Match Preview

Stamford kick of their league campaign for the 2017/18 season away to Market Drayton. Last season the Daniels didn’t fare too well against the Shropshire based side having been beaten 4-2 away and 2-0 at home. In the fixture in Shropshire the Daniels led 2-0 before conceding four goals before the final whistle.

Over the past five years Market Drayton have had mixed results in their first fixture of the league season. This has seen them have two victories and three losses, the two most recent of these coming against Stocksbridge where last season they were victorious 3-1 but the previous season they lost 3-2. The season before this they lost 1-0 to Sheffield FC. The final two results in their past five opening fixtures were a 2-0 defeat by Gresley in the 2012/13 season and they beat Chasetown 2-1 in 2013/14.

Stamford have won two and lost two in the last four opening season’s fixtures. Last season Witton beat the Daniels 3-1 and the season before this they lost again, this time 6-3 against Nantwich. They fared better the two seasons before beating Workington 2-1 in the 2015/16 season and Frickley 6-4 in the 2014/15 season.

Stamford come into the fixture having had a mixed bag of results, the most recent being a good 2-0 victory away at Kempston Rovers. Among the pre-season results the Daniels were also victorious at home to Mansfield. Despite winning two games, there were also six games without a win. This included three defeats, at home to Kings Lynn, Grimsby and Peterborough, two away draws against Holbeach and Deeping and a draw at home to Boston United.

Market Drayton also had a mixed bag of results in their pre-season having won two against Stafford Rangers (1-0) and Oswestry Town (7-0). They have also lost three against Newtown, Halesowen and Wem Town and drawn against Nantwich and Haughmond.

Going into the season Stamford’s top scorers over pre-season have been Jake Duffy bagging four goals, including two stunning free-kicks. Also with three is Elliot Sandy who scored three including two against The Posh.