Drayton look for Walker spark at Cables
Market Drayton Town are hoping the unlikely combination of ace striker Stefan Walker and their somewhat more sedately chairman Mick Murphy could achieve an even less likely against-the-odds victory at Prescot Cables tomorrow.
Fighting fit and frighteningly fast, striker Walker added a completely new dimension to Drayton’s attack when he took apart Droylsden’s defence earlier this month.
Signed on joint forms from Redditch Town two days earlier, he scored one of the most sensational solo goals seen at Greenfields and laid on two more, inspiring Town to their season’s best form in a 3-1 victory.
Ineligible for the FA Cup, he missed the subsequent Haughmond humiliation, but manager Martyn Davies expects him back in harness for the trip to Liverpool – which is where Mr Murphy’s contribution could come into play.
One of the most highly qualified of FA coaches and a crafty lad with notable nous aplenty in his playing day, chairman Murphy took the opportunity to scout out the strengths and weaknesses of Cables when they won 3-2 at Newcastle Town last week.
Boss Davies hopes his insights could now help fashion a way forward for a force led by Walker at the ground where Cables – or The Pesky Bulls if you prefer – are invariably hot favourites.
“Mick says their main strength is just that – they are a really very big side and make sure that works for them in all their game plans,” says Davies.
“We’ve got to work on coping with that – but we’ve also learned how we might also be able to make it work against them. They have an artificial pitch. If we can get our most mobile, nippy and pacey players at their defenders, they could be in for a surprise or two.”
Cables are, however, formidable opposition. They won the coveted Liverpool Senior Cup last season, regularly attract crowds of 300 or more and, for big games, double that.
Most of their successful squad have stayed on and while Drayton struggle for continuity they’ve comfortably claimed a place among the top five in the Evo-Stik NPL West by losing just once – at Trafford, by 2-1 on opening day of the campaign.
