MDHC 1st vs Stone 2nd
Market Drayton 13–1
Market Drayton wanted to build on the wins from their opening two games of the season and continue developing their new style of play. They also knew that Stone 2s, relegated last season, would be keen to prove a point. The message before the game was clear: control the play, stick to the game plan and continue playing the way we have been. Market Drayton started brightly, and some excellent passing play put Nick Cooper through on goal, calmly finishing to make it 1–0 inside the opening five minutes. It wasn’t long before James Tavernor added a second, showing great individual skill before finishing on the reverse. James wasn’t finished there, scoring again just a minute later to make it 3–0, before completing his hat-trick just three minutes after that.
Market Drayton continued to dominate, with Matthew Kenvyn calmly converting a short corner with a low, powerful strike. He added another before half-time, sending Market Drayton into the break 6–0 ahead. The half-time message was simple: continue as we were, with a few adjustments to movement in the opposition 23. The second half started in much the same way as the first had ended, with Dillan Weller finding the net shortly after the restart.
Jordan Chevins then got his name on the scoresheet with a drag flick from a short corner, before Steve Lloyd produced a fantastic finish, beating the Stone keeper right in the top corner to make it 9–0. A momentary lapse from Market Drayton allowed Stone to react quickly to a free hit. A diagonal ball into the D found a Stone forward, who got the faintest of touches to make it 9–1. Disappointed with conceding, Market Drayton immediately lifted the tempo again. A piece of individual skill from Jordan Chevins secured his second of the game and took Market Drayton into double figures. Nick Cooper then added two more in quick succession, scoring in the 51st and 53rd minutes, before James Tavernor rounded off an excellent afternoon by scoring his fourth of the game.
Full time: Market Drayton 13–1 Stone 2s. A dominant performance from Market Drayton, who continue to show the benefits of their new style.
