FA Trophy Now we must build on first league win, says Johnston
MANGOTSFIELD United’s relieved manager Ray Johnston says it’s time to come down from the high of Saturday’s prized first league victory in readiness to reunite with Willand Rovers tomorrow.
Cossham Street celebrated at last after goals for Andre Freckleton, Wayne Nderemani and Owen Humphries saw off Cinderford Town 3-1 to register a maiden win at the ninth attempt in Southern League Division One South.
It’s back to Devon now for Mangotsfield, and a meet-up with league rivals Willand for the second time in three weeks, this time for an FA Trophy second round qualifier after Field hopes of clinching league victory in the first game were dashed by a late stoppagetime leveller in a 1-1 draw.
That outcome hurt a lot, by Johnston’s own admission, which was why Saturday’s maiden threepointer at the expense of Cinderford raised the dressing room roof in the immediate aftermath.
“I just sat in the other room feeling an element of relief while the lads celebrated as though they’d won the FA Cup,” said the Mangotsfield manager. “It was nice, for once, to hear Sweet Caroline belting out from our own changing quarters, as it had begun to get a bit tiresome hearing our opponents ramming it down our throats from their own rooms.
“For me, it’s been a case of enjoying the moment and coming back to earth quickly, because we need to crack on and build on this.”
Johnston’s charges did return to terra firma with a bump on Tuesday night as Melksham Town hit them for six without reply at Cossham Street in a one-sided League Challenge Cup opener.
The Field chief said: “The game was over as a contest after 15 minutes as we found ourselves down to nine men courtesy of red cards for our ‘keeper Ben Carter and Liam Towler because of bad challenges.
“In the end, we couldn’t wait for the final whistle.”
Of Saturday’s overdue success story, Johnston said: “We’d gone in at half-time 2-1 up when it could easily have been 4-1 after seeing two pretty good-looking goals disallowed, and Cinderford still somehow with 11 players intact. One of their guys was only yellow carded as last man for cleaning out Owen Humphries as he was through on goal.
“Still, Cinderford didn’t cause us too many problems, while Owen certainly posed them plenty. It was another bit of magic from him that won us the second-half penalty he then converted to put it to bed.
“Owen might be diminutive but he’s a real exciting talent, having risen right up through our youth system,” added Johnston, who is without defender Josiah Dunstan through suspension tomorrow, while left-sided performer Tyler Jackson will have a foot injury assessed.
New signings Matt Davis (ex-Hallen), Emmanuel Oke and Peter Majek-Oduyoye – the latter two, both SGS College performers from London, featured in Tuesday night’s Melksham defeat - could be involved.
Paulton Rovers are at Bristol Manor Farm tomorrow for their own FA Trophy affair, the occasion part of a consecutive three-match series involving the pair which began on Tuesday night with a thrilling Challenge Cup opener, and concludes a week tomorrow at Rovers’ Winterfield Road ground in the league.
It was round one to muchchanged Paulton at The Creek in midweek as they reached the second stage of the league’s knockout tournament via a 7-6 penalty shootout success, after the sides had been locked at 2-2 on 90 minutes.
Will Harvey’s close-range finish handed Rovers a slender half-time advantage, only for Owen Howe to fire Farm in front with two strikes.
In the dying embers, another Rovers teenager, George Fowler, fired into the net from the edge of a crowded box to take the tie to penalties after team-mate and keeper Aaron Sainsbury had caused a stir by racing upfield to meet a corner.
Paulton assistant manager Paul Tovey said: “We were dominant in the first half, hit the bar twice and their ‘keeper made a couple of good saves.
“Manor Farm changed formation after the break and it became a more even game. Howe’s first goal for them was a great left-footed strike into the top corner.”
John Rendell’s revitalised team have responded impressively to a 5-1 September 18 defeat at Plymouth Parkway with straight 5-1 and 2-0 away successes against Barnstaple Town and Bideford, respectively, in the league.
“It’s no slight on them, but it’s sad to see Barnstaple, who had been such a solid North Devon club over so many years, looking so fragile,” said Tovey.
“Their players were all very committed against us; but they were the worst team I’ve seen at this level, as their 9-1 thrashing by Larkhall on Saturday, and 7-0 and 7-1 thrashings by Cinderford and Winchester City last month, underline.
“They’ve been on the precipice for several years now and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better for them.
“Bideford are a young team who did have a few bodies back when they played us. They’ve been struggling too, having been historically, like Barnstaple, one of the bigger clubs down that way. Now the Devon big boys tag seems to be with the likes of Plymouth Parkway.”
Tovey emphasised, however: “We produced as good a performance on Saturday at Bideford as I can remember. We controlled the game passing it out from the back, and their ‘keeper (Adam Seedhouse-Evans), who had been in goal for Barnstaple only the week before when we played them, was their man of the match, saving six one-on-one opportunities of ours.
“We restricted Bideford to only half-chances and from one to 11, our lads were excellent.
“It was good to see our young sub and former Weston youth player Will Harvey, at 18, come on and wrap it up with our second goal towards the end, having already scored at Barnstaple the week before. These lads are important to us as we know we can’t compete on the money side with a top six which I believe will stay as it is right the way through.
“We’ve won four and drawn one of our eight games and I’ll be quite satisfied if we can maintain that rate over the rest of the season.”
Of the Manor Farm sequence Rovers find themselves embroiled in, Tovey said: “I’ve watched them at times this season and seen firsthand what a big, strong and experienced team they are, who should be, and are, doing well.
“They have so many goals in them and they’ll be up there and thereabouts at the end.”
Yate Town, in 13th place, tomorrow host a Chesham United side four spots beneath them on the Southern Premier South ladder. Yate are bubbling with belief after stringing together, before Tuesday night’s 2-1 Challenge Cup home defeat by Cirencester Town, three straight victories, all with clean sheets.
That included Saturday’s 3-0 home success over Redhill, which propelled the buoyant Bluebells into the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup. There they face a marathon 376-mile round trip to Crabble Stadium to take on National League top-flight strugglers Dover Athletic, who have yet to win a game.