Sajidur Rahman is the 2022 Unheard Voices Student Football Writer of the Year

Bellingham was an unused substitute in 2021 when the Three Lions fell to a 3-2 defeat on penalties to the Azzurri.

Instead, counterparts Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were all called on by Gareth Southgate to come off the sidelines and take the final three penalties.

All of them missed.

While many rose to praise the courage of the youngsters who were aged 23 (Rashford), 21 (Sancho), and 19 (Saka) at the time, the occasion was marred by the racism faced by the trio on social media.

Suddenly for the vocal minority, Rashford, Sancho and Saka were no longer viewed as English.

Rashford was black and Jamaican. Sancho was black and Trinidadian. Saka was black and Nigerian.

Though there has been lots of support and awareness brought to the Black Lives Matter movement since then, unfortunately, there is a possibility that the next star to rise through the ranks will face the same prejudice.

Bellingham has had a sensational start to the season since switching from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid in the summer for £88m.

The midfielder has scored 10 goals in his first 10 games for Los Blancos, adding an additional three assists in that time too.

At just 20 years old, the new Galactico is being dubbed a future Ballon d’Or winner and is one of the favourites to win the European Golden Boy award for 2023.

Bellingham’s mother, Denise, is of African-British heritage and despite the midfielder being heralded as the new hero for England, disgustingly it does not take long for the opinions of some fans to change and strip him of his shining armour to bare his skin tone and ethnicity.

Bellingham was rested in the 1-0 victory over Australia on Friday and is expected to be back to try and help dominate the midfield against the tricky Italian opposition.

Victory tonight for England will secure them a spot to once again compete for the European Championships crown in 2024, joining neighbours Scotland who have qualified with two games to spare.

Prior to the final in 2021, there were ugly scenes of fans trying to force entry to the stadium but it seems fitting, that in a world with so much division at the moment that this fixture takes place now, to remind everyone of the upsetting moments that were witnessed two years ago and the fights that we still face to this day.

[Eye witness from Wembley: How the police, UEFA, idiots, media and politicians let England down]

This has extended from the old racism to the battle for LGBTQ rights with England midfielder Jordan Henderson at the heart of the debate having been selected while plying his trade in Saudi Arabia and the conflict between Israel and Palestine increasing anti-semitism and Islamophobia.

Football is insignificant in the grand scheme of things, especially when fans are lost trying to watch the sport they love as was the case last night for two Swedes in Brussels.

However, the game can be used to push a powerful message and unite everyone to come together in the depths of darkness.

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Henry Brooks and Daniel Neild scored their first competitive goals for Winchester City as the Citizens cruised into the second qualifying round of the FA Cup following a 5-1 victory at Baffins Milton Rovers.

The two substitutes combined elegantly to illustrate the two-league gulf in quality between the Citizens and the Rovers putting an end to the hosts’ best-ever FA Cup run.

First-half goals from Max Smith and Silvano Obeng gave the visitors a platform for the two youngsters to express themselves in the second half.

A goal each from the two summer signings Brooks and Neild as well as an own goal created by Brooks secured a five-goal and five-star performance for Winchester City on Friday evening.

The Citizens manager Craig Davis was understandably impressed with both players’ contributions off the bench.

Davis said:

“The subs that came on did really well, it shows the strength in-depth of the squad with lots of key players missing, I thought Brooksy and Neildy did really well when they came on.

“It was a good win especially as I can guarantee other teams in our division will slip up this weekend, the fixture had all the materials for an upset especially on a Friday night which makes it difficult, but we played some good football especially as the game wore on.”

Summer signings become substitute stars

We are delighted to announce that @Henry_Brooks7 has signed a contract with @wincityfc. ?? pic.twitter.com/ekqTneYw11

— Winchester City FC (@wincityfc) May 18, 2022

Henry Brooks was introduced in the 53rd minute and within five minutes added a third goal pouncing onto a loose pass back to the goalkeeper Roux Hardcastle and tap into the empty.

Swiftly after the goal, former Weymouth midfielder Neild was also introduced onto the pitch as the visitors turned on the style.

The 20-year-old won the U23’s Young Player of the Year and Manager’s Player of the Year last season while the Terras were in the National League, however left in search of regular first-team football to showcase his ability in the men’s game.

Congratulations to Dan Neild who was awarded both Manager’s and Player’s Player of the Year for the U23’s side. ??

These awards were sponsored by John Lee and Refrigeration Specialists Ltd. ?

Well done Dan! ?#UpTheTerras pic.twitter.com/VoUWcCtHy2

— Weymouth FC (@theterras) May 7, 2022

In his first action, the central midfielder went on a darting run down the left flank, turning three defenders inside and out,  giving the Rovers a warning of what was to follow in the final half an hour.

Neild added the crucial thrust in the middle of the park to accompany the neat passing play of the Southern League Premier South side.

Baffins Milton Rovers were bereft of ideas on how to counter the driving runs through the midfield from Neild, opting to drop deeper and deeper to protect the space left in behind.

Although, that did little to stop the 20-year-old from bursting through the Rovers’ defence for his first clear sight of goal, a deft clipped effort beyond the onrushing keeper looked destined for the bottom corner until a bobble off the surface diverted the ball onto the post.

