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 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)