The Bucks began their preparations for the 2024/25 season with a 3-1 victory at Darlaston Town in their opening pre-season fixture.
Kevin Wilkin selected two trialists in his starting eleven, but a familiar face, Ellis Brown, opened the scoring.
With just over a minute of the game played, Brown was found by Sam Whittall’s searching ball over the home side’s right-back, and his speed carried him into the penalty area; his low shot to the keeper’s near post was firm, and a handling error allowed the ball to pass through the keeper’s legs and to roll over the line, despite efforts to hack the ball to safety.
The Bucks dominated possession against their Step 4 opponents, but there were still moments for the Citizens; Brandon Hall wasn’t a spectator, but neither was he overworked.
After 24 minutes, Matty Stenson doubled the Bucks’ lead when he capitalised on a defensive lapse to beat two challenges and find the net from close to the penalty spot.
Hall saved a low shot that lacked power after a home attacker worked a shooting opportunity, and Orrin Pendley had to intervene to head a cross away from the head of the home side’s no.9, conceding a corner that was defended successfully.
Stenson almost bagged a second soon after, but a deflection took the pace off his 25-yard shot and found the grateful keeper’s arms.
The half ended with Stenson’s volleyed attempt across goal that passed wide of the far post; Brown was the provider with a diagonal ball from the left.
As is often the case in pre-season, the second half was punctuated by substitutions.
Nathan Fox, Jordan Piggott and Dior Angus were introduced in place of Stenson and the two trialists to begin the half.
Remi Walker’s free-kick from the left looked set for the far top corner until the keeper intervened, and more substitutions followed on the hour; Byron Moore, Archie Elsdon and Harvey Solley were amongst those given the last half-hour.
Rhys Hilton extended the lead to 3-0 after 62 minutes, scoring from inside the box with a tidy finish, and Piggott went close with a far-post header blocked by the keeper’s body and a swinging shot that bent wide and struck the stanchion.
After 84 minutes, the home side gained some reward for their efforts when one of their substitutes beat the Bucks’ replacement keeper at his near post from a position to the left of the goal after a darting run and some neat control of the ball.
They almost grabbed another goal seconds before the final whistle, but their burly substitute striker lashed his effort wide of the far post.
Kyle Storer and Steffan Jones watched from the sidelines, with manager Kevin Wilkin opting not to risk either over minor fitness and injury concerns.
The Bucks manager was generally content with his side’s efforts, acknowledging that this was the start of a much longer and more arduous road between August and April.
“Yeah, it was played pretty much in the right spirit, which is important at this stage. It was sometimes hard to travel with the ball on the surface, but it was as you’d expect it to be at this stage of the season. We started quite quickly; there were bits and pieces where one or two got a little bit loose, but I guess you’ve got to expect that when you’re throwing together two completely different sides and seeing where people are at and how they’re able to manage situations and cope with different challenges.”
Kevin expects that pattern of trying different combinations in pre-season to continue, at least for the time being:
“We know we have to be careful with players’ minutes now so that you’re not over-facing them at this stage, and it is important not to over-face them. By and large, they will work really hard through the preseason; the more difficult games are probably in front of us, with the stature of the clubs that we play, so we’re tapering towards that and look forward to Saturday (away to Racing Club Warwick) and some other tough challenges thereafter.”