The hosts’  low defensive line was further exposed by Brooks who stuck to the sideline making the pitch as wide as possible and stretching the defence.

It was that exact combination that led to the fourth goal.

Smith drove through the midfield as the Rovers’ defence backed off, the ball eventually found its way to the right-flank with Brooks. He had time to lift his head and pick out Neild making a late run into the box and the midfielder swept the ball home with a lovely first-time curling effort into the bottom corner from 18-yards out.

A Charlie Oakwell penalty gave Baffins Milton Rovers a consolation goal in front of the 332 fans in attendance at the PMC Stadium.

However, the goalscoring action was rounded off by his teammate Francis albeit in the wrong net.

Brooks was again left all alone on the right touchline 35-yards out from goal, before beating two players at pace to reach the byline and whip in a dangerous low cross which cannoned off the defender and into the back of the net.

Victory means Winchester City will be ball No.93 in the second qualifying round draw on Monday and the performances of Brooks and Neild will certainly give their manager Davis some dilemmas ahead of a trip to Yate Town next weekend.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt

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Exeter City fell victim to a smash and grab 1-0 defeat against Cheltenham at St James Park with their in-form talisman Jevani Brown away on international duty with Jamaica.

The Grecians had 16 shots but could not convert any as Cheltenham stole all three points thanks to a goal from Dan Nlundulu, inflicting Exeter to their first home defeat of the season.

It was the first time since being promoted that the Devon-side were without Jevani Brown who continued his brilliant form from last season and carried it into the current campaign by directly contributing to five goals in the opening four fixtures.

This hot-streak was rewarded by Jamaica who gave the 27-year-old his first-ever international call-up for a tournament in Vienna where the Reggae Boyz go up against Ghana, Morocco and Qatar.

Consequently, Brown will be forced to miss three fixtures for the Grecians the first hurdle of which they failed to clear, looking toothless in front of goal against a Robins side they thumped 7-0, in the Carabao Cup just ten days prior

Exeter City manager Matt Taylor was disappointed his side could not step up to the mark in Brown’s absence. He said:

“Jevani’s the one that can create and he has that little bit of control, but the squad has to be utilised, I’ve said time and time again, we’re only a couple of injuries away from a really weak squad and that probably was on show but the others need to learn how to make themselves selectable.

“We didn’t have it, in terms of our play and our bodies to really break them down.

“We started really well, you can say we missed him [Brown] but if we started the way we did in terms of goal return off the back of that start then you wouldn’t be saying we missed him.

“We just fell between the lines too much and if we watch that match back no one player had anything they could really hang their hat on.”

Brown from released to first-class plane seats

Jevani Brown has finally found a home where he is finally appreciated by his players, management and fans and the overall atmosphere surrounding Exeter City has provided a platform for the forward to express his talents.

Cambridge United, Forest Green Rovers and Colchester Uniter were all clubs who were unable to unlock the consistency of high-level performances that Brown now shows on a regular basis.

Having struggled to make an impact and being left out the squad at Colchester and Forest Green Rovers in 2020, it seemed as though the 27-year-old’s career was petering out with a whimper especially after the Jamaican was eventually released by Colchester in 2021, however the forward found new life when called upon by Matt Taylor and the Grecians.

A slow start to the 21/22 campaign in terms of goal output was not punished by Taylor who appreciated the work put in by Brown on and off the ball and the Exeter City manager felt the goals would eventually come.

His upturn in goalscoring form came after the unfortunate injury to strike-partner Samuel Nombe and Brown took on the responsibility to help maintain the Grecians promotion push in Nombe’s absence.

Following the return of Nombe,  the pair have gone on to form a formidable partnership which propelled Exeter City to promotion, narrowly missing out on the League Two title on the last day.

Yet the duo started the new campaign as they left off the old season.

A delightful turn on the halfway line by Brown set himself free to find Nombe in behind the Lincoln City defence to score the Grecians’ first goal in League One for over a decade.

While Exeter’s form and potential back-to-back promotion may be hampered in his absence the Grecian’s manager was keen to focus on the positive aspect of the international call-up. Taylor said:

“Let us remember where we got him from, – released by Colchester United.

“Now he is one of the most talked about players in League One. He has started the season well and getting that international recognition and we have played a part in that.

“There is no bigger accolade than international recognition and if he goes and plays for Jamaica then I am delighted for Jevani first and foremost, and I am still excited as there is more to come.

“We will miss him but that is part and parcel of success, he is getting the recognition at a top level of world football and we will wish him all the best.”

Brown is in line to face Morocco tomorrow in the first fixture of a four-nation tournament that has been put together to help Qatar prepare for the World Cup in December.

As a result he will miss the next two games for Exeter City against Gillingham and Accrington Stanley.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt

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Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson revealed he has considered retiring from football management due to the lack of quality refereeing in England, despite the Robins recording their first victory of the season over Luton.

Bristol City overcame Luton 2-0 at the Ashton Gate Stadium yet goals from Nakhi Wells and Tommy Conway were not enough to prevent Pearson from going on an angry rant about the officials following the final whistle.

