Exclusive: Pompey star Paul Hall joins Romulus coaching staff

NEW ROMS COACH: Paul Hall

FORMER Portsmouth star and Jamaican international Paul Hall has joined the back room staff at Northern Premier League club Romulus theonionsack can exclusively reveal.

Hall, 40, will come in as First Team Coach as the Roms shake things up behind the scenes with current coach Dave Barnett stepping up to the role of joint manager alongside the long serving Richard Evans.

The former Pompey striker or winger returns to the game after a year out following a spell as assistant manager at Mansfield Town, who reached the FA Trophy final, and as coach at Tamworth who got to the 3rd Round proper of the FA Cup.

That came on the back of a successful Football League career, totalling more than 500 appearances and scoring over 100 goals for a succession of clubs including a successful five year stint at Fratton Park.

But he really made his name by receiving the call to represent the Reggae Boyz in the 1998 World Cup with his displays in France earning Hall a £300,000 move to the Premier League with Coventry City before helping another Midlands club Walsall to promotion.

His latest move may raise a few eyebrows, but despite the Roms sitting second bottom of the Northern Premier League Division One South, Hall is relishing the task ahead.

“This will be the biggest challenge of my life,” he said “people may look at that and think it is a strange thing to say with some of the highlights I have had in my career, but that has gone and it is all about now.

“The league position means the lads can’t be very happy at the moment, but that is a good thing, you don’t want people who are happy to be down there struggling.

“We need to create a good atmosphere because wherever I have had success there has always been that togetherness.”

Hall has already got to work, attending his first training session and meeting the players, and insists that the Roms’ young charges were not overawed by his arrival.

“Everyone was very welcoming and it was quite relaxed. I have always considered myself to be one of the lads and I respect these players in the same way I would respect the top players I have played with.

“There are some familiar faces in the squad that I have come across before and we are all in it together. We just need to try and improve what we have done already. We need to make ourselves hard to beat again.

“We’ll set our own targets amongst ourselves but you have to be realistic and remember that we are here for the long term, to build the team and get everyone doing the right things.”

Meanwhile, new joint-manager Barnett added: “The management team are united in achieving better results during the second half of the season.

“The players will get all the information they need and we will be well organised. It is now down to team spirit, hard work, raising confidence and individual standards, so that we become a more consistent, solid unit.”

Report: Sutton Coldfield Tn 4-3 Kidsgrove Ath - NPL One South

AT THE DOUBLE: Sutton striker
Mark Danks

SUTTON Coldfield Town may have a reputation for falling at the final fence when trying to snaffle a play-off place, but that all may be about to change for the Royals.

Coles Lane has witnessed its fair share of last ditch heartache in recent years with Sutton twice pushed out of the Southern League play-offs on goal difference, the second time by a single goal on the last day of the season in 2009-10 before blowing a promising position in their maiden Northern Premier League campaign in 2010-11.

And after a season of inconsistency saw Sutton slip to a 13^th place finish last season, locals could be forgiven for thinking the chances of Step 3 football were about as likely as local MP Andrew Mitchell remaining as Chief Whip.

However, after a shake-up both on and off the pitch and Neil Tooth’s surprise promotion to the manager’s role, the Royals have been on the up.

Tooth’s reign started with some patchy results, but since reshuffling his squad, the man who served as assistant to former boss Chris Keogh has overseen a run of 10 wins in 13 league matches, propelling the men in blue up to 3^rd in the Evostik NPL One South.

And this latest victory is testament to a change in mentality for the Royals.

So often routine wins against struggling sides have evaded Sutton through poor performances or defensive lapses, but a bold tactical change along with a generous dose of character saw Tooth’s side recover against a dogged Kidsgrove outfit.

A vital cog in Sutton’s results machine has been enigmatic striker Mark Danks. With Blue Square Bet North pedigree during his time with Worcester City, the at times feisty striker had plundered eight goals in six starts prior to this match before adding another two against an Athletic side that just couldn’t handle his movement.

Danks’ ninth of the season came after a clever bit of footwork outfoxed two markers before turning back inside to drill a low shot beyond Dave Dyson’s left hand to seemingly put Sutton in control.

But Kidsgrove hadn’t read the script and with lively front pairing Liam Shotton and Andy Kinsey giving the Royals plenty to think about, it allowed the rest of the side time and space to retain the ball well on the synthetic surface.

