cool as a cucumber to roll the ball past the onrushing Overton to extend Hanley’s lead.
Conceding that goal was the last real bit of action for Overton as he had to be helped off just nine minutes before the half-time break when he picked up what seemed to be an innocuous injury.
Both sides had chances after the break, with Ryan Shotton going the closest when he put a header from a Josh Green corner just an inch wide of the goal but, in the end, the two quick-fire goals from Brown were enough for Hanley.
After the game, I spoke with Hanley Town manager Ryan Shotton to get his thoughts on the game.
We also hear from two goal hero Kieran Brown to get his take on proceedings.
Kidsgrove Athletic’s impressive start to the season continues as they thumped Gresley Rovers 6-0 to progress in the Trophy.
The Grove needed all of three minutes to take the lead as Tyrone Cadeau curled an effort into the top corner of the goal from outside the penalty area and, it was the perfect start to the visitors.
Surprisingly that was the scoreline as the two teams headed into the shade at half-time but, when they returned Kidsgrove just simply blew Gresley away with five goals, four of which came from Aaron Bott.
He grabbed two quick goals to give Kidsgrove a 3-0 lead with both centre-backs, Oliver Jepson and Josh Thorpe, setting up the former Leek Town forward.
Bott, then grabbed his hat-trick on the hour mark when he was the first to react to Kieran Knapper’s shot being saved by Lewis Feeney and was able to stroke the ball home.
Lewis Porter, who was making his Kidsgrove debut, got the game’s final goal with 20 minutes left on the clock as a great run from Knapper saw him find Porter who slipped the ball around Feeney before slotting the ball into an empty net.
Leek Town also got a big win in the FA Trophy as they put five past Bedworth United in a game where goalkeeper Eric Merner got sent off and the referee had to go off with a hamstring injury.
After a good start from the visitors, Louis Keenan got his second goal of the season as he broke the deadlock on 21 minutes when he got on the end of a Tom Reilly corner.
Aaron Opoku got the game’s second goal on 27 minutes when Bedworth goalkeeper Sam Lomax parried Rob Stevenson’s effort into his path and the forward gratefully stroked the ball home.
The game was brought to a halt shortly afterwards when referee Elliot Kay pulled up with what looked like a hamstring injury. The search for a suitable replacement lasted for 10 minutes as the man on the public address system for Bedworth agreed to run the line with Liam Vayro stepping in to take charge of the game.
That delay meant quite a lengthy injury time and, Leek profited as they bagged two goals in added time. The first saw Julius Ndene score his first goal for the club when Olly Harrison flicked on Keenan’s corner to his centre-back partner.
However, the best goal of the game came just before the much-awaited half-time break when Reilly also grabbed his first goal for the club. Dan Trickett-Smith laid the ball back to the former Cefn Druids midfielder who looped the ball over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
After the interval, it took just 60 seconds for the drama to resume as a long ball over the top was left by Ndene for Merner but, the goalkeeper misjudged the speed of the ball and it allowed Molyneux to get to the ball first. Merner reacted by bringing him down which left the referee with no option but to dismiss the goalkeeper.
Fortunately, Leek had a substitute goalkeeper on the bench in Joe O’Shaughnessy and, his first job of the afternoon was to pick the ball out of the net as Ashley Sammons converted the penalty.
That changed the complexion of the game as suddenly Leek were under the cosh as Bedworth tried to make their additional man count but thankfully for the blues, it was to no avail.
In fact, Opoku got his second of the afternoon with two minutes left on the clock when a corner fell to him at the back post and the forward was able to calmly poke the ball home.
Elsewhere in the FA Trophy Nantwich Town won 3-0 at Liversedge while Newcastle Town were knocked out of the competition away at Belper Town.
In the National League North, Buxton had a very bizarre ending to their tie at Scunthorpe United as the referee abandoned the game with just four minutes of injury time to go due to poor weather conditions in Lincolnshire.
On the pitch, Buxton took the lead just a couple of minutes before the halftime whistle when they were awarded a penalty. Up stepped Jordan Wright who saw his shot saved by Ross Fitzsimmons but, the rebound fell to Xander McBurnie who hit the back of the net to give the Bucks a half-time lead.
However, Buxton didn’t make it to halftime with all 11 players on the pitch as Connor Brown was sent off in first-half injury time for lashing out at Danny Whitehall.
Former Football League side Scunthorpe made their player advantage count as they pulled level with nine minutes to go when one time Port Vale forward Richie Bennett was able to convert a corner at the back post.
Scunthorpe being level only lasted two minutes as Max Hunt restored the Bucks’ lead when he too headed home from a corner. As Hunt, his teammates and fans celebrated, the heatwave gave way to a real thunderstorm that would have a big say in how this game ended.
There were 10 minutes of injury time and, in the 4th minute the hosts were awarded a penalty which Danny Elliott took but, it was well saved by the boot of Max Dearnley and, that was the last action of the game because just 60 seconds later the referee, James Bancroft, brought the game to an early conclusion. It later transpired that the referee had abandoned the game and, Scunthorpe are reporting that we must wait until the league receive the referee’s report before deciding what happens to the result.
Well… Scunthorpe v Buxton was interesting. 👀
2-1 to Buxton, five minutes into injury-time and the referee blows his whistle. Game abandoned – despite the @Buxton_FC players celebrating as if they’d won! #UTI
Latest scenes from Glanford Park… pic.twitter.com/Dvjcd0Lfg4
— Andrew (@awayonsaturday1) September 9, 2023
Dropping down to step 5, Congleton Town won 1-0 at Wolverhampton Casuals. George Sankey scored his first goal of the season on 20 minutes when Dan Needham squared the ball to him after a great flick-on by forward Brian Barton.
While Stone Old Alleynians are still searching for their first win as they lost 3-2 at home to Highgate United.
In the North West Counties Football League First Division South, Alsager Town and Abbey Hulton United both lost by single goals to Brocton and Stockport Town respectively. While Sandbach United recorded a win as they beat Winsford United 2-1 thanks to first half goals from Robbie Hatton and Tom Morris.
