07/09/2024
By Chris Gibbs
FA Trophy interest is shortlived
Sutton Coldfield Town 3 - Woods o.g. (3), Parry (54,68)
Newcastle Town 1 - Byrne (5)
Behind after 45 seconds and down to ten men for the last 20 minutes, it’s fair to say that it was a bad day at the office for the boys in the FA Trophy this afternoon.
In a game which started disastrously and didn’t end a whole lot better, we were a bit off the pace throughout and could have no complaints about exiting the competition in the first qualifying round.
We fielded seven changes to the side that beat Long Eaton 2-1 last week. Out went Oli Ritchie, Jack Derbyshire, Tom Thorley, Jack Sherratt, Carlos dos Santos, Jake Avery and Jake Twyford while in came Guilherme Baltazar, Ben Woods, Harry Lutakome, Eric Byrne, George Lewis, Nathan Barry and Isaac Graham.
And one of those changes got on the scoresheet inside the first minute - albeit at the wrong end. Ben Woods was desperately unlucky that Slinny’s fine save from Charlie Dowd’s shot rebounded into the net off him to put the visitors 1-0 up.
Within two minutes a terrific pass from another one of those seven changes, Eric Byrne – who recently joined us on loan from Leek – put Nathan Barry in.
The big man’s finish was blocked by the body of home goalkeeper Lewis Landers. However, a minute later Eric arrowed a fine finish across the face of goal and into the far corner to equalise in a frantic start to the game.
The home side had a strong shout for a penalty when Stubbsy might have got away with a push on 13 minutes but on the counter-attack goal scorer Eric whipped in a fine delivery which Tommy van der Laan headed wide.
Stubbsy then had an excellent headed chance from an Isaac Graham corner on 20 minutes as we briefly carried a threat, but it wasn’t long before the home side started to dominate. A slip from Harry Lutakome allowed Sutton Coldfield’s dangerous no.10 Dowd in and the striker chipped Slinny but thankfully his finish also cleared the bar.
Dowd’s strike partner Owen Parry then blazed over the bar after the home team’s full back Jack Lynch had got the better of Guilherme on the byline.
Four minutes into the second half and the home team were cursing the frame of the goal as Cameron Collins smashed one against the underside of the bar but it was a brief reprieve for our boys. After 54 minutes our luck ran out and Owen Parry applied a simple sidefoot finish to regain the lead for the home side after our defence was badly exposed.
Within three minutes of falling behind – just as we had done in the first half – we had the ball in the net. Unfortunately, this time it was direct from a Stubbsy throw in and though a couple of players were desperately close to getting a touch, the goal was rightly ruled out.
Neil Baker then rang the changes: Darbs and dos Santos replacing Baltazar and Byrne but it didn’t change our fortunes. Sutton Coldfield scored a superb third when substitute Kyle Byrne whipped in a sensational cross which Parry headed brilliantly across goal and into the far corner.
Two minutes later and a bad day got worse. Poor Harry Lutakome on his full debut was adjudged to be the last man in fouling Parry and referee James Tewson sent him on his way. Poor Harry was disconsolate as he trudged off down the tunnel.
Slinny pulled off another fine save to deny Byrne and despite Bakes making further changes, it was too late to affect the game.
This was a day to forget – now finally and completely, attention can be turned to the big one against Scunthorpe next Saturday. We will need to play an awful lot better.
Team: Slinn, Baltazar, (Derbyshire 58), Woods, Van der Laan, Lutakome, Stubbs, Byrne, (Dos Santos 58), Lewis, Barry,(Thorley 74), Jones, (Avery 69), Graham, (Twyford 69).