Ten minutes to go before the break and Kidsgrove were level as Shane Reaney’s low ball found Shotton who took full advantage of Phil Male’s slip to cross for Kinsey to rifle home.

And within four minutes, the Royals found themselves behind when Kinsey rattled in the goal of the day, collecting Paul Donnelly’s airborne ball with a single deft touch before volleying past stunned keeper Lee Evans.

Things got no better for the shell shocked hosts at the start of the second half as Shotton cut inside and saw a swirling effort fizz past the far post with Evans stranded before the third came courtesy of a horrible mix up at the back. Louis Keenan wasted the chance to clear his lines before Evans made a hash of collecting with Daniel Skelton tapping home the loose ball.

But it was from there that Sutton’s performance stood out from their previous endeavours. The crowd stayed with a side that remained purposeful. Tooth went three at the back with substitute Jamie Sheldon adding impetus to the attack, and the former Leamington livewire got the Royals back on track driving a half cleared corner across Dyson and into the bottom far corner with his first two touches.

With over half an hour to play the pendulum had swung – Kidsgrove were tiring with Shotton and Kinsey steadily drifting out of the game.

The Royals continued to probe and that man Danks was again in the thick of the action to equalise, peeling away from his marker to tuck a neat finish into Dyson’s bottom right corner following Lee Parsons’ long throw.

As Sutton sought a winner Kristian Ramsey-Dickson’s thumping header was cleared off the line by James Curly, but Tooth’s charges weren’t to be denied as Luke Chapman picked up a loose ball and hit a speculative shot for all of 30 yards, beating Dyson at his near post.

As well hit as Chapman’s effort was, Dyson will be disappointed not to have kept it out, though it was no less than the home side deserved with Kidsgrove offering little in response.

There may still be flaws in this Sutton side, but with Danks on board it is hard to bet against them finally making that top five this time, and in such free scoring form the Royals could yet be this season’s surprise package.

SUTTON COLDFIELD TOWN: Evans, Lycett, Keenan (Sheldon 54), Parsons, Kettle, Male, D Taylor (Leek 86), Edwards, Ramsey-Dickson, Danks (McNaught 90), Chapman. Unused subs: Thompson, Bedford (g/k).

Goals: Danks 17, 71, Sheldon 56, Chapman 81.

KIDSGROVE ATHLETIC: Dyson, Curly, P Taylor, Donnelly, Parkinson, Espley, Reaney (Nagington 86), Skelton, Shotton, Kinsey, Sherratt (Johnston 77). Unused subs: Hill, White, Street.

Goals: Kinsey 35, 39, Skelton 52.

STAR MAN: Daryl Taylor (Sutton Coldfield Town)

A difficult decision, but Taylor was instrumental in the way that Sutton played. The width he gave the Royals allowed Danks the space to work his magic as well as working hard without the ball. Danks and Kinsey were at their prolific best and ran Taylor close, but the wing wizard takes the plaudits for showing the courage and ability to prize Kidsgrove open despite them shielding a two goal lead. 

Report: Market Drayton Town 1-0 Romulus - NPL Div One South

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. 

News: Nathan Blissett signs for Kidderminster Harriers

BLISSETT: Harriers bound

STRIKER Nathan Blissett has signed for Kidderminster Harriers on a one year contract from Evostik Northern Premier League club Romulus.

The 23-year-old shone with 13 goals in his first season at Coles Lane and has been snapped up by the full time Harriers after impressing boss Steve Burr in a week long trial. 


Blissett spoke to the Romulus website about the transfer this weekend following his Harriers debut in a 3-2 defeat to Mansfield Town. The full interview and details of the transfer can be found here. 

News: Romulus sign model Keenen Meakin-Richards

PRO MODEL TO MODEL PRO:
Keenan Meakin-Richards

EVOSTIK Northern Premier League club Romulus hope to have signed a model professional ahead of the big kick-off this week, by signing a professional model.

The Roms have snapped up central midfielder Keenen Meakin-Richards in the build-up to their opening game of the season against Leek Town.

Meakin-Richards talks exclusively to theonionsack's author Andy Mitchell for the Romulus website about his modelling, football coaching with youngsters and the Roms' prospects for the season here.