Brocton 5 Dudley Town 0 - Report

Curtis insisted on a reaction following two cup defeats in a week and he got it with leading

scorer Reg Smith bagging his third hat-trick of the season.

Curtis was delighted after the game “A great result and a really good performance. We

started quickly and didn’t let up. All across the park, we were eager and determined and we

were superb. Looking at the chances, it could easily have been double figures.”

Brocton travel to fellow high flyers Stone Old Alleynians on Tuesday, a game Curtis is

looking forward to “I played at Newcastle Town ad we know a lot of the Stone lads well. We

know we will be in for a tough game, but we will go there with confidence.”

Brocton welcomed back Tom Vaughan, Connor Haddaway and Charlie King to the starting

line-up as they returned to league action following two cup defeats in the past week. Visitors

Dudley Town have been widely tipped to be amongst the challengers this season and came

into the game on the back of a big win in the FA Vase over Stone Old Alleynians.

Brocton made the prefect start taking the lead inside the fourth minute. Reg Smith picked up

the ball on the left, cut inside and hit a fierce drive past Alex Graham and into the far corner

of the net. Dudley came back and a cross from Connor Archer was blocked for a corner. In

the 11 th minute, Connor Haddaway conceded a free kick on the edge of the area, but Callum

Gillies was well off target with his effort. A minute later, a shot from Jordan Davies was

deflected for a corner by Tom Vaughan. Brocton went close to number two in the 14 th minute.

Christian Blanchette rolled the ball into the path of Will Whieldon and his shot was superbly

saved by Graham. The ball came out to Smith and his first time volley hit the post and

bounced back into the arms of the grateful Graham. Ben Haddaway had to make a strong

challenge to thwart Ethan Muckley before Brocton doubled their lead in the 20 th minute. A

ball over the top of the defence saw Connor Haddaway get there before the keeper and full

back to lift the ball into the penalty area. Smith was on hand to nod the ball into the empty

net with Connor Haddaway prone on the ground following the challenge from the keeper.

Brocton had the ball in the net again in the 24 th minute when a low cross from Connor

Haddaway was turned in by Blanchette but the Brocton skipper had strayed offside. Brocton

were not to be denied, and they increased their lead in the 27 th minute. A poor clearance

from Graham was collected by Blanchette. He controlled the ball and laid into the path of

Smith, and the league’s leading scorer did the rest with a clinical finish for his hat-trick.

Brocton were now rampant and playing the sort of football for which they are known. A great

move involving Whieldon and Smith ended with Blanchette forcing a decent save from

Graham. In the 35 th minute, Smith, with his back to goal, played a great ball into the path of

Blanchette and his chip was inches wide. In the 45 th minute, Brocton made it four. Smith

chased down a supposedly lost cause, beat the defender to the ball and crossed to the far

post where Blanchette headed home with the deftest of touches. Two minutes into stoppage

time, Smith again went close. A free kick was played into the striker, who turned his

defender, and his shot was inches wide.

Half-Time: Brocton 4 Dudley Town 0

Dudley made a double substitution at half-time, but it was the home side that started the

brighter. Josh Simcox skipped past a defender, found himself in space and forced a fine

save from Graham. Smith then saw a shot blocked as Brocton streamed forward. Four

minutes into the half, Brocton were awarded a free kick in a good position. Smith’s drive was

blocked, the ball falling to Whieldon who put the loose ball past the post. Smith was giving

the Dudley defence a torrid afternoon, and when he got to the by-line his cross was well cut

out by Graham. In the 52 nd minute, Blanchette picked out Smith in the box and his shot hit

the outside of the post. Blanchette brought down a long ball from Vaughan before firing just

wide. All the chances were falling to the home side and another vicious shot from Smith

rebounded to safety off Graham. In the 62 nd minute, Charlie King won the ball with a strong

challenge but misplaced his pass with Blanchette in acres of space. It should have been five

in the 69 th minute, Smith raced through one-on-one with Graham, but the Dudley keeper was

equal to the effort saving well. Brocton did make it five, a couple of minutes later, and what a

goal it was. Whieldon picked up the ball some 35 yards from goal and lobbed the ball over

Graham and into the net. Todd Sherwood shot wide for Dudley following a goalmouth

scramble, but it was a rare foray forward for the visitors. In the 82 nd minute, a volley from

Smith hit the back of Jude King, the reaction from Smith indicating that the shot was certainly

goal bound. The final chance of the game was created by Smith, who laid the ball into the

path of Lucas Green-Birch. Unfortunately, the shot was screwed wide, a minor blip in an

outstanding Brocton performance.

Full-Time; Brocton 5 Dudley Town 0 Attendance:150

Brocton: Tony Allsopp, Adam Weldon (Dan Evans 63), Josh Simcox (Charlie Marshall 80),

Ben Haddaway, Tom Vaughan (Kenny Devoir 72), Charlie King, Will Whieldon, Jake

Thomas, reg Smith, Connor Haddaway (Lucas Green-Birch 55), Christian Blanchette (Jude

King 77)

Dudley Town: Alex Graham, Callum Gillies (Dan Jones 45), Jake Danan (Lewis Mitchell 59),

Joe Colley (Todd Sherwood 45), Lewis Riley-Stewart, Bekir Halil, Connor Archer, Connor

Armstrong (Owen Massey 84), Ethan Muckley, Jordan Davies (Chandler Pegg 59), Brad

Mansell

Yellow Cards: Whieldon (Brocton); Halil (Dudley Town)