The Robins finished the match with 10 men following the dismissal of Mark Sykes in the 67th minute, however the 58-year-old manager was left frustrated that the recipient of the red card tackle, Leigh Doughty, was not given his marching orders too for the angry reaction and push that followed.

Pearson claimed he has thought about calling quits on his time in the industry due to the poor refereeing standards lowering the integrity of the sport. He said:

“In the modern game, I’ve got no complaints about Sykesy but what I do have a complaint about is the fact that their player wasn’t dealt with in the same way. I’ve got to be honest with you, I thought about it last year, and I’ve thought about it already this year and that is basically to pack up being involved in the sport.

“That is not because how shallow the modern game is and how some of the aspects of the modern game irritate me but the standard of officiating, unfortunately as far as I’m concerned, is at an all-time low.

“After the first game at Hull, only this week, we had a reply from the authorities to say their first goal wasn’t a penalty and we should have had two. Which is fair enough, at least they can be reasonable enough to give some sort of explanation.

“But I’m afraid when it happens all the time, we’ve had it again today, Rob Atkinson has been fouled and we should’ve had another penalty and we didn’t get it. So as far as I’m concerned the integrity of the sport is being compromised.

“They’re consistently poor.  I’ll probably get in trouble again for saying what I think but somebody has to say it. I’m sick to death of people like me who have jobs that are in jeopardy. I can take losing my job if we play badly every week but what I can’t do is put up -” before quickly holding himself back to try and avoid punishment from the FA.

Instead Pearson finished with, “- For me, it’s just a worry for the game.”

Tactical timing in calling out refereeing problems

The outburst from the Robins’ manager comes after the west-country club finally recorded three points at the fourth attempt this season.

Defeats to Hull City and Sunderland followed by a draw at Wigan had seen Bristol City rooted to the bottom of the Championship table until the victory over Luton propelled them up into 15th position.

Pressure will have been building on Pearson after a slow start to the campaign that had the promise for the Robins to spread their wings and be looking towards the sky instead of looking down at the muddy ground beneath them.

However, having been in winning positions in every match so far this season the decisions from the referees have clipped the wings of Bristol City so far and left their manager bubbling under the surface.

Notorious for his public outbursts, the 58-year-old decided to keep his cool until being in a position of power to argue his case without being slated for making excuses and trying to deflect the issues of his team when the results weren’t going their way.

While, Pearson will almost certainly be penalised for his comments about the officials and awaits the FA verdict on his outburst, his experience told.

Complaining after a negative result instantly gets labelled as reactionary as it happens so often. Arguing after a victory is far less common and catches the attention and provokes a response.

Refereeing standards were also brought into question in the Premier League this weekend by fellow manager Thomas Tuchel after his side dropped points to Tottenham Hotspur. Yet unlike the Premier League, the Championship do not currently have the use of VAR so leniency towards refereeing errors is greater.

Nevertheless, through the constant evolution of football, the use of VAR in the Championship is one that has been openly discussed ever since the arrival of the technology in the English top-flight.

As of yet it is deemed ‘too expensive’ to implement in the Championship however the possibility of “VAR-Light” is being considered and the practicalities of the system are being put in place to be brought into the second-tier of English football by the start of next season.

What is VAR-Light and how would it work?

VAR-Light is essentially a low-cost implementation of VAR that is seen in the Premier League and major European competitions.

The full extent of VAR requires a huge number of cameras to ensure the full pitch is covered at every angle in order to come to a conclusion on contentious decisions, which makes the cost to implement it too great for many clubs in the Championship and below.

Instead FIFA have proposed “VAR Light” which has been approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

There are currently two systems being trialled, one which uses four to eight cameras and the other which uses one to three cameras significantly reducing the costs but as of yet it is not clear which system would be used by the EFL.

‘VAR-Light” would allow for referees to use replays in order to come to a more well-informed decision on the major moments in every match and ideally prevent mistakes which could prove costly for any side in any division.

However, despite Pearson’s complaints it is understood the EFL have no plans to fast-track the implementation of the trial systems.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt

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Alex Scott played an integral role in the England U19’s route to lifting the Euros this summer and the 18-year-old still has so much more to give as he prepares to embark on his third season at Championship side Bristol City.

Alex Scott. The name may ring a bell for football fans. European champion at club level, 140 England caps, six top-flight English league titles, seven FA Cups and an inductee into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame.

However, this 2003-born Alex Scott is looking to pave his own route into the football history books.

From making his senior debut in the eighth tier of English football, playing for the most successful Channel Island’s club at just 16-years-old to conquering Europe at the age of 18, the rise has been exponential and Scott continues to take each new challenge in his stride.

This season, the challenge for Scott is to live up to the greater expectations. He has become a crucial component in Nigel Pearson’s Bristol City side and a firm fan-favourite who have given him the enviable nickname of “The Guernsey Grealish.” While the dribbling abilities of Scott and Jack Grealish have an uncanny resemblance, Scott’s importance to Bristol City means he has been rewarded a new squad number which has been adorned by some different elite football stars. 

Most relevantly, the greatest footballer to come from the little island of Guernsey, Matt Le Tissier, proudly wore the number seven at Southampton and will without a doubt be someone Scott will look to emulate on the pitch.

