Dudley were looking to continue their impressive start to the season with a result against Northwich Victoria yesterday. The Robins had started their league campaign with three consecutive wins to sit near the top of the table which included beating the likes of Winsford United, Lye and Romulus.  

There also through to the second qualifying round of the FA vase following a 2-0 win at Wolverhampton Casuals last weekend.

It feels like the club is on an upward trajectory under manager Matty Lovatt and there building some momentum at step five.

Harry Crook and Matt Funge were in form with six goals combined to start the new season.   

Northwich Victoria are also building some momentum under manager Lee Duckworth who was appointed in the middle of last season. It’s been an eye-catching summer for the Vics with former football league players Harry Davis and AJ Leitch-Smith joining the squad and adding experience.   

The visitors were a side in form going into yesterday’s match with two wins from their first three league games. They were coming off an encouraging 6-1 win against newly promoted Abbey Hulton United on Bank Holiday Monday.

They are also through to the second qualifying round of the FA vase following a 2-0 home win over Winterton Rangers last weekend.

One of their main strengths has been at the back with only three goals conceded in the premier division which is behind only AFC Wolverhampton City (One) and Hanley Town (Two).

Starting line ups

The starting line up for Dudley Town included Tom Carter starting in goal and Jamie Beddall captaining the side as part of a back three. The formation looked like a 5-3-2 with Matt Funge and Harry Crook playing up front and being supported by Ethan Muckley in the number ten role.

There were no changes from their match against Romulus on Monday with Matty Lovatt naming the same starting eleven.

Northwich Victoria’s starting line up included Andre Mendes starting in goal and Matty Clarke captaining the side from holding midfield. The formation looked like a 4-2-3-1 with AJ Leitch-Smith playing up front and being supported by Ryan Atkinson and Jefferson Abreu on the wings.

There was one change from their match against Abbey Hulton United on Monday with Mike Lawson coming into the team and playing at centre back alongside Harry Davis. 

​First Half

The visitors got off to a quick start and looked a threat in the opening fifteen minutes of the first half.

The Vics were threatening from a couple of dangerous free kicks into the box and found the breakthrough when a second ball found Harry Davis who produced a quality finish into the bottom right corner for 1-0 on 8 minutes.   

​Dudley gradually grew into the match as the first half went on and stopped some of the Northwich momentum following the goal. Joe Colley was reading the danger well as part of a back three and helped the Robins settle into the match. Full back Tom Owen also looked a threat down the left-hand side and served as an out ball to take some of the pressure off Dudley.  

The visitors looked sharp on and off the ball and were causing Dudley problems. Jefferson Abreu was making things happen down the left-hand side and taking players on for Northwich. Mike Lawson also defended well at centre back and broke up promising Dudley attacks.

The clear-cut chances in front of goal were limited for large spells of the first half with both sides struggling with that final ball into the box.

There was a bad looking injury to captain Jamie Beddall in the 43rd minute who was leading by example for Dudley in the first half and defended well on the right of a back three. Robins’ supporters will hope it’s nothing too long-term as he played well yesterday and stood up to the Northwich pressure.   

The visitors had a few late chances to make it 2-0 in the final stages of the first half. Ryan Atkinson broke free in the box before sending a chipped effort over the bar. Will Lloyd also had a shot go wide of the top right corner following some good build up play.

Second Half

Dudley changed their formation to 4-2-3-1 at the start of the second half with Jordan Davies coming on for Jamie Beddall and playing in attacking midfield. Matt Funge was playing as the number nine and was supported by Ethan Muckley and Harry Crook on the wings.

The Robins started well in the opening five minutes and were building some momentum in the final third. Their best chance for an equaliser came when Tom Owen delivered a dangerous free kick into the box that found Lewis Riley-Stewart whose header was saved by Andre Mendes in the 47th minute.

Just as Dudley were starting to get on the front foot, they were caught on the break to make it 2-0 to the visitors. Mamadou Djabi found some space down the right-hand side before squaring the ball to Jefferson Abreu who finished at the back post in the 51st minute.

It was tough on Dudley, but the visitors were clinical in the box yesterday and took their chances well to have some breathing space in the second half.

