This had now become an extremely important game, where a win was vital for both teams. Stroud started confidently and within 4mins won a corner resulting in Captain Shaun Poole toeing the ball into Barnwood's net. 4 mins later an almost identical corner, this time Scott Montgomery making th efinal touch to put Stroud 2 up after 8 mins. For the next 15 mins Stroud were dominant playing good football but then they stopped and started to play route one and long balls, this allowed Barnwood to come more into the game. In the 37th, Sean Mckeon made a great run into the penalty area only to be brought down and penalty awarded. Unfortunately, Dan Aldernan shot wide and a missed opportunity to seal the game went by. At the start of the 2nd half, Stroud again forced the isse, another fabulous run dowen the left flank from Mckeon, who cut back to Steve Bick to slot the ball home but watched agonisingly as the ball went wide. Stroud should have been clear and home by now but allowed Barnwood back into the game after 56mins, a free kick on the left hand side of the Stroud box, 20yds out, was fired straight into the top corner of Strouds goal. Angry, with themselves went immediately on the attack, after 65mins, Sam Handy made a burst into the box and fired a low hard shot that hit the post and deflected off the diving keeper to go in. 3-1 up Stroud thought they had done enough. Within 2 minsd Barnwood got another goal back, when the defence went to sleep and a long throw in into the Stroud box caught everyone napping and the undefended Barnwood attacker slotted home for a 3-2 scoreline. Barnwood now were pressing for the equaliser but in doing so left gaps in defence and in the 78th, a defence error allowed Steve Bick to pounce and shoot home into an empty net from 25 yds out. Stroud now 4-2 up and the straw had been broken in Barnwood's resistance. Sam Handy made a fast positve run into the box in 85th again to be brought down resulting in an award of a penalty. Handy himself took it and blasted the ball into the top left corner. A duly deserved but vital win for Stroud, man of match Sam Handy,

This proved to be a poor dour match with neither team creating hardly anything and became almost a stalemate. Shortwood's goal came after 20mins of the first half from a headed corner, that really should have been cleared. There was alot of huff & puff from both teams but nothing generated and thus plunging Stroud into the relegation battle. Star player for Stroud was Fred Humphries.

Stroud visited the league leaders with a depleted team due to suspensions and injuries and fielded a very young team with debuts for two 16 year olds. Despite this, Strou dplayed some lovely football and dominated possession in the first half. Brockworth's keeper was outstanding, making 3 point blank remarkable saves that kept Brockworth in the game. Two of these were from the head of Dave Cleal, one of which was a carbon copy of the Pele/Gordon Banks save and th eother from a Fred Humphries shot, somehow the keeper tipping the ball over the ball. Against the run of play, broke down the right flank and due to a lack of ocncentration, put the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. The second half was a more even affair, as Stroud's youngsters got tired and Brockworth used more of their strength to force the play. Stroud had to make several changes due to injuries as some of the tackles were unsavoury to say the least with little protection being offered by the official. Stroud keeper Nick Shepherd made 2 good saves to keep Stroud in the hunt, while at the other end,, a few attempts went missing as they did not hit the target. It was a hard fought encounter and for such a young team to play the league leaders in this manner, was admirable. Star player was Fred Humphries who wasa constant thorn in the side for Brockworth

Another game where Stroud were totally in control yet let the game slip away. Jack Price opening the scoring in the 15min and with more chances to follow, Stroud should have been 3-4 goals to the good but didn't convert. In the 45th, a lack of concentration allowed Smiths to equalised with no time to re-start. The 2nd half was a mirror of the 1st, Price scored in the 64th but a defensive mix-up in the 79th put the visitos level. Even at the death, Robert Maizonnier with the goal at his mercy was unable to put foot on a ball fired across the goal line and the scores stayed even

12

Steven Bick

9

Frederick Owen Humphries

5

Scott Montgomery

4

Japhet Humphries

4

Daniel Alderman

4

Robert George Maizonnier

3

Shaun Poole

2

Dave Cleal

2

Warren Phillips

1

Sean McKeon

1

Liam Matthews

1

Karl Lewis

1