So far, every new hurdle has been cleared with aplomb by the 18-year-old and should the rate of progression continue there is no reason as to why Scott should not aspire to at least be a nominee for the Premier League Hall of Fame like his fellow islander.

However, with the number seven shirt comes the inevitable comparisons to one and only Cristiano Ronaldo, who has made the number a part of his image. Many other greats such as David Beckham, Kenny Dalglish and George Best have also rocked the number seven proudly and with the stardom surrounding the number, comes the pressure to deliver consistently brilliant performances.

In 39 appearances last season, Scott scored four goals and assisted a further two in a campaign which saw Bristol City finish the Championship in 17th position. Those stats however do not paint the full picture, Scott became a figure that Pearson could rely on consistently and his versatility saw his position in the starting eleven change constantly. 

Despite his favoured position being in attacking midfield Scott ended the season playing as a right wing-back to plug in the area of need for Pearson. Throughout the 2021/2022 campaign, Scott also played in defensive midfield, central midfield, attacking midfield, right midfield and second striker, therefore trying to find the rhythm in his play will have been made more difficult. 

This season those areas of weakness have been addressed by Bristol City with four new summer signings meaning Scott will be able to play in his favoured role more often.  The Robins kick off their season away to Hull City this Saturday and the 18-year-old will without a doubt be looking to kick on further by improving on those numbers in the new campaign.

Path to becoming a European Champion

Breaking the boundaries is something that Scott will be used to, coming from Guernsey which has a population of around 63,000. The development of Scott at local club St Martins AC was quickly rewarded as at just 16-years-old, he became the youngest ever player to represent Guernsey FC in the eighth tier of English football.

However, it was clear from the offset that Scott’s level was far superior to those around him and despite being turned away by Southampton and Bournemouth earlier in his childhood, he was quickly snapped up by Bristol City following a successful trial match in which he scored three goals. In 2020, Scott joined the U18 set-up at the Robins and hit the ground running scoring in all of Bristol City’s FA Youth Cup matches that campaign, earning himself a first England cap at youth level playing 45 minutes in a 2-0 victory over Wales U18’s in March 2021.

His progress was further rewarded at the end of the 2020/2021 season by Nigel Pearson as Scott made his professional debut in April 2020 against Luton Town before featuring in all of the last three Championship fixtures as the Robins finished comfortably in 19th position.

Pearson continued to integrate Scott into the first-team set-up at the start of last season until the midfielder became undroppable missing just one of the last 30 league matches for the Robins.

Overall last season, the midfielder amassed 2865 minutes of domestic football and his hand in helping the Robins finish the season four matches unbeaten, meaning he was one of just three players to make the England U19’s squad for the Euros that did not have a contract with a Premier League academy.

Scott was emitted from the previous squad selection and coming from a Championship club it is understandable that the midfielder had an uphill task in forcing his way into the starting lineup for the Three Lions. However, Scott is further proof that the cream always rises to the top and his efforts in training did not go unnoticed by manager Ian Foster.

Scott came off the bench in the opening match of the tournament and the pattern of the season just passed took effect in just thirty minutes. Scott was introduced on the wings to help England find a cushioning second goal and within five minutes Scott played his role in helping England to double their lead. He was then moved centrally as the solo attacking midfielder before being asked to show the maturity he learned by playing regular minutes in men’s football and dictate play as the deep-lying central midfielder to kill any chance of an Austria comeback.

The 18-year-old’s impact was noticed by Foster who then played Scott in every minute of the remaining group matches as the Three Lions cruised to the top spot without conceding a single goal.

In the semi-finals, England were trailing Italy 1-0 and Foster once again called on Scott to change the game for his side. The Bristol City midfielder came off the bench in the 56th minute and with his very first touch powered a header into the net for his first international goal which dragged England back to level terms.

Following an 82nd-minute winning goal from Liverpool’s Jarrell Quansah, Scott again was moved into a defensive midfield role, displaying his remarkable close control to beat the Italian press and help England to close the match out.

That was the closest the Three Lions came to exiting the competition but thanks to Scott’s equaliser they were dragged out of the mud and despite falling behind in the final against Israel, the character built from coming from behind in the previous round helped England to prevail 3-1 in emphatic style after extra-time to lift the Youth Euro’s for a record-equalling 11th time.

Maturity beyond his years

Becoming a European champion is a feat that few players will achieve in their entire careers, however at youth level there is so much risk of distorting from the ideal path to the top. Fame, money and commitment are some of the factors that can sway a player with so much potential off the path to sporting greatness, however such an issue does not resonate from Scott who remains humble and driven to keep learning and improving by plying his trade week in, week out.

While some of the England squad will continue to win medals and achieve records in their careers a lot more will fall by the wayside and fail to reach their full potential for various factors including lack of minutes in senior football having been protected in the academy football bubble for too long. In fact, only four of England’s 2017 Euro-winning starting lineup have gone on to achieve minutes in the Premier League so the Bristol City midfielder will be looking to be one of the minority by following in the footsteps of Mason Mount, Ryan Sessegnon, Lukas Nmecha and Aaron Ramsdale in the near future by achieving regular minutes in the top-flight of English football.