The Robins showed flashes of their attacking quality up front and created some notable chances. Jordan Davis beat a few players down the left-hand side before crossing it to Matt Funge who fired wide on the hour mark.

Northwich were resolute off the ball yesterday and looked like a side with one of the best defensive records in the league. Matty Clarke was doing a brilliant job of tracking back and shielding the back four and stood out for the Vics.

They also looked a threat on the break with Mamadou Djabi coming on for AJ Leitch-Smith and helping to build up the play in the final third.  

Substitute Sean Cooke had a couple of good chances to wrap up the game for Northwich in the middle of the second half. He was through on goal before having a shot well saved by Tom Carter in the 67th minute. He also struck a free kick that hit the far post a few minutes later.

Dudley showed character in the final twenty minutes and kept going in search of a way back into the match. They had a sustained spell of momentum on the Northwich goal and showed glimpses of their attacking quality in the final third.

Eli Enyan made a promising run down the right-hand side before playing a good ball to Jordan Davis whose shot was blocked for a corner on 86 minutes.

Harry Crook also created some space in the box before having a shot well saved by Andre Mendes in the 90th minute.

It felt like something to build on for Dudley and it was starting to click in front of goal in the final stages of the second half.

None the less, Northwich put in a professional performance to see out the match and were applauded by a notable away following at full time.

The win puts them top of the league on goal difference, and it was an encouraging away performance from the Vics.

Upcoming fixtures                     

Dudley have the chance to bounce back quickly with a busy run of games coming up throughout September. They have a run of homes games against Brocton (Tuesday), Stone Old Alleynians (Saturday) and Coton Green (Tuesday 9th September) at the Guardian Warehousing Arena before travelling to Hanley Town on Saturday 13th September.

The Robins then play Stourport Swifts at home in the second qualifying round of the FA vase on Saturday 20th September

Northwich will be looking to keep their impressive form going against Whitchurch Alport (Home) on Wednesday before travelling to Highgate United (Next Saturday) and Stone Old Alleynians (Tuesday 9th September).

The Vics then play Stourport Swifts at home (Saturday 13th September) before playing Maghull (Away) in the FA Vase on the 20th of September.     

FT score: Dudley Town 0-2 Northwich Victoria

Man of the match: Matty Clarke (Northwich Victoria)

Attendance: 153

Match report written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League

​Highgate were looking to bounce back from a tough loss to high flying Nuneaton Town in the FA Vase. The Gate lost 8-0 to the UCL Premier Division South leaders on Saturday and were looking to get back on track against newly promoted Coton Green yesterday.

The Solihull side got an encouraging 2-1 home win against Tividale a few weeks back and were looking to build some momentum at step five under the new management team of Ant Hasker and Craig Walton.    

It’s been a promising start to the season for Coton Green following promotion from division one last season. The Green army have adapted well to life at step five and notably beat Romulus 5-2 a few weeks back.

The visitors were coming off an impressive 2-0 win at Hellenic League side Worcester Raiders in the FA vase and were looking to keep their good form going against Highgate. 

​Starting line ups

The starting line up for Highgate included Spike Whitehouse starting in goal and Kyle Hayden captaining the team from midfield. The formation looked like a 4-3-3 with Mason Stevens playing up front and being supported by Josh Newbold and Urio Hijambazapo on the wings.

There were five changes from their match against Nuneaton Town at the weekend with George Elwell coming into the team and playing in holding midfield.

Coton Green’s starting line up included Lewis Landers starting in goal and Matt Hunt captaining the team at centre back. The formation looked like a 4-2-3-1 with Ollie Roome playing up front and being supported by James Douglas and Josh Beeson on the wings.

There were four changes from their match against Worcester Raiders on Saturday with Tyrike Richards-Burke coming into the team and playing at left-back. 

First Half

Coton got off to a quick start and were making things happen inside the opening fifteen minutes of the first half. James Henry found some space down the right-hand side before squaring the ball to Ollie Roome in the box who couldn’t quite connect with it on 3 minutes.

