Media Watch - Shortwood United

As the temperature begins to rise and Winter turns slowly into Spring, we start to enter the final furlong of the Championship campaign, but there is still work to be done.

We travel to Meadowbank at the weekend knowing that nine points is required from the last seven games to be crowned champions. Although our record against the hosts is good (WDWWWWDD), the games have always been very tight affairs apart from our Red Insure Cup win last season.

After a relatively barren spell in front of goal coach Alex Sykes (he played against us for Forest Green Rovers when they piped us to the title and with it promotion to the Conference in 1998), saw his side hit back with a vengeance when they scored five on Tuesday evening against a Fleet team still fighting against relegation. Manager John Evans commented after the game. “We tried a different system tonight and posted a much better threat”

Currently eight points outside the play-off places Shortwood will be seeking to capitalise on the mid-week win to close the gap on the teams above themselves. Ironically, the tactics employed by Steve Jenkins side against former Martyr Lewis Sommers to neutralise the significant aerial threat, worked so well in the initial game this season, that he was withdrawn from their attack before 60 minutes had been completed but we threw away a two goal advantage as Shortwood struck twice in the final minutes to rescue an unlikely point.

The loss of Gavin Williams and the subsequent home defeat against Bridgwater, at the time seemed likely to hit us hard. But with three wins and eleven goals scored from the games missed by the experienced midfield maestro it provides Steve Jenkins with food for thought on whether to restore Gavin straight back into the team for this particular game. Nevertheless, even during the positive results the squad was stretched by the suspension. It is then that you are able to observe the true spirit of the team. You often find out much more about people in adversity, but let’s hope it will be a while before we have to further contemplate that particular problem.

With Matthew Harris also missing the last two games and taking part in only one training session prior to the weekend, it probably depends on the availability of Kris Leek before Jenkins can finalise his line-up.

Whoever is selected they will know what they have to do and with Shortwood already playing 90 minutes in midweek there’s every chance that the fresher legs will be able to make that extra yard count.

We need to also bear in mind that as well as winning the league (which we will with games to spare) that we also ensure we finish the season with more points than Kettering (they have 83) thus ensuring we are at home in the Championship Final on Saturday 2nd May. I'm sure SJ will ensure that we maintain our momentum right to the last game of the season, thus ensuring we have this fitting finale to our outstanding season played at PP.

Personally I think the old adage of not changing a winning side may come into play unless Leekie's work commitments throws a spanner in the works.

It's no coincidence that the games lost to Bridgwater and Didcot were when Leekie wasn't available. I think that just goes to show what he brings to the team and how important he is. His drive and tough tackling are sorely missed when he doesn't play.

The vote for Man of the Match for Saturday's coming game v Shortwood Utd was close. But my vote goes to Dan Summerfield

WorcesterMartyr wrote:The vote for Man of the Match for Saturday's coming game v Shortwood Utd was close. But my vote goes to Dan Summerfield

Brilliant......

WorcesterMartyr wrote:The vote for Man of the Match for Saturday's coming game v Shortwood Utd was close. But my vote goes to Dan Summerfield

Best post on the Forum since..................

The last one!!!

Peacocks back on home turf
Somerset County Gazette

TAUNTON Town return to the Viridor Stadium tomorrow after an absence of three weeks when they entertain Bishops Cleeve in the Evo-Stik league (3pm).

Last weekend’s defeat to nearest challengers Evesham left the Peacocks glancing nervously over their shoulder. Their advantage in second place has now been cut to just two points, so they cannot afford any slip ups against their lowly Gloucestershire opponents who sit one place above bottom club Bashley.

Town registered a 4-0 win in the corresponding fixture in November and will hope for more of the same on Saturday which is also the club’s Ladies Day when all women and girls are allowed free entry.

Apart from the main attraction of the football, there will be stalls set up in the clubhouse including jewellery and bags, crafts, cakes, jams, books and skincare products plus a complimentary glass of Buck’s Fizz for the first 100 ladies.

On Tuesday evening Taunton continue their defence of the Somerset Premier Cup when they take on Frome Town in a quarter-final tie at the Viridor Stadium, kick-off 7.45pm. The game was originally scheduled for last month but had to be postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, and is a repeat of last season’s final which the Peacocks won 1-0.

Owen Irish is suspended for the tie along with the Bishops Cleeve game following his dismissal at North Leigh earlier this month. The winners of the tie will be away to Paulton Rovers in the semi-final on March 31.