Scott’s achievements have not gone under the radar of the biggest clubs in England and it is a badly kept secret that Tottenham, Leeds and Everton all have displayed an interest in the teenager. While the modest youngster may not admit it himself, his talent and ambition may soon outgrow the Robins’ ceiling as a club.

Yet, Scott has the maturity to understand that his situation is far greener than many other talents of his age due to being trusted with the minutes on the pitch playing at an extremely high level where the pressure of performing and achieving results is of utmost importance. This maturity and confidence in his own ability have led to the acknowledgement that a move up too soon could have a detrimental effect on his progress. The teenager has reiterated his future still lays with the Robins as for now and he has set his sights on trying to achieve promotion into the Premier League with the west-country club, rather than potentially playing in an under-23 setup at an already established top-flight club.

Scott has gone from a shy young lad at Guernsey FC to a shop-window player for Bristol City, taking several interviews with national press organisations and even playing his part in the Robins’ pre-season coverage as a live studio guest and co-commentator for their fixture against Cheltenham Town, having been given extra time off due to his summer exertions for his country.  Scott offered pre-match and post-match analysis alongside a live play-by-play reaction, something that not many players would have the courage to do at any age, let alone so young.

The Robins’ academy boss Brian Tinnian has said it will take a “big, big, big offer” to consider the sale of their young talisman. Bristol City realises the prospect they have in their grasp and are playing up to that, making the youngster feel at home and allowing Scott to spread his wings by providing the canvas to freely paint his picture as a professional footballer which could lead to him flying the Robins into the Premier League. While the vultures from the leagues above patiently stalk their prey waiting for the opportunity to swoop in and feast on the abundance of ability at the feet of the teenager.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt

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Jordan Maguire-Drew came off the bench to create the equaliser and score a 111th-minute winner at the London Stadium which secured Grimsby Town’s promotion into League Two.

Paul Hurst’s inspired substitution in the 65th minute proved to be the key moment as Maguire-Drew helped the Mariners come from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Solihull Moors after extra time.

There were 22,987 fans in attendance at West Ham’s stadium to witness Grimsby bounce straight back into the Football League at the first opportunity.

Despite being a bit-part figure for the Mariners this season, the 24-year-old has cemented his name into the 144-year history of the Lincolnshire club with his contribution in the Vanarama National League play-off final.

Grimsby Town fell behind in the 45th minute via a powerful header from Kyle Hudlin, before Maguire-Drew made his impact just five minutes after coming on through a brilliant dummy that led to John McAtee’s equaliser.

The super-sub status was confirmed when the winger snuck in at the back post from a long throw to tap the ball home from underneath the crossbar.

Yet despite making the decision to bring the winger on Hurst refused to take any of the credit for his players’ match-winning actions. Hurst said:

 “I can’t say it was my master plan!”

“The last game against Wrexham he didn’t get on the pitch and he would have been frustrated, but we had a chat in the week, we know he has got ability.

“He’s bright, he certainly knows the game and he saw the opportunity with John McAtee to play the dummy and John slotted it away nicely.

“He has a knack of being involved, be it with goals or situations, but he hasn’t always been playing as we’ve seen in my selections but it is a deserved reward for all the work he has done and he will be a very proud man.”

A tale of a ball that was left and a ball that should have been left.

While Maguire-Drew will be drowning in alcoholic praise for his contribution in helping Grimsby Town back into League Two, Solihull Moors’ talisman Andrew Dallas will have his head, the same head that in the harsh reality lost his side the match, buried deep into his pillow tonight thinking what could have been.

For the most part of the season, Dallas has been the reason the Moors finished third in the National League and he himself finished third in the top goalscorer ranks.

However, a miscommunication, rush of blood or a panic moment from the 22-year-old inside the unfamiliar territory of his own 18-year box was the decisive moment in the match.

A long throw from Grimsby’s Jordan Cropper seemed to be of no danger until the Solihull Moors striker, made a decision typical to his position when defending. Teammate Danny Newton was in prime position to head clear well in front of the near-post but the immaturity in the young striker’s game was found on the biggest stage as he over-reached for the ball.

Instead of having the desired effect of clearing his lines, with the top of his head Dallas inadvertently looped the ball to the back post where Maguire-Drew was standing to live the moment of his wildest dreams and in turn haunt Dallas’ nightmares for the foreseeable future.

Understandably, the Grimsby Town manager Hurst was delighted at Dallas’ misfortune. He said:

“It’s a position that drives me mad, when from crosses or a long throw as was the case today, you see the ball trickle past the back post and no one is there.

“The game has changed in so many ways and that position nowadays is to score goals, as Dallas knows himself, but Maguire-Drew saw that opportunity and he took it with full grasp.”

While the lack of minutes would usually be a detrimental factor in a professional footballer’s form, the complete opposite was the case at the London Stadium.

The 24-year-old came on with no fear of trying something different as the pressures of potential failure would not have rested on his shoulders had the result gone the other way.

This was evident as Grimsby Town were guilty of overplaying in the final third for large parts of the match, taking too many touches or being too slow on the ball.