​The visitors looked sharp in and out of possession and found the breakthrough when a brilliant ball found Josh Beeson who produced a quality header into the top right corner for 1-0 on 10 minutes.

It was all clicking for Coton who had the momentum in the early stages of the match. They created another notable chance when James Henry broke free before having his shot well saved by Spike Whitehouse in the 12th minute.

Highgate gradually grew into the match as it went on and were working hard off the ball throughout the first half. Kareem Majzoub was reading the danger well at centre back and helping to clear the ball away to give them a foothold in the match.

The Gate were struggling to break down a well organised Coton side in the opening half hour and were limited to half chances in and around the box.

Dean Morris and Todd Sherwood were brilliant in holding midfield for the visitors yesterday and did well to shield the back four and control the tempo of the match. They were helping to build up the play and start off attacks for Coton and stood out in the first half.  

Another player who impressed for Coton was Tyrike Richards-Burke who looked a threat down the left-hand side. He was making things happen and taking players on for the visitors.

A free-flowing move from the visitors saw a good ball played to Ollie Roome who laid it off to Tyrike Richards-Burke in the box who put in a dangerous ball across the face of goal to James Henry who couldn’t quite send it goalwards on 22 minutes.    

Highgate had a decent chance on the half hour mark when Josh Newbold found some space in the box before firing wide.

​The Solihull side were struggling to build some momentum up front but there were some positives such as Mason Stevens helping to hold up the play and Josh Newbold looking a threat in the final third.

Ollie Roome was making things happen up front for Coton and showed some good movement from a free kick into the box. He found some space before having a shot hit the crossbar on 34 minutes.

The pressure from the visitors eventually told and they were able to make it 2-0 near the end of the first half when Ollie Roome made a brilliant run into the box before producing a quality header into the bottom left corner in the 41st minute.

Highgate showed character and were searching for a way back into the match in the closing stages of the first half. The hosts got into some promising positions in the final third but were struggling with that final ball into the box.

Second Half

Coton continued their momentum in the early stages of the second half and looked a threat from a couple of dangerous corners delivered into the box. Harry Higginson found some space before Highgate were able to clear it away from goal.

Highgate looked more of a threat in the second half and played with a front two which helped them build some pressure on the Coton goal. They created a good chance when Jack Ward struck a free kick that was well saved by Lewis Landers who tipped it round the post for a corner on 58 minutes.

The visitors did a good job of standing up to the pressure in the second half with Harry Higginson impressing at centre back and looking dominant in the air.

The clear-cut chances in front of goal were limited compared to the first half and it was a bit scrappy with both sides cancelling each other out.

Coton put in a professional performance to not let Highgate back into the match who were pressing for a goal but struggled to find the breakthrough.

A good corner from the visitors found substitute Tom Kinsey at the front post who guided his header over the bar in the 80th minute.  

A goalkeeping mistake made it 3-0 to the visitors on 85 minutes. Spike Whitehouse was caught playing out from the back and substitute Adam Nazir was alert to win the ball back and finish into the bottom right corner to settle the match.

There was a late chance for Highgate to get a consolation goal in stoppage time when Kyle Hayden found some space on the edge of the box before having a shot well saved by Lewis Landers in the 93rd minute.

The Green Army were able to see the match out in injury time for their first away win in the premier division. The result makes it two wins from their first three league matches at step five.

Upcoming fixtures

Highgate have a huge home match against Romulus next Tuesday before a busy run of league matches in early September.

The Gate play Northwich Victoria at home next Saturday before matches against Stourport Swifts (Away, Tuesday 9th September), Stone Old Alleynians (Home, Saturday 13th September) and Hanley Town (Away, Tuesday 16th September) over the next few weeks.  

Coton will be looking to keep their momentum going with a run of home games against Tividale (Saturday) and Studley (Tuesday, 2nd September) over the next week.

Their schedule also includes upcoming away games against Brocton (Saturday 6th September) and Dudley Town (Tuesday 9th September) before a home match against Whitchurch Alport (Saturday 13th September) over the next couple of weeks.         

FT score: Highgate United 0-3 Coton Green

Man of the match: Ollie Roome (Coton Green)

Attendance: 61

Match report written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League