CARL ADAMS wants his Stratford Town side to show they are learning to be consistent when they welcome Banbury United to the DCS Stadium on Saturday.
After an excellent 3-1 win at Kings Langley on Saturday, Town head into the fixture looking to secure back-to-back Southern Premier wins for only the third time this season.
Manager Adams described the Kings Langley win, secured by two goals from fit-again Edwin Ahenkorah and a Mike Taylor effort, as a “good day” as Town’s three points took them to 45 and all but secured their Premier status.
However, tests remain in the final six games, starting with a Banbury side who just sit outside the play-off zone after rattling up five successive wins.
“Saturday at Kings Langley was a good day for us,” said Adams. “We put in a real shift and ultimately we fully deserved our win.
“The boys did their job but I can’t get excited because I don’t know what I’m going to get from them on Saturday and I don’t know if they can back this performance up.
“It was great to have Edwin Ahenkorah back in the starting line-up and looking sharp, while Mikey Taylor as always got through a tremendous amout of work and I thought that George Forsyth did particularly well in the back four.
“But as we all know we are notoriously inconsistent and it’s a flip of the coin as to whether we can be as effective against Banbury. That will certainly be our intention in what is, on paper, probably the hardest of our remaining games.”
Stratford will certainly embrace top scorer Ahenkorah.
His appearance at Kings Langley’s Gaywood Park was the striker’s first since he suffered a hamstring injury at Chesham United in January and he has missed 11 games.
There had been few clearcut chances until Ahenkorah pounced with the opening goal on 37 minutes, scoring from the penalty spot after home skipper Jorell Johnson and Taylor battled for a bouncing ball in the box.
It seemed a dubious decision for an apparent pull on Taylor but Town built on their fortune and Ahenkorah made it 2-0 on 51 minutes.
Liam Francis provided the pass down the right and Ahenkorah collected the ball and cut in to smash home his 14th goal of the season past keeper Xavi Comas.
Kings Langley rallied and pulled a goal back in the 66th minute when Dean Hitchcock’s 20-yard free kick found the back of the net.
However, Stratford had the points secured in the fifth minute of added time with a third goal. Keeper Comas tried to trick his way past Taylor in dealing with James Hancocks’ long ball, but only succeeded in losing the ball and Taylor lobbed the ball into the net.
Stratford Town will host a sports quiz tonight (Friday), starting at the DCS at 8pm. Entrance is £1 per person, with a maximum of six per team.
