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| COMEBACK TRAIL: Marcus Brown |
IT summed up Romulus’ season perfectly.
A performance that wasn’t a million miles from what was
required, wasted chances and questionable refereeing, but still no goals and no
points for Richard Evans’ relegation battlers.
With just one defender on the pitch, the Roms were stoic in
their resistance against a hard working Market Drayton side on a heavy, sloping
Greenfields pitch.
Liam Roberts, the Roms keeper on loan from Walsall, stood
out by making a handful of vital saves early in the second half before the
visitors kicked into gear and steadily found the cohesion that Evans craved.
However, despite Ashley Jackson seeing his effort somehow
spooned off the line by Paul McMullen and Marcus Brown having a cast iron
penalty waved away, Roms could not find a way through.
And even when the most glorious of chances fell to new boy
Luke Keen, who sprang the offside trap to face Drayton keeper Andrew Pryce
one-on-one from 8 yards, a moment’s hesitancy before trying to pass to Brown
wasted the opportunity. Visiting fans didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Evans’ men were left chasing the game after an error at the
other end that left the crowd bemused. A ball sprayed from right to left was
aimed for lively Drayton winger Rob Stevenson with stand-in right back and
captain Marcus Jackson unnecessarily crashing into his adversary as the ball seemed
set to run out of play.
After consulting his assistant, referee Steve Mycock pointed
to the spot with Martyn Davies coolly slotting home from 12 yards on the stroke
of half time.
But Mycock further angered the men from Coles Lane with an
inconsistent performance, allowing cynical play from Drayton captain Nicky
Porter to go unpunished before Brown’s ankle was kicked in the penalty area by
McMullen after the break. There was no penalty though, despite the returning
Roms goalgetter sporting a bleeding ankle.
It would be easy to blame the referee for the defeat, but in
fairness to the hosts they hit the post in the opening exchanges and dominated
the opening 20 minutes before Roberts saved well from Matt Johnson, Stevenson
and Craig Ryan in quick succession early in the second half.
The Roms had plenty of pressure and chances from there but were
laboured and never truly laid siege on the Drayton goal. On another day, they
may have earned a point, but the second half display was encouraging enough to
believe that Romulus’ recent signings will gel and help them to turn the
corner.
Graham Deakin adds Conference North pedigree while Luke
Keen, misfiring at the moment, has a reputation for goals at this level with
Atherstone Town and Rugby Town. Marcus Brown, who plundered 25 goals in the
Roms’ opening Northern Premier League season will also be a handful when back
in full flow.
With the talent Romulus possess, they will surely improve on
a record of just 20 league goals this season, currently eight less than the
next lowest in the First Division South.
And with Richard Munday to return alongside dependable
defender Liam Francis, the panic button should be left alone.
With the tenacity shown since their formation as a boy’s club in 1979, it always used to be said around the Midlands that you should
never rule the Roms out. Despite this game going against the nomadic club there
were still plenty of reasons to back that up. There is fight in the young dog
yet.
MARKET DRAYTON TOWN: Pryce, Jones (D Proffitt 64), Connor
(Ting 76), Swetnam, McMullen, Blake, Porter, Johnson, Ryan, Davies (S Proffitt
71), Stevenson. Unused sub: Cooke.
Goal: Davies (p) 45.
ROMULUS: Roberts, M Jackson, Ravenhill, O’Callaghan, Francis,
Deakin, Walker, Keen (Gregory 81), Brown, A Jackson, Amory. Unused subs: Stone,
Hadley, Meakin-Richards, Exall (g/k).
STAR MAN: Rob Stevenson (Market Drayton Town)
Constant thorn in the experienced Marcus Jackson’s side and
his chasing of a lost cause won the penalty that decided this clash. Equally
adept at cutting inside to shoot and providing ammunition from the left, he made
the difference in generally poor match.
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