REPORT: Quorn 5-2 Stratford Town
The Reds kept up their impressive start to life in step three with a comfortable victory at home to Stratford Town. Zak Goodson scored a first half brace with a Finlay Brennan own goal sandwiched in between. The Bards had drawn level for a while, but Cain Noble’s second half brace put the match well beyond Town, who currently sit bottom of the table.
Having started slowly in the previous two matches, Quorn flew out of the traps on Saturday afternoon. Goodson was brought down as he attempted to lob Jake Weaver. With his shot sailing wide, Referee Martin Beard pulled the action back, awarding a spot kick, which Goodson duly converted for a seventh minute lead.
In the fifteenth minute Rodrigo Goncalves, who is enjoying a superb start to the season, saw his cross diverted in by Finlay Brennan for a 2-0 lead to the home side. Ty Deacon pulled one back just two minutes later, as he beat both Mason Frizelle and Luke cox, before curling a superb effort past Tom Allsopp.
Town levelled in the 25th minute as Brennan made up for his earlier mistake by converting at the far post as a ball came in from the right. Quorn, who had clearly had the run of the game in every department, except the scoreline, restored the lead just after the half hour mark when Finn O’Boyle played Goodson in to convert his second of the match.
Stratford never looked like scoring the second half, and Quorn were able to push on for their first home win of the season. Noble was introduced off the bench, as he continues to work his way back from a lengthy injury, in the 60th minute and converted ran the visitors ragged. He made it onto a Deen Master through ball in the 75th minute and confidently stroked past Weaver to extend the Reds’ lead.
Five minutes later he completed his brace with another good finish, setting out his stall for a return to the starting line-up when Quorn make the long trip to AFC Sudbury next Saturday. For now the Reds have an impressive seven points through the first three games of the season, but there’s a long way to go and Ryan Beswick will have to keep his side grounded.