​Ward laments first Sleaford Town league defeat

​Tom Ward cut a frustrated figure after seeing his Sleaford Town side fall to their first league defeat of the season last weekend.
By Sports Reporter
Published 21st Aug 2023, 14:57 BST
Updated 21st Aug 2023, 14:58 BST
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​The Greens lost 1-0 to Belper United, in a match played on the 4G surface at Eastwood CFC, to bring to an end their good start to the campaign in the United Counties League Premier North.

Jack Tyson’s second-half goal was enough to seal the points for the home side, leaving Ward disappointed when speaking to the club’s media channels after the game.

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He said: “It’s very frustrating. I think for the first 30 minutes in particular we blasted them out of the park and probably should have been three goals to the good.

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Action from Sleaford's (in red) trip to face Belper on Saturday. Photo: Steve W Davies Photography.Action from Sleaford's (in red) trip to face Belper on Saturday. Photo: Steve W Davies Photography.
Action from Sleaford's (in red) trip to face Belper on Saturday. Photo: Steve W Davies Photography.

"Belper have then weathered things until half-time, then came out after the break again trying to spoil it for 90 minutes, and despite us being dominant at times and creating some really clear opportunities – which I think on another day would have seen us score five or six goals – we then conceded from a set piece which I think was one of only two shots on target they had.

"So it’s disappointing but I’m sure over a season we’ll get our luck back and some of those will start going in.”

Ward is now seeking a good reaction on Saturday when Sleaford enter the FA Vase and welcome Nottinghamshire side Rainworth Miners Welfare to Eslaforde Park.

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Welfare play a level below the Greens in UCL Division One but have lost all five of their games so far this season.

Sleaford are then due to travel to Sherwood Colliery next Wednesday night in a league fixture.

Ward said: “I’m keen for a response now. It’s a nice little break from the league with the FA Vase coming so it’ll be a good test for us.

"We want to win everything we can so a good run in the Vase would be great and whether we rotate the team or not, we’ll be very strong.

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"We weren’t a million miles away against Belper and probably created more chances than in the other games we’ve played so far combined, so it can’t be all doom and gloom because on another day we’d have dominated that and scored a lot of goals.

"It’s more disappointing to have not kept a clean sheet and to have conceded from a set piece which isn’t like us.

Related topics:The GreensFA VaseBelper