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

Peter Ward stresses Shotton will stay put

Peter Ward has stressed that striker Liam Shotton will stay at Kidsgrove Athletic despite interest from rivals Newcastle Town.

Liam Shotton

Shotton has bagged nine goals for Grove this season and Ward revealed that Newcastle had been in touch with the 23-year-old front man.

Ward said: “We have got Newcastle Town after Liam, but he is not going anywhere.

“We spoke to Liam and he is happy here, and he has a part to play with us.

“He would be in the same situation at Newcastle having to compete with Chris Budrys and Alan Nagington.”

Neil Cox close to signing Aussie

Leek Town manager Neil Cox is closing in on the signing of a midfielder who has returned to the UK after spending the last seven years down-under.

Blues secretary Brian Wain has confirmed that the player’s International Clearance Certificate has been issued by the FA and Cox is expected to complete the signing later this week.

Neil Cox

Meanwhile former manager Wayne Johnson has now been released from his playing registration with the club and is free to resurrect his playing career in the Evo-Stik League.

However, local press reports suggest that Johnson may not be destined to join rivals Kidsgrove Athletic after Grove manager Peter Ward denied that he was about to sign the veteran defender.

Finally Blues manager Neil Cox struggled to find anywhere for his players to train last week due to the adverse weather conditions but fortunately Crewe Alexandra came to the rescue on Saturday.

Former Blues’ boss Neil Baker, currently assistant manager at Gresty Road, offered Crewe’s facilities at their Reaseheath training centre and Cox was quick to thank both Neil and Crewe manager Dario Gradi for their kind offer.

Kidsgrove vs Sutton Coldfield Town – OFF

Kidsgrove Athletic’s league match against Sutton Coldfield Town has fallen foul of the recent cold weather.

Kidsgrove Athletic

Dense freezing fog and lying snow on the Seddon Stadium gave no hope to fans, players and staff – as Peter Ward’s men face their third-successive postponed match.

It has been almost three weeks since Grove beat Belper Town in their last league match, and the side will have their fingers crossed for warmer weather if they are to get their pitch fit for Goole on Saturday (Dec 11).

Managers air concern over fixture congestion

Newcastle Town and Kidsgrove Athletic management teams have revealed they are worried about their side’s after this weekend’s games were cancelled.

All but one of the Evo-Stik’s three divisions matches are postponed including Kidsgrove’s trip to Spalding United and Newcastle’s clash with Glapwell.

Ward said: “If we keep getting matches called off it is a major worry for us.

Peter Ward

“We will end up having to play three times a week and we don’t have the squad to cope with that number of fixtures and it is wrong that the league starts later than others because we keep having this problem with fixture congestion.”

Garner also aired his worries about other clubs and said that they could really be feeling the financial pinch.

He added: “Newcastle are ok financially but for some other smaller clubs it is a massive financial loss if home games are cancelled.

“The number of fixtures is also a worry and playing in the cup matches is good for the club financially but puts a strain on the league. We have played 13 in the league and 15 in cup matches. It’s crazy.”

Both management teams are doubtful for their matches this week and confess that fixture congestion will provide a major headache if the cold snap continues.

Kidsgrove are due to face Sutton Coldfield Town tonight (December 6) and Newcastle welcome Romulus to the Lyme Valley Stadium on Tuesday, December 7.

Kidsgrove Athletic and Newcastle Town’s games OFF

Two more of our sides have had to call their games off after freezing weather cancels all Evo-Stik Division One South.

Kidsgrove vs Spalding - OFF

Kidsgrove Athletic were due to travel to Spalding United and Newcastle Town fans will be disappointed to hear that their clash with Glapwell has also fallen foul of the conditions.

 

Newcastle Town vs Glapwell - OFF

Peter Ward’s Kidsgrove side will have a friendly against Biddulph Victoria instead, and Newcastle’s assistant manager Dorian Garner revealed they will be having an indoor training session at Newcastle College.

Both managers are doubtful for their matches next week and confess that fixture congestion will provide a major headache if the cold snap continues.

 

Kidsgrove boss slams league over fixture congestion

Kidsgrove Athletic boss Peter Ward has slammed the Evo-Stik league for starting fixtures later than other leagues which he claims causes fixture congestion later in the season.

The Welsh Premier and Blue Square Premier, North and South divisions all start their fixtures on August 14, but the Evo-Stik divisions start on August 21 and this delay is causing havoc as the cold weather sets in.

Ward said: “We start two weeks after everyone else and this needs changing.

Peter Ward

“This cold weather is set for at least ten days now, so we have no chance of playing our midweek games and next week so it is going to be a struggle.”

Ward also believed that the number of cup competitions is hampering the side’s that do well and progress further in the competitions.

He added: “There are too many cups – it is simple.

“We are four games behind some teams and other are four behind us so it means that we have a fixture congestion late in the season when others are maybe only playing once a week.”

Kidsgrove are currently in the quarter-finals of the Staffordshire Senior Cup but reached the third-round of the League Cup, as well as competing in the FA Cup preliminary rounds, FA Trophy and Presidents Trophy.

Grove sit seventh but if they can win their games in hand then Ward’s men will be hanging on the coattails on the top two side Barwell and Carlton Town.

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

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)