In fact, just one touch less was the answer to getting level in the match. Maguire-Drew had the awareness and presence of mind to sell his defender short with an exquisite dummy which carved open the Moors defence. By letting the ball roll through his legs it allowed Grimsby’s talisman to run onto the pass perfectly in the path of the striker and McAtee made no mistake with the finish, ending his season’s tally at 15 goals.

Meanwhile, the burden of playing a crucial role in the team’s run to the play-off final proved to be too much to handle for Dallas. The occasion proved too big to handle as the striker felt he needed to do more than what in fact was needed, having done so much for the Moors on route to the London Stadium.

The moment will without a doubt play on his mind forever – A case of wanting it too much.

Nonetheless, though, Grimsby Town will not mind one bit how it happened, only that it did happen. The Mariners can once again call themselves an EFL club and will hope to maintain their status as one of the country’s top 92 clubs for far longer on this visit.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt

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Solihull Moors are one step away from reaching the Football League for the first time in their history, facing Grimsby Town in the National League play-off final at the London Stadium.

The Moors were founded in 2007, making a steady rise towards the EFL since. Missing out narrowly in 2018/19, Solihull were pipped to the post in the automatic promotion race by Leyton Orient, ending the campaign three points behind the O’s. That season, they went onto stumble again in the play-off semi-finals, AFC Fylde their conquerors.

Standing in their way this time around are Grimsby, who are looking to bounce straight back into League Two at the first time of asking having finished bottom and been relegated last season. Ending in sixth place this season, the Lincolnshire side have had a rollercoaster ride through the play-offs so far which has culminated in their place in the final.

The Mariners scored an 89th-minute equaliser and then grabbed a 119th-minute winner in extra time against Notts County to reach the semi-finals, where they would face Welsh giants Wrexham AFC.

In a match filled with goals, it was once again a 119th-minute winner which saw them progress, that making it 5-4 in their favour against the much-favoured hosts.

Neal Ardley’s Moors side meanwhile had a much simpler route to the final having finished the regular league season in third. Hosting Chesterfield in the last four, they trailed after eight minutes, but a quick response from Andrew Dallas drew them level.

Goals from Alex Gudger and Callum Howe followed to book their place in Sunday’s showdown where the West Midlands outfit will face a Grimsby side which they have already done the double over this season.

Key Battle: Andrew Dallas & Joe Sbarra vs John McAtee & Ryan Taylor

With so much on the line for both teams, the game could turn into a cagey affair, however both sides possess an attacking duo that have the quality to light up the London Stadium.

Solihull striker Dallas is the third top scorer in this season’s National League, with winger Joe Sbarra seventh in the same list with the pair having scored 38 goals between them this season.

Dallas scored in typical fashion last time out to level the score against Chesterfield, making a precise run in behind to find himself one-on-one with the keeper before showing the composure that has taken him towards the top of the goal scoring charts with a deft chip over the onrushing Scott Loach.

Sbarra is in fine form himself – scoring two in his last four matches – and while he may not have scored in the semi-final, the 23-year-old’s threat from dead balls and incisive play between the lines was part of the key to success for the Moors.

In the Mariners camp meanwhile, the duo of John McAtee and Ryan Taylor offer the key threat having scored 24 goals between them throughout this campaign including two in the play-offs so far.

The strike force’s quality in front of goal has been the instrumental aspect for Grimsby making it this far. Taylor and McAtee are third and fourth respectively in terms of minutes played this season for the their side, evidencing how important their presence and blossoming partnership has been. Remarkably, between them, they have scored 32% of Grimsby’s goals during the regular season.

In a game bound to be decided by fine margins it will be moments of quality that the two attacking duos possess, that will inevitably swing the match in the direction of their respective sides.

Team News:

Solihull Moors will carry out late fitness tests on Lois Maynard and Adam Rooney after the pair missed the play-off semi final through injury.

Whereas, Grimsby Town’s Paul Hurst has a full squad to select from and may choose to rotate the squad after his side accumulated a total of 240 minutes in a week on route to the final.

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Callum Sheedy produced a stunning solo display to help Bristol Bears to a 40-33 victory over Exeter Chiefs to all but end their play-off hopes.

Six tries from the hosts meant that Exeter Chiefs will not compete in the play-offs for the first time since 2015 barring a complete collapse from Northampton Saints, Gloucester Rugby and Sale Sharks.

Callum Sheedy and Charles Piutau twice put Bristol Bears in the lead during the first half but they were twice pegged back through tries from Santiago Grondona and Josh Hodge meaning the teams went in at halftime level at 14-14.

Piutau grabbed his second try of the game before a sublime disguised pass from Sheedy set Alapati Leiuia free to touch down with a parting gift for the 19,118 in attendance, following four successful years in Bristol.

However, a yellow card to Jack Bates for a high tackle on Jacques Vermeulen threatened to turn the game on it’s head as the Chiefs drew level at 28-28 thanks to quickfire tries from James Kenny and Olly Woodburn on the hour mark.

Yet despite their man disadvantage, the Bears kicked on impressively again and tries from Toby Fricker and Luke Morahan put the nail in the coffin for Exeter Chiefs play off hopes.

