Oct 20, 2009
Sheffield FC 3 Market Drayton Town 1
Injuries to key players Paul McMullen and Tom Ward were a deciding factor in denying Lee Roberts a happy return to the manager's chair in this demanding clash.
In his first game since taking over from Hednesford-bound Simon Line, Lee lost ace striker Ward to a crunching tackle on the stroke of half time and had to take central defender McMullen off with a worrying neck injury shortly after the break.
As if that wasn't tough enough, by a strange quirk of fate, for the second match in succession Town were facing a team for whom victory meant moving to the top of the UniBond League South.
"Those two injuries were the key to our defeat," manager Roberts admitted afterwards.
"They are very big players for us and to lose both against such strong opposition was crucial," said Roberts, who was angered by the way Ward suffered a badly cut leg and bruised ankle.
"He was taken out by a really bad tackle as he put in a great cross," he said. "To make matters worse, it was on the stroke of half time and he was simply left on the field receiving treatment as the match officials and all the opposition camp just trooped off.
"Paul McMullen struggled through the first half in trouble with his neck problem but it got progressively worse until he had to come off."
It was an unlucky end to a challenging comeback that had started promisingly for Roberts, picking up the managerial reins he relinquished to Line five years ago.
"Sheffield are obviously an excellent side and playing them away wasn't the fixture you'd choose to start with," he admitted.
"That said, I thought we outplayed them for the first 35 minutes and but for the injuries to Ward and McMullen, we looked capable of continuing to do so.
"In the end though, we lost two of our best battlers and were outfought in what was a battling sort of game."
Town's early dominance was emphasised by a fourth minute goal from McMullen, rising superbly at the back post to head home in-form Nicky Porter's cunningly flighted corner.
Ward might have added another with a stunning power-header as Town piled on the pressure seeking a second but with the half hour just gone, slack marking at a throw in helped Sheffield climb back into the game, Benjamin Leonard heading in a floating cross.
Losing Ward and then McMullen left Town facing an uphill battle after the break and while Tom Rogers and Keiron Garrett were good subs, Sheffield gradually took control and ground out the points that earned them top spot in the division, with goals from Matty Thorpe and Matthew Otram.
In his first game since taking over from Hednesford-bound Simon Line, Lee lost ace striker Ward to a crunching tackle on the stroke of half time and had to take central defender McMullen off with a worrying neck injury shortly after the break.
As if that wasn't tough enough, by a strange quirk of fate, for the second match in succession Town were facing a team for whom victory meant moving to the top of the UniBond League South.
"Those two injuries were the key to our defeat," manager Roberts admitted afterwards.
"They are very big players for us and to lose both against such strong opposition was crucial," said Roberts, who was angered by the way Ward suffered a badly cut leg and bruised ankle.
"He was taken out by a really bad tackle as he put in a great cross," he said. "To make matters worse, it was on the stroke of half time and he was simply left on the field receiving treatment as the match officials and all the opposition camp just trooped off.
"Paul McMullen struggled through the first half in trouble with his neck problem but it got progressively worse until he had to come off."
It was an unlucky end to a challenging comeback that had started promisingly for Roberts, picking up the managerial reins he relinquished to Line five years ago.
"Sheffield are obviously an excellent side and playing them away wasn't the fixture you'd choose to start with," he admitted.
"That said, I thought we outplayed them for the first 35 minutes and but for the injuries to Ward and McMullen, we looked capable of continuing to do so.
"In the end though, we lost two of our best battlers and were outfought in what was a battling sort of game."
Town's early dominance was emphasised by a fourth minute goal from McMullen, rising superbly at the back post to head home in-form Nicky Porter's cunningly flighted corner.
Ward might have added another with a stunning power-header as Town piled on the pressure seeking a second but with the half hour just gone, slack marking at a throw in helped Sheffield climb back into the game, Benjamin Leonard heading in a floating cross.
Losing Ward and then McMullen left Town facing an uphill battle after the break and while Tom Rogers and Keiron Garrett were good subs, Sheffield gradually took control and ground out the points that earned them top spot in the division, with goals from Matty Thorpe and Matthew Otram.
