AN OWN goal and a penalty gave Frome Town the upper hand in a hard-fought game that saw them bounce back from their first loss since November earlier in the week.
Despite leading from the third minute and dominating the game for long periods, Frome were struggling to break down a dogged Stratford Town defence, and after Stratford pulled it back to 2-1 with twenty minutes to go, a third goal from man of the match Jon Davies comfortably sealed all three points.
With no injuries or suspensions, Frome were again able to start the match with the same starting eleven for the fifth match in a row, and with a full bench of substitutes who can all add something to the game, this consistency is now shining through in the results.
On a heavy pitch, the match started and Frome had a big let off in the 2nd minute as a right wing move from the visitors lead to their centre forward Mike Taylor blazing over from five yards out, when he should have done much better, but then Frome took the lead a minute later as Jean Kallenda deflected a Davies corner into his own goal, with Sam Teale cheekily claiming the goal though the consensus of opinion was that he had just missed the ball with a diving header.
Frome started to then move into full control and a George Miller shot flew just past the near post in the 11th after Davies had set him up, and Davies himself clipped a long range shot just past the far post in the 17th as Stratford were struggling to make any impression on the game apart from occasional lone raids into the Frome half.
Niall Cooper somehow scrambled a low Davies free kick off of the line in the 21st after Ollie Knight had been fouled on the edge of the area, and with Mike Bryant having a shot deflected for a corner in the 24th and Knight just heading over four minutes later, the crowd were beginning to wonder if these missed chances would cost dearly in the final analysis.
However, Frome did get a second in the 34th minute as the referee adjudged that Stratford’s William Grocott had handled the ball while seeing a corner out of play and Jon Davies scored low into the corner from the spot to give Frome a 2-0 lead that they thoroughly deserved.
With Jake Jackson outpacing the defence to set up a chance in the 37th, a quick break from Stratford’s Simeon Tulloch saw him get into a shooting position and hit a left foot shot that rolled agonisingly just wide of the far post and the home fans breathed a sigh of relief, and with Bryant hitting the base of the Stratford post in the 44th, the score remained 2-0 at half time.
Jackson had a golden chance in the 51st to put Frome further ahead as he just managed to get underneath a perfect Davies right wing cross and head the ball over the bar, and two minutes later Cooper saved well at the near post from Jackson and then watched as Teale volleyed the rebound over the bar.
Frome went close again in the 65th as Knight set Jackson loose and he did everything right to round the keeper and shoot towards the empty net, but Cooper somehow recovered and brought off an excellent save to push the ball out for a corner, and straight from that corner, Stratford broke, worked the ball quickly upfield and Walker stooped low to head home a left wing cross and make the score 2-1.
Frome should really have been out of sight at this stage, but the goal inspired the visitors who now started to take charge of the proceedings for the first time in the match, and Sam Teale had to make a brave, important challenge in the 78th to deny the visitors an improbable equaliser.
However, Frome did ride out the storm with no further damage, and the third goal almost arrived in the 82nd as Teale cleanly won a header from a corner but managed to clear the crossbar from 6 yards out, but the third goal that sealed the match did arrive in the 85th when substitute James Fitzgibbon won the ball in his own half, superbly skipped past four tackles and set up Jake Jackson to play a ball into the path of Davies who rolled the ball coolly into the net and seal the three points.
This third goal knocked the fight out of Stratford and they almost conceded again in the final minute, with only another excellent save from Cooper denying Jackson as he saved bravely at the feet of Jackson.
This result sees Frome firmly in 7th place in the league, only one point outside the play off zone, and also that they haven’t lost at home in the league since September 14th, a remarkable run of home form.
Jon Davies was awarded his second H&B Tyres Man of the Match Awards in a row by Club Chairman and match sponsor Jeremy Alderman and he was truly on fire today and a pleasure to watch.
Frome Scorers: Kalenda (3og), Davies (34p), (85). Stratford Scorers: Taylor (68). Crowd: 231. Star Man: Jon Davies. Entertainment Value: 4/5