Evesham United hopes hit by skipper Matt Sysum setback
Evesham Journal

EVESHAM United will face three crucial games without suspended skipper Matt Sysum.

The promotion-chasing Robins visit sixth-placed North Leigh tomorrow (3pm) before taking on Shortwood and Cinderford, two other teams in the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South and West top 10.

But the second-placed side won’t be able to call on Sysum after he was handed a three-match ban for picking up 15 bookings this season.

Manager Paul Collicutt said: “We have got three teams in the next three games that are all in with a shout of making the play-offs. We have got to go without the captain but I think every single one will be a difficult game. It’s a big ask but with the run we are on the players are full of confidence and they are looking forward to the game.”

Evesham are looking for a fourth consecutive victory in a sequence that has seen them lose just once in their last 21 matches.

Oxfordshire-based North Leigh come into the match on the back of a 3-2 win at Yate Town, which featured a hat-trick from former Oxford United striker Jamie Cook.

Collicutt said: “North Leigh had a very good win at Yate and have got one of the best players in the league in Jamie Cook. He is someone we have got to keep an eye on. They are the second highest scorers in the league so they are difficult to play on their home patch.”

Evesham will be without defender Lewis Binns (ankle) and midfielders Ollie Knowles (back) and the unavailable Elliot Kennedy. However, centre-half Will Wellon is back in the frame after returning to training following a hamstring injury.

Shortwood United look to shock champions elect Merthyr
Gloucester Citizen

After rediscovering their goalscoring form, Shortwood United will be hoping to cause a shock when they face runaway Southern League Division One South and West leaders Merthyr Town at Meadowbank on Saturday.

Wood went 375 minutes without scoring a goal before Josh Klein-Davies netted the opener in a 5-2 win over struggling Fleet Town on Tuesday night.

They will face a very different test against a Merthyr side that have scored 101 league goals and need just three more wins from eight games to wrap up the title but will head into the clash with renewed confidence.

Shortwood joint-manager Alex Sykes said: "They are the champions elect and they're playing ever so well. They've got a big budget and they're really well supported but the key thing is that we need to try and get something out of the game. We got the monkey off our back with the win on Tuesday so we'll go into it with more confidence than we did have. It will be a really tough game but often the big teams bring the best in us so I'm hoping that will be the case."

Shortwood's win over Fleet ended a run of four games without a win that has seen their play-offs hopes drift. Sykes was pleased to see strikers Klein-Davies and Ross Langworthy bag two goals apiece but also paid tribute to goalkeeper Tom King, who pulled off some impressive saves against plucky opponents.

He said: "It was a good performance. To be fair to them, Tom King made a fantastic save in the first couple of minutes that made a big difference because it gave us a kick up the behind to pull our fingers out, which we did. It was good to have two centre forwards score two goals each and to blow the cobwebs away from the last couple of games. It was really good to get five goals but, as Evo (John Evans, co-manager) said to me, if we had the choice to swap them round and had more of those in the last couple of games that would have been quite useful. I think it was the longest Shortwood have ever been without a goal so it was quite pleasing."

Josh Egan looks set to miss out against Merthyr after pulling a calf against Fleet, while Nick Humphreys is still unavailable.

Big Budget?.....compared to whom?....doesnt that make us the sound like the Manchester City or Chelsea of the Evo....Boz

Boz1964 wrote:Big Budget?.....compared to whom?....doesnt that make us the sound like the Manchester City  or Chelsea of the Evo....Boz

"Big Budget" .....????????.
We seem to hear this statement trotted out by other team managers on  a regular basis.
I think they confuse being able to balance the books as a club,with having substantial
funding to buy in players as and when we need them..........which we don't... to both!!.

It's all subjective.

Based on the Club's last published accounts for 2012/13, the ratio of wages to income (an acknowledged measure of a club's viability) was 35.1% - which is quite low. Amazingly, this was also below the 2011 figure when it was actually 38% and would have been even lower if income had not been reduced because of the ground improvements.

Well played WorcesterMartyr. That's how to be funny without making snide comments. However, I think you'll find that Man of the Match for tomorrow's game is, if he plays, Leek, and if he doesn't, still Leek!

Personally I'm all for snide, vindictive and sarcastic - before the powers that be levy the "Ground Rules" on the website...! #youllnevertaketheW**kBanK!