Dave Ewers’ try in overtime meant the visitors left Ashton Gate Stadium with a losing bonus point which means a play-off spot is still mathematically possible albeit highly unlikely.

Northampton Saints and Gloucester Rugby have a game in hand over Exeter Chiefs while Sale Sharks leapfrogged the Chiefs with a victory over the Wasps this evening.

A single win for any of Northampton, Gloucester or Sale in their final matches will confirm that the Chiefs’ slim hopes of a playoff spot are dashed for this season.

The Exeter Chief’s Director of Rugby Rob Baxter claimed areas need addressing in his team and felt his side should take the result as a lesson as they look to remain in the European spots. Baxter said:

“We’re not as good as we need to be.

“If we’d have been there or thereabouts at the end of the season it might’ve covered up a few things we actually need to deal with.

“Lessons like today should be hard-learnt, we should’ve been able to score points out there but it tells you where we are, our basic execution hasn’t been good enough.

“I’m obviously disappointed, but at the end of the day the truth is today showed us we’re well off where we can be and need to be.

“The top four has probably gone but we want to qualify for Europe so we need to make sure we’re there.”

Meanwhile following the victory, Pat Lam, the Director of Rugby for Bristol Bears, hailed the home crowd and the 11 players that are departing from the Bears. Lam said:

“That was a big one for the crowd for the guys going they are phenomenal.

“When I look at already 8,500 season tickets [sold for next year], despite having a big reason to not buy them, especially after the way our season’s gone but it just shows you the support we have.”

Bristol Bears have had a below-par season and sit in 10th however Lam was impressed with his team’s desire despite having nothing but pride to play for. He said:

“We talked about that, to go out and play with no fear. When you play a team that really need to win, that’s what makes it special. They had every reason to play so we had to be at our best and we were tonight and it was good to see.

“We went to 14-14 and we talked at half-time, we knew it’s going to go to the wire, it always does against these guys.

“I thought the yellow card on Jack Bates was a harsh call and we were against it all but the team just stuck in there.

“They did exactly what we said, just keep working, have no fear, keep playing and we did a great job.”

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Exeter Chiefs take the short trip to face west-country rivals Bristol Bears knowing that a defeat would effectively end their hopes of a play-off spot.

The Chiefs currently sit in sixth position after several inconsistent performances have seen them slip out of the top four.

Going into their penultimate fixture they trail Northampton by six points and last year’s runners’ up would require a perfect run of results and other matches to go their way in order to sneak back into the play-off positions before the end of the season.

However, the immediate task at hand will prove even more difficult due to Exeter’s poor form on the road in 2022 as they have only won two matches away from Sandy Park since the turn of the year.

Resultantly,  the confidence within the squad has evidently plummeted and the Chiefs have only won once in their last four league matches, of which came against rock-bottom Bath Rugby.

A break from the pressures of playing could not have come at a better time for the Chiefs and their Director of  Rugby Rob Baxter feels as though his side have come back with a new attitude. Baxter said:

“We’ve come back into training and I think the most encouraging thing I’ve seen us do is that the players have grabbed hold of a lot of stuff. They’ve had some of their own meetings and they’ve made some decisions on where they want to move forward.

“I think it’s important we don’t just sit here and look backwards, because I think the most important thing in any successful side is your ability to always move forward.

“If you have had successful seasons, which we have done in recent years, the toughest thing is moving forward to the next one and moving forward to the next thing.  I don’t want us sitting here thinking ‘we didn’t do this or we didn’t do that’ those things have happened, it’s more about where we go now.

“As I said, we have a strong playing group here and there are some guys there who have really grabbed hold of some that in these last few weeks – that’s why I’m really looking forward to Friday night because I think we’ll see the effect that’s had.”

Baxter was also keen to express that while a play-off spot is still mathematically possible, then the Chiefs will continue to believe, he said:

“You only have to look at the Premier League, it looked like Liverpool had blown it, then all of a sudden results change and they are back within a point of Manchester City.

“All we can do is play well and put pressure on those sides around us. If we can win on Friday, then at least it will force them to do things and collect points.

“If they don’t collect points and we do, then we give ourselves a chance.

“What I want to see from our guys is an energy and excitement around these last few weeks.”

Although, Bristol Bears are far from flying either, having won just once in their last six Gallagher Premiership matches falling 56-26 to Leicester Tigers in their most recent outing.

Yet that singular victory came against another play-off hopeful, in another west-country derby. The victory came in dramatic fashion at Ashton Gate in front of the home fans where the Bears won 29-28 thanks to a last-gasp try from Toby Fricker. 

The Bristol Bears’ Director of Rugby Pat Lam was quick to praise his side following the triumph and felt the home crowd were the key factor to motivating his side to find the level that the Bears have been more accustomed to in recent years.

Bristol have won four of their last six matches at home in the league and with the fixture against the Chiefs being the final home match of the season for Bristol, Lam will be hoping his side can give their fans one last reason to cheer following a difficult campaign.

Team News:

Bristol Bears:

Lam has made five changes as the Bears prepare to say a last goodbye to their 11 departing players.

One of the departing players, Alapati Leiua, has switched to inside centre, while Dave Atwood and John Afoa also start in their final appearance at Ashton Gate.

