Adams plans strong line-up for Evesham cup test
FOOTBALL
CARL ADAMS wants to use Stratford Town’s midweek league cup tie at Evesham United tomorrow (Wednesday) as the chance to crank up the confidence for the challenges ahead.
The Southern League’s cup competition – now the Bigfreebet.com Challenge Cup – is often seen as the chance to shuffle the squad but Town manager Adams says he will be sending out a strong first-team line-up tonight against the Robins in their rearranged first-round tie at the Spiers & Hartwell Jubilee Stadium .
Last season, Adams utilised a raft of youth team players in the cup and he had considered drafting in some of the FC Stratford’s squad at Evesham. But FC Stratford have their own midweek cup game – they entertain Bewdley Town in the Smedley Crooke Memorial Cup tonight (Tuesday) at the MoodChimp Stadium.
And after Town registered a first win in six league and cup outings with a 5-1 pasting of Dunstable Town on Saturday Adams wants to build up the momentum.
He says Saturday’s confidence-giving win put a line under their FA Cup agony against Scarborough Athletic – missing out on a place in the final qualifying round for the first time in their history.
“We will go with a strong side against Evesham,” he said. “After Saturday, we want to build on that performance and that means winning more games.
“We’re out of the FA Cup and the Birmingham Senior Cup, so we’ve got the FA Trophy and the league cup left and we want go as far as we can in this competition.”
The winners on Wednesday will be away to Redditch United - who Town have beaten in the FA Cup and drawn in the league already - in the next round.
Stratford will certainly be upbeat as they head to the Robins after returning to winning ways with a flourish by defeating Dunstable at the MoodChimp with their biggest victory of the season.
Mike Taylor led the way with a hat-trick, scoring three times in 18 minutes in the first half, for his first goals for the season, with Edwin Akhenkorah and Justin Marsden also on target.
After Evesham, Town return to the MoodChimp to face Royston Town on Saturday.
On Friday night, Town host their Halloween Party, featuring a bonfire, fireworks plus live music. Admission is £4 for adults, £2 for children (under-twos go free) or a family ticket for four is £10. Gates open at 6pm.
