Stratford Town 0 vs 1 REDS Tuesday 4th October

The REDS made the short trip to Stratford Town in the Birmingham Senior Cup, looking to get their season back on track.  Ross Oulton came into the centre of midfield to replace Will Richards, with Josh McKenzie and Lee Osborne replacing Joe Harris and Suleiman Leluu up front.

It was the visitors who took the game to Stratford, playing with good energy and aggression, and the front two of McKenzie and Osborne, causing problems for Stratford’s back four.

 A fantastic run from McKenzie which started just inside the Stratford half saw him go past threedefenders, as he drove into the box, his final ball couldn’t quite find Osborne.  With Warmer and Oulton pulling the strings in midfield, complimented well by Jones and Moses Garvey, who were productive in wide areas it seemed a matter of time before the Reds would take the lead.

A culmination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping kept the score line goalless at halftime, with Stratford only offering the occasional threat on the counter attack.

Second Half

The second half started in much the same way as the first, with the REDS in the ascendancy, probing all the time looking for the opening goal.  The game started to get stretched and very open, but with a strong back four and Warmer patrolling, the area in front of his two centre halves, the REDS very rarely looked threatened.

 Following a good early ball forward from the impressive Grimes, it was Osborne, who latched onto the pass, from an inside left position his lob totally deceived the goalkeeper, only to hit the underside of the crossbar.  A five minute spell saw the REDS put under pressure, following a good cross from Stratford’s right wing it was MacKay, who reacted the quickest, only to see his shot cannon off the post, and then the REDS defenders reacted swiftly to clear the danger.  It was a slice of luck, the REDS deserved, and with the clock ticking,it was Josh McKenzie who would come to the rescue.

Following a throw in from the left hand side, McKenzie found himself in the box, trying to turn and get his shot away, only to be fouled by the defender; the Referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.  With four minutes remaining McKenzie, stepped up and drove his penalty firmly down the middle, to put the REDS into the next round.

The Referee’s final whistle was sheer delight for the travelling supporters, in what was an excellent display and a thoroughly deserved win.