Cradley Town 2 - 2 Coton Green
Tuesday 25 March 2025

Another absolute humdinger of a game with both clubs battling to stay in the play-off positions. A fair result but Cradley will feel the hurt most having come so very close to taking all three points.

The Halesowen Town Radio duo were with us to broadcast this game over the airways and, for those of us sitting close enough, it’s great to get a running commentary on the game. It’s amazing how they can watch the action and name the players of BOTH teams who are on the ball whilst even us home fans are trying to make out which Cradley player is getting involved. In my case I think I need a pair of younger eyes and some new glasses!

Their commentary was also on the Cradley Town Twitter highlights which our volunteer Chris Wallace puts out a day or two after every game. How useful it is to see just exactly what happened out there on the pitch in the crucial moments of the game, especially when one can watch at normal speed and at half speed or even a quarter speed.

Having won the toss, Coton Green made us change ends so we would not be attacking the clubhouse end in the second half. A bit of Staffordshire psychology there!

Attacking the clubhouse end in the first half the Hammers had the most possession and it was only the superb efforts from the Coton Green keeper Lewis Landers who prevented us going at least three goals clear. Landers, as an 18-year-old, on loan from Birmingham City made two appearances for Cradley in the 2018-19 season. We lost the one game 4-2 here against Hereford Lads Club, and drew the other 2-2 here against Pershore Town in the West Midlands (Regional) League.

Cradley’s persistence paid off on 36 minutes when Dan Hadley headed in a Joe Fitzpatrick corner after the keeper Lewis Landers tripped over his own defender when coming for the ball, to give the Hammers a 1-0 lead.

On 36 minutes Dan Hadley (right) celebrates heading Cradley into a 1-0 lead whilst the unlucky keeper Lewis Landers had taken a fall.

On 45 minutes though Coton Green equalised. James Henry did well to get in his cross from near the corner flag and when it was missed by a defender Corey Powell was first to react to shoot the ball into our net to make it 1-1.

On 45 minutes Corey Powell (left) shoots and……

……Coton Green are back level at 1-1.

Second half

Coton Green, encouraged by their gifted goal just before the break, came out with all guns blazing in the second half. On 53 minutes our last man Harry Higginson lost the ball to an opponent and was booked for cynically halting his run to goal.

On 54 minutes our own inspirational keeper and captain Reece Francis suffered a nasty facial injury as he came out to punch away a high ball. The game was halted for six minutes whilst he was being attended to and it looked like he was coming off at one stage when he removed his gloves but he bravely soldiered on.

The all-action Traevay Wright went close to scoring on a couple of occasions for Cradley but it was Coton who got the ball into the net on 76 minutes. The home fans were mightily relieved when it was ruled out for offside.

It was ding-dong action now and Reece Francis pulled off some good saves to keep the scores level.
But on 85 minutes the Hammers retook the lead. An unlucky Green player was keeping his eyes on a high ball when he accidentally impeded Brad Ward in the box and the Hammers were awarded a penalty kick. Brad Ward smashed the ball in off the post to put Cradley 2-1 up.

On 85 minutes Brad Ward (left) fires in his spot kick to put Cradley 2-1 up.
The Hammers knew they would have to endure a lot of stoppage time before the game ended and we had played nine minutes over when the referee awarded a penalty kick to Coton Green. It was another very soft one. When Brad Ward was intending to clear a ball a Coton player came from behind him and Brad unintentionally clipped his outstretched foot as he kicked the ball. Every Hammers fan was mortified but there was more drama to come.

On 100 minutes Tom Weale took the penalty kick and the Cradley fans went wild as Reece Francis saved it but the ball agonizingly escaped his clutches and, despite the brave efforts of Charlie Aston to get there first, Weale was able to smash the loose ball into the net to level the scores at 2-2.

On 100 minutes Reece Francis saves the penalty kick but Tom Wheale is about to smash the loose ball into the net to earn Coton Green a 2-2 draw.

The final whistle went on 103 minutes and the Cradley fans were gutted to say the least after going through a whole gamut of emotions but the draw does mean that Coton stay below us in fifth place for the present.

Just five league games to go now plus a semi-final, and a cup final.
It will certainly be an exciting end to the season.

Cradley line-up: Reece Francis ©, Natty Hewett, Declan Bibb, Luke Carter (Dan Harvey 66), Harry Higginson, Dan Hadley, Traevay Wright (Charlie Aston 96), Joe Fitzpatrick (Jack Till 77), Jordan Crump (Taylor Homer 66), Brad Ward, Ben Billingham: Sub not used: Callum Gillies.

Cradley Town scorers after this game: Brad Ward 19, Jordan Crump, Traevay Wright 17, Jack Till 12, Callum North 8, Ben Billingham, Kane Harrold, Taylor Homer 5, Joe Fitzpatrick 4, Charlie Aston, Tom Cole, Dan Hadley, Natty Hewett, Callum Powell, Umaru Saho, Darren Whitley 2. Declan Bibb, Callum Gillies, Josh Marsden, Dan Meredith, Lucas Muckley, Jack Ricketts 1. (Plus one og).

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