Ring rusty Woodford United will play only their third match in a month when taking on Ryman League high-flyers Concord Rangers at Canvey Island in the preliminary round of the FA Trophy on Saturday.
The Reds’ beat Bracknell in the same competition a year ago before bowing out with a 4-1 defeat by Wealdstone. This weekend’s assignment also looks a tricky one.
Concord won the Essex Senior League title in 2007-2008 and currently occupy a play-of
f place in Ryman Division One North despite last Saturday’s 1-0 reversal at Waltham Abbey who won all five of their league games in September.
A replay would be a major achievement for Mark O’Callaghan’s men whose only Southern League Midlands Division outings in September brought a shock 1-0 win at Sudbury and a 2-1 home reversal against Atherstone Town.
Woodford were without a match last weekend as would-be opponents Bury Town were busy bringing off a shock 2-1 home success against Blue Square giants Chelmsford City in the FA Cup.
In the Midlands Division, leaders Leamington maintained their 100 per cent record with a lone-goal success over Stourport Swifts. Jai Stanley was the match winner in front of 565 New Windmill spectators.
Bedworth United beat Soham Town by a similar margin and Sudbury ran out 4-1 winners at Sutton Coldfield. The day’s biggest winners were Marlow who hit nine at home to Malvern Town after a hat-trick from Aaron Couch.
At a lower level, it was UCL club Bourne who hit the national headlines this week after club chairman Andy Stubley had dipped into his own pockets to refund faithful supporters who witnessed the 7-2 defeat by reigning champions Stotfold.
With the Wakes trailing by 5-1 at the interval about half of the 40 paying customers took up the chairman’s offer of an immediate refund which resulted in an £80 pay-out!
The full article contains 332 words and appears in Daventry Express newspaper.
