Mixed emotions from Kidsgrove boss

Kidsgrove Athletic boss Peter Ward said he is looking at the bigger picture despite seeing his side play out a goalless draw to bottom of the table Shepshed Dynamo.

The point saw Kidsgrove leap-frog fellow North Staffs side Newcastle Town into third place, also helped by their 5-3 win over Goole.

Ward said: “If you had said to me you will be in third and in the play-off near Christmas I would have taken it.

“It was a disappointment to draw with Shepshed but it wasn’t our day, the people who scored on Saturday didn’t last night, if they had taken their chances it could have been four or five again.

Peter Ward

“Shepshed will take points of other clubs before the end of the season so we just have to try and keep winning.”

Dave Walker saw red in Saturday’s clash with Goole and Ricky Bridge also got his marching orders in last night’s match for dissent and Ward said he could not condone this behaviour.

He added: “Ricky’s matter will be dealt with internally at the club and he will suffer through other means, but it means that we have been down to 10-men in the last two games.

“Fortunately we managed to win on Saturday, but Shepshed played 4-5-1 so it was hard to break them down, especially with ten men.”

Kidsgrove face Stamford on Saturday. Kick-off is 3.00pm

Non League Round-up

Leek Town travel to Glapwell on Saturday (Nov 27) for the home side’s ‘pink game’, in aid of raising money for Breast Cancer Care.

The home side will be sporting pink kits and some Leek Town supporters can travel to the game on a pink bus, courtesy of Mansfield-based bus company Pronto.

Graham Parker, Glapwell FC’s marketing manager said: “We are hoping to raise over £1000 from the game, we have cut the gate price to £2 so people can come and watch some quality football and also give to charity.”

Leek Town boss Neil Cox remained focused on the match and said his side need to keep picking up points away from Harrison Park.

Neil Cox

He added: “He have been picking up most of our points away from home this season, so we need to keep this going.

“Our pitch isn’t great at the moment so it’s important we play well on better pitches and try to keep a clean sheet.”

The Blues sit perilously close to the Evo-Stik First Division South relegation places in 18^th and Cox could be without star signing Anthony Malbon, who is struggling with an ankle injury picked up in last week’s 2-2 draw with Romulus.

Elsewhere, Newcastle Town will be hoping to keep on the coat tails of Barwell and Carlton Town as they sit third.

Greg Clowes’s players answered his call to string a winning run together as they beat Loughborough Dynamo’s 3-1 last week and Market Drayton in the Presidents Cup 4-2 midweek.

Newcastle travel to Belper Town tomorrow (Nov 27), who lost 4-2 to Kidsgrove Athletic last week and if they have ambitions to finish in the top two then they can not afford to drop points against the fifth-placed side.

Dave Walker

Kidsgrove fans have a home fixture this weekend against Shepshed Dynamo. The Grove have suffered a blip in recent weeks and now sit in sixth place.

But they will be confident of overhauling a Shepshed side that have recorded only a single victory this season and sit rock bottom of the Evo-Stik First Division South.

Experienced campaigner Dave Walker will be looking to add to his tally of 20 goals this season and Ricky Bridge could start after his brace in the side’s 4-2 win over Belper.

Kick-off for all the matches in 3.00pm

Kidsgrove beat Belper to overcome ‘blip’

Kidsgrove Athletic boss Peter Ward has praised his players for a superb second-half performance in their 4-2 win over Belper Town on Saturday (Nov 20).

The visitors took the lead on the half-hour mark through Jon Frogatt’s converted penalty but Dave Walker equalised almost immediately.

Grove entered the break 2-1 down after losing possession in their own half and Daryl Thomas coolly finished for the visitors.

But another goal from Walker and two from Ricky Bridge in the second-half sealed the win and Ward said he was really pleased with the players.

Peter Ward

He added: “We played really well and the game was very even in the first half but a couple of mistakes cost us.

“Ricky (Bridge) had a great game after getting some time at Biddulph under his belt.

“We have just got to keep taking each game as it comes and to win, we have had a bit of a blip but the last three games have seen a massive improvement.”

Kidsgrove face Evo-Stik Premier Division side Colwyn Bay, who sit second tonight (Nov 23) in the League Challenge Cup Third Round and Ward said he has done his homework on them.

He said: “They have some big lads in their side and a long throw so they will be dangerous from set pieces.

“It’s a chance to test ourselves against a side going well in a league higher and we want to go a lot further in this competition.”

Kick-off at the Seddon Stadium is 7.45pm.

Kidsgrove boss praises striker after Newcastle cup win

Kidsgrove Athletic manager Peter Ward branded his star-striker Dave Walker as a ‘natural finisher’ after his goal sent the Grove into the last four of the Staffordshire Senior Cup at the expense of local rivals Newcastle Town, writes Matt Dodd.

