Report

The Stan were in cup action for the 3rd time in 7 days as, after receiving a bye in the preliminary round, they hosted newly promoted Northern Premier League West Wythenshawe in the FA Trophy 1st Round Qualifying. After dominating much of their previous 2 games, both in the FA Cup, & creating lots of chances but failing to score with most of them, the Stan did exactly the same today. They had most of the opportunities to score but could not find the back of the net unlike Wythenshawe who scored the only goal of the game in a rare attack in the 10th minute. There was 1 change from Tuesday’s FA Cup win over Kendal with Storey replacing Errington.

Although the Stan had started the match trying to attack, the 1st opportunity was for the visitors in the 3rd minute when a cross into the Stan box saw the ball headed over the bar. 2 minutes later Pearson advanced & shot but Forde in the Wythenshawe goal blocked & although Djalo took a follow up shot from 6 yards out, Forde put the ball over the bar. Both teams were trying to attack & it paid off for the visitors in the 10th minute when a player advanced down the right & crossed for ex-Burnley & Sweden Under 19 Mumbongo to tap the ball into the Stan net for 0-1. Lister blocked another Mumbongo shot after 14 minutes. In the 20th minute, a Giraud long range follow up shot from a free kick went over the bar. 3 minutes later & a Storey shot was blocked followed by a long high ball into the box by Hornsby going wide. In the 30th minute, Fil’s shot from just inside the box went just over the visitors’ bar. 2 minutes later & a Stan long range effort was headed clear. In 38 minutes, nothing was given after a foul on a Stan player in the Wythenshawe box. In 42 minutes, Pearson broke with only the keeper to beat but Forde got a hand to his shot. It was still Stan pressure & in 44 minutes a Hornsby ball into the box was headed towards goal by Djalo but it was easily headed clear. It was a fairly even 1st half which saw the teams separated by a 10th minute Wythenshawe goal. The Stan did have a number of chances but failed to find the net. 

There was a quiet start to the 2nd half until, in the 51st minute, a Gascoigne free kick into the Wythenshawe box was headed clear & although Djalo eventually sent it back in, it was again cleared. 4 minutes later the Stan shot wide & in 58 minutes Lister had to collect just before a Wythenshawe player got to the ball. In 62 minutes, after Gascoigne was brought down, a Stan free kick into the visitors’ box saw Milburn miss it & Forde punched clear. In 66 minutes, Stan claims for a penalty from a hand ball were ignored & although Wythenshawe countered, Milburn stopped it. Soon after, a Gascoigne free kick into the visitors’ box was cleared & although Hornsby sent the ball back in, Fil’s shot went high & wide. In 69 minutes, sub Errington was brought down just outside the box. The resulting free kick by Gascoigne saw the ball go straight to Forde. In 76 minutes, Djalo won a corner. From it, the ball bounced on the goal line, but Djalo & the keeper couldn’t make contact & the ball went across the goal & out. It was all one-way traffic by the Stan now as they sought the equaliser that would at least take the tie to penalties. Their closest chance came in 85 minutes when sub Morris shot just wide. The Stan pressure continued, including through sub Boothroyd, & in 87 minutes sub Hopper was in on Forde as the ball bounced awkwardly but the keeper got to it just before Hopper. Morris then supplied Errington whose header from 6 yards was caught by Forde. Into 4 added minutes, & the action in the Wythenshawe box continued. In 92 minutes, the ball from a Giraud corner hit the vvisitors’ bar & the match ended after a Lister free kick into the Wythenshawe box was headed wide by Djalo.

A quieter 2nd half saw the Stan dominate but again they could not take advantage of the many opportunities created. As a result, Wythenshawe won narrowly & the Stan now only have the FA Cup route to Wembley, They are in action again in 2 days’ time on bank holiday Monday when they host Ashington in the league.

Stan Team: Lister; Evans (Y) (Gascoigne 78); Hornsby (Hopper (Y) 68); Kanda; Milburn; Fil; Storey (Boothroyd 60); Gascoigne (Morris 78); Pearson (Errington 46); Giraud; Djalo. Sub unused: Enwere. Attendance: 411. Man of the Match: Cyril Giraud.

   Kevin Mochrie  

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