Stroud lost the toss and played the first half against the strong wind and up the pitch incline. For the first 20 mins Tetbury tried to press and utilise the advantage that the conditions provided. Stroud remained firm and with good communication kept their shape well giving the home team little opportunity. Realising they could battle against the team and conditions, Stroud started to gradually open up their attack releasing Steve Bick & Danny Alderman down the flanks. Alderman was having a superb perforamnce on the right creating allsorts of problems. In the 32 min, Alderman again broke down the right, sending in a cross that Steve Bick lashed in with a left blast. Stroud now opened up completely and attack after attack reined into the Tetbury area, Sean Mckeon, Scott Montgomery and Bick again going close. The second half gave Stroud the advantage of the conditions and within a minute of the restart expressed their intentions, Montgomery clean through on goal forcing a good save from the keeper. Stroud took the game to Tetbury and were utterley dominant and chance after chance was created. McKeon made it 2-0 after 54 mins and on 60 mins, it was 3-0 with Steve Bick hitting the goal of the game from a 35 yd blockbuster, worthy of goal of the season (so far). On 72 mins Montgomery made it 4 when put clean through on goal. However, it was a half of "What could have the score been". Montgomery, McKeon, Maizonnier, Hunphries all had several golden opportunities, even 8-0 would not have been flattering. The whole team performed really well as a unit, Star player Steve Bick

The first 60 seconds of this match epitomised the game, From the kick off, Stroud from a simple passing move, a through ball made to Dave Cleal who was clean through on goal, mistimed the shot and the ball went calmly through ro rhe keeper. From the keeper he threw out to the left flank, who counter attacked finding their forward also clean through but this time Stanley forward hit the back on the net. 60 secs 1-0 to Stanley. Shell shocked Stroud found themselves on the back foot and became disjointed. On 15 mins the defence became exposed again this time on the right flank and with only 2 chances, Stanley were 2-0 to teh good. Stroud re-shaped and closed the holes and stasrted to get into the game. 25mins in, Dave Cleal from a corner had a clean header from 4 yards out but was unable to put sufficient power into it and ball fell into the keepers hands. The last 15 mins of the half Stroud were pushing Stanley further and further back, Karl Lewis making some great runs down the right flank and making crosses but Stroud could get on the end of them. In the 43 mins, Scott Montgomery was justifiably agrieved when not awarded a penalty, when Stanley defender just tok him out of the game with no attempt to go for the ball, Half time 2-0 to Stanley. The second half was totally Stroud's, all the play was in Stanley's half who were playing a rear guard action very well, in fact Stroud keeper Nick Shepherd was virtually a spectator. On 67 mins, another great move down the right, found a super cut back for Sam Handy to thunder a shot against the bar shaking its foundations. Several other chances fell to Stroud from Scott Montgomery, Karl Lewis, Dan Poole, Steve Bick had another pealty shout declined when he was bought down in the area after making a surging run through. As much as Stroud pushed and proded, Stanley well organised held firm. With 2 chances in the game and converting both, Stanley took the points.

On a glorious sunny day with a slight wind, was a great day to play football. From the kick off, Stroud forced the issue and pinned Sharpness back into their own half. Great chances fell to Scott Montgomery, Steve Bick, Karl Lewis but all missed the target. On 20 mins Dan Poole headed the ball into the net from a corner but the goal was disallowed due to an infringement in the penalty area. Karl Lewis was the danger man for Stroud and was able to break free from his markers at will but unfortunately the finishing touch could not be found. Although Stroud were utterly dominate in the half, the score at the half way mark was 0-0. The first 20 mins of the seond half saw a complete roll reversal. Sharpness totally on top with Stroud almost unable to string 2 passes together and were operating very much in a rear guard action. However, in the 67th min, a fantastic couter attack down the right flank, with Montgomery sending a superb cross to the far post to be met by the head of Steve Bick, putting Stroud 1-0 up. But despite pulling together as aunit Stroud started to implode and argue amongst themselves and in the 75th min paid the penalty for disorganisation allowing Sharpness to score an equalising scrapping goal. This elevated the spirits of the home team who began to push on and the tackling became somewhat strong. A tremendous save from Nick Shepherd kept Stroud in the game and from this they began to rally and work together again. In the 82nd, winning a corner duly delivered by Dave Cleal this time found the legal head of Dan Poole to put Stroud 2-1 up. Stroud were now playing some excellent counter attacking play causing allsorts of problems for the ome side, in the 87th another corner this time by Steve Bick found a flying Dave Cleal to head home for a 3-1 lead. Following this, Sharpness lost a degree of composure and a scuffle broke out between the teams but was excellently controlled by the referee. The final whistle was blown to see Stroud with a deserved victory. The effort again by all the players was tremendous, this time they got their just reward and won a very valuable 3 points.

Stroud struggled today playing with virtually 9 players for 80 mins of the game and, with no substitues to bring bring on for various reasons, the galant 9 performed brilliantly. Within a minute from the kick off Danny Alderman was found clean through, he chipped the on rushing keeper, only for the ball to pass inches over the bar. 4 mins, Dave Cleal making a great run down the right flank to the bye-line, cutting the ball back for Steve Bick, whose shot thindered against the bar down onto the line and out in Geoff Hurst style. The 2 innocuous incidents tha changed the course of the game. Steve Bick took a corner and in doing so, ripped his groin tendon rendering him unable to run. Only 2 mins later right back Andy Durrant running across the field to close down on the Ramblers left midfield player, tore his hamstring. Unable to walk let alond run, he had to come off. However, after 17 mins and deservedly so, Stroud took the lead from a Fred Humphries corner, headed in by Scott Montgomery. The game flowed evenly but int he last 15 mins of the half, Ramblers began to exert more pressure on th edepleted Stroud team and, after 36 mins, this pressure paid off with an equaliser with a scrappy goal that was not cleared by the defence. Half time it was 1-1. Second half saw Ramblers with the wind behind them and extra men tried to pin Stroud back but Stroud were playing well and frustrated Ramblers until the 67th min, when a nix up in defence allowed an attacker to go through and slot the ball in the bottom right corner to ame it 2-1 to the visitors. After all their effort Stroud's confidence wained and heads dropped. Within 2 mins, it was 3-1 and it looked as Stroud resilience had been broken. Karl Lewis, Steve Bick & Danny Alderman all had potential chances that were not taken and, Ramblers hit a 4th on the counter. Stroud would still not lie down and in the 83rd Scott Montgomery got his and Stroud's second to make it 4-2. Bouyant Stroud tried to push on even with fewer numbers bringing out several chances but none were exploited and the game finished 4-2 to the visitors. The effort and commitment by the players was fantastic, they were just let down by the players who were not there.

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