A deserved win at the Lyme Valley Stadium had Ward upbeat about his side’s chances of regaining the cup, and had plenty of praise for top-scorer Walker who has now scored 19 goals in 18 games.

He said: “Dave’s (Walker) done really well. He’s a quality finisher. You give him the chances and he’ll score goals and he proved that tonight.

“He’s a natural finisher, and if we get him in those areas he’ll score goals, it’s as simple as that.

Peter Ward

“I thought the whole team played really well. We probably should have been three up at half-time.

“They only really had one chance over 90 minutes and I thought we were much the better side.”

The only goal of Tuesday night’s quarter-final came on the hour-mark.

The Newcastle defenders failed to clear a long ball from Karl Charlton, and Walker took advantage and struck an impressive half-volley into the bottom left corner.

The win puts the Grove into the semi-finals, and Ward believes the cup could be heading back to the Seddon Stadium this year.

He added: “I don’t see any reason why not. We normally do quite well in this competition.

“We want to go as far as we possibly can and we have an opportunity of making money financially if you draw one of the bigger teams.”

Match-winner Walker said that the victory was down to determination and hard work, after recent performances have not been the best.

Dave Walker

He said: “I think it was down to hard work. The last few games we haven’t been working hard. We had a chat after a loss last week and the gaffer said we just need to start getting back to basics and working hard.

“We could have been four up at half-time. We were thinking it could have been one of those days but we had a couple of chances in the second-half and obviously we put one away and defended quite well.”

Kidsgrove can now focus on the league, and will be looking for another victory when Belper Town travel to the Seddon Stadium on Saturday.

Ward said, “It’s another win under our belt. The league is more important obviously and we want three points on Saturday.”

To see Newcastle Town’s boss Greg Clowes’s comments click here

Town boss slams players after Staffs Cup defeat

Newcastle Town boss Greg Clowes slammed the performance of his players after crashing out of the Staffordshire Senior Cup to the hands of local rivals Kidsgrove Athletic, writes Matt Dodd.

The holders of the cup could only make it to the quarter-final stage this time around, and Clowes was bitterly disappointed with his side’s performance on Tuesday (Nov 16) night, admitting that “anyone could have beaten us.”

He added: “We didn’t turn up. Considering we were defending our cup which we won last year, the players didn’t show any desire to retain it. I’ve given them a few home truths.

“I don’t think it was that Kidsgrove played so well, it was the fact that we were so poor – and that’s fair play to Kidsgrove for making us look so poor.”

Town never really took control of the game and a goal on the hour from Kidsgrove’s top-scorer Dave Walker was enough to secure a deserved win for the Grove.

Greg Clowes

Clowes said: “In the end losing 1-0 flattered us tonight. On another night if they had taken their chances it could have been an embarrassing defeat.

“We’ve been knocked out of the competition without even turning up. That’s the most frustrating part of it, the fact that we worked so hard to win last year and anyone could have beaten us tonight on that performance.

“We wanted to stay in this trophy tonight. I did, unfortunately the players didn’t.”

Castle will now shift their focus back to the league, and despite being in fifth place with games in hand on the teams around them, Clowes was pessimistic about his side’s chances this season given the performance against Kidsgrove.

Clowes admitted that promotion could be out of contention based on his side’s performance.

He said: “On that performance we won’t win anything.

“It’s been a bit like Jekyll and Hyde at the moment. The same squad overturned a very good side on Saturday away from home, but the same group of players have turned in a performance like that tonight which is unacceptable.”

Loughborough Dynamo are the visitors to the Lyme Valley Stadium on Saturday, and Castle will be looking to erase the memory of Tuesday night with a convincing performance.

Clowes said: “There are things to work on – big game on Saturday. As far as I’m concerned I’ve forgot about this result already and we look forward to Saturday.”

To see comments from Kidsgrove’s manager Peter Ward click here.

Walker’s goal gives Kidsgrove Athletic bragging rights

Kidsgrove Athletic proved too much for local rivals Newcastle Town as they secured their place in the semi-finals of the Staffordshire Senior Cup with an impressive 1-0 win at the Lyme Valley Stadium, writes Mike Carter

The Grove had plenty of chances throughout the game and could have been three up by half-time thanks to some poor Castle defending.

Top-scorer Dave Walker was the hero though as his second-half goal was enough to put Kidsgrove into the last four.

The match got off to a fast start with the visitors almost finding the net in the opening minute, but Liam Shotton’s effort was blazed narrowly wide.

Pre- match build-up

Shotton then had another great opportunity as winger Ricky Bridge delivered a great ball from the left but the frontman sliced his shot wide.

Newcastle had a penalty appeal turned down in the 18th minute after Alan Nagington took on two players only to be pushed to the floor but the referee waved play on.

Kidsgrove kept pushing for the opening goal though and on 22 minutes Walker’s shot went narrowly over with an overhead kick after Jordan Johnson’s poor clearance.

Peter Ward’s side were not taking their chances and Bridge should have scored when he was through on goal but Castle keeper Danny Read saved well.

Town still were looking dangerous on the break and a wonderful cross from the left by Johnson found Nagington who volleyed just wide from 18 yards.

The biggest chance of the half fell to Shotton again after he was found unmarked in the box after a lovely ball from Tim Sanders. Shotton could only head wide from ten yards.

The home side started much better after half-time and almost scored in the 48th minute.

Chris Burdry’s through ball was met by Nagington who did well to shrug off his defender but could only force a good save out of Steve Inithar.

Grove continued to create chances and Bridge’s spectacular half-volley was well parried by Reade.

Dave Walker

On 60 minutes, the deadlock was finally broken. A long ball from Karl Charlton was misjudged by the Castle defence and Walker did well to finish just inside the box with a half-volley into the bottom left corner. Kidsgrove should have doubled their advantage five minutes later after Walker’s shot was well saved only for the rebound to fall to Bridge but he sliced his shot.

Greg Clowes’s team never looked like turning the game with their only effort in the last period coming from Dan Skelton whose 30-yard shot blazed over.

Walker could have sealed the victory late-on after running onto Charlton’s flick but his shot was just wide.

Kidsgrove hung on for the win and will now look forward to repeating their success in the competition in 2009, while Newcastle will reflect on a night where they just didn’t play well.

Newcastle Town: Read, Espley (Willis 45), Skelton, Donnelley, Dicker, Douglas, Johnson, Connor (Price 86), Budrys (James 70), Nagington, Sidibe

Subs not used: Hughes, Dutton

Kidsgrove Athletic: Intihar, Smith, Dove, Ward, Harper, Charlton, Unwin, Sanders, Walker, Shotton, Bridge

Subs not used: Morris, Turner, Schwarz

Referee: Mr M D’Aguilar (Cannock)

Kidsgrove bounce-back with 3-0 win at Loughborough Dynamo

Kidsgrove Athletic boss Peter Ward said he was impressed with his players bouncing back from defeat as they beat Loughborough Dynamo’s 3-0 on Saturday (Nov 13).

Goals from Karl Charlton, Liam Shotton and Dave Walker sealed the win which lifts the Grove up a place into 8^th in the Evo-Stik First Division South.

Tom Urwin and Tim Sanders started but Ward sidelined striker Shotton and Alex Morris and he said he was pleased with how individual player’s reacted to their 1-0 defeat to Romulus last week (Nov 9).

Peter Ward

Ward added: “We did very well and I was pleased not only for the three goals, but we managed to stay solid and keep a clean sheet too.

“Liam (Shotton) hadn’t been firing but when he came on his goal was superb.

“It was a fantastic result and hopefully last week was the kick up the backside that some of the players needed and we can put some wins together.”

Shotton’s goal was the highlight of the match. He picked up Tim Sanders’s through ball, slid past two Loughborough defenders and smashed his shot in via the underside of the crossbar.

On Tuesday (Nov 16) night Kidsgrove face Newcastle Town in the Quarter Final of the Staffordshire Cup.

Kick-off is 7.45pm.

Kidsgrove put seven past Cammell Laird in superb second-half

Kidsgrove Athletic manager Peter Ward said he was pleased to see more of a killer instinct to his side in their 7-2 win over Cammell Laird last night (Nov 2).

Liam Shotton completed a superb hat-trick and James McCarthy scored his first goal for the club.

Dave Walker also bagged a brace alongside Adam Beasley’s strike.

Liam Shotton

Ward said he had a stern chat with the players as they entered the break at 1-1.

He added: “We played reasonably well in the first-half but we needed to kill the game off.

“We missed four or five chances in the first-half and I told the lads we had to up the tempo.

“I was very impressed with the reaction I got out of them, and for the last 30 minutes of the game we were all over them”.

Kidsgrove boss hopes his strikers continue hot form

Kidsgrove Athletic manager Peter Ward is hoping his in-form front men can lead them to victory over Lincoln United on Saturday (Oct 30).

Dave Walker (14) and Liam Shotton (six) have netted 20 times this season so far and Walker in particular has been terrorising defences.

Kidsgrove Athletic via club website

Walker bagged four goals in Athletic’s 4-0 win over Rainworth Miners Welfare and Ward hopes the rest of the side can keep providing them with opportunites in front of goal.

He said:  “We have two great lads up front.

“They are doing really well but we need to make sure they get the support. They are only going to score in games if they get good service.”