Steven Luatua will captain Bristol from number eight while both Charles Piutau and Luke Morahan both return to the starting line up.

Starting lineup:

15. Charles Piutau, 14. Luke Morahan, 13. Piers O’Conor, 12. Alapati Leiua, 11. Toby Fricker, 10. Callum Sheedy, 9. Harry Randall.

1. Jake Woolmore, 2. Harry Thacker, 3. John Afoa, 4. Dave Attwood, 5. Joe Joyce, 6. Chris Vui, 7. Sam Jeffries, 8. Steven Luatua (c).

Replacements:

16. Bryan Byrne, 17. Jono Benz-Salomon, 18. Jake Armstrong, 19. Fitz Harding, 20. Dan Thomas, 21. Andy Uren, 22. Ioan Lloyd, 23. Jack Bates.

Exeter Chiefs: 

Baxter follows suit by ringing the changes. There is four in total to the side that lost at Saracens last time out.

Harry Williams and Dave Ewers replace Marcus Street and Richard Captstick in the pack. While Joe Simmonds returns at fly-half replacing Tom Hendrickson in the starting 15 with Henry Slade moving to the centre.

The final change is a direct switch on the wing with Josh Hodge starting over Tom O’Flaherty.

Starting lineup:

15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Olly Woodburn, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ian Whitten, 11 Josh Hodge, 10 Joe Simmonds, 9 Sam Maunder.

1 Alec Hepburn, 2 Jack Yeandle (capt), 3 Harry Williams, 4 Jonny Gray, 5 Sam Skinner, 6 Dave Ewers, 7 Jannes Kirsten, 8 Jacques Vermeulen.

Replacements:

16 Jack Innard, 17 James Kenny, 18 Patrick Schickerling, 19 Dafydd Jenkins, 20 Santiago Grondona, 21 Stu Townsend, 22 Harvey Skinner, 23 Tom Hendrickson

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Watford have announced that Rob Edwards will take over as the Head Coach of the Hornets from the 2022-2023 season.

The Hornets’ relegation was confirmed following a 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace on Saturday and the North London club are already laying the foundations for a push back to the Premier League, with Edwards to take over from Roy Hodgson at the end of the season.

Edwards will vacate his current role as the manager of Forest Green Rovers to embark on the latest chapter of his short managerial career, which recently reached a new peak after he guided the Rovers to the League Two title last week.

The 39-year-old beat the likes of former Watford captain John Eustace and Liam Manning to the job and will become the ninth permanent manager in five years at the Hornets as it is understood that Watford’s hierarchy were after a young and homegrown manager.

However, the appointment has drawn criticism from Forest Green Rovers’ chairman Dale Vince, after he felt the Hornets acted in an unsporting manner. Vince said:

“It’s the kind of thing that shouldn’t happen in football and gives football a bad name.

“Watford had not contacted us, which would have been the right way to go about it and secondly Rob hadn’t said anything.

“It’s the proper way to do things; for the club to approach us so that we’re in the picture and then they can have their negotiations but to do it in secret and to have a negotiation happen behind your back is not a nice thing.

“Not only that Watford also advised Rob not to tell us specifically so for me that doubles down on the deceit.

“I think it is poor from Watford who claim to be starting a new era, but we will move on.”

A New Era at Watford

Watford have earned a reputation for the sacking of managers and this season alone has seen the Hornets hire three different managers.

Xisco Munoz was at the helm for less than 10 months before being replaced by Claudio Ranieri in October.

However, it took just three months for the Italian to be shown the exit following a damaging 3-0 defeat at home to Norwich.

In January, Hodgson joined the Hornets on a short-term contract hoping to spark a revival in Watford’s season.

However the reality was far from the desired outcome, as since the 74-year-old took charge, Watford have only picked up eight points from a possible 45, winning just two matches in that time.

Never has the disconnect between the fans and their manager been more evident after Hodgson went to applaud the fans of his former club following the Hornets’ latest defeat.

The 74-year-old is set to retire at the end of the season and he failed to acknowledge the travelling fans after  the match which confirmed Watford’s relegation and claimed that the fans were “a bit too far away.”

Yet the appointment of Edward will bring some hope to the Watford fans as the Englishman described his new role as “a great opportunity” to showcase his managerial skills.

In just one year at Forest Green Rovers, the 39-year-old guided his side to League One for the first time in their history, winning the title on the final day by pipping Exeter City on goal difference.

Yet for the majority of the season, the Rovers were the standout team in the league, leading by 10 points in February.

However despite faltering late on, Edwards managed to just about steer his side to the new territory of League One along with silverware.

Risk for both parties?

The decision to appoint Edwards as the head coach of Watford could raise the eyebrows of onlookers as Edwards has only ever managed one match in the Championship and the jump in quality from League Two could potentially be a step too far for the young coach.

Watford will undoubtedly be hoping to bounce straight back to the Premier League in order to retain their most valuable assets and with the financial power over other clubs in the Championship, a more well-known figure may have been the safer option.

Edwards has had a relatively short career in management compared to his predecessor’s 46-year coaching career.

His only Championship match came in charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2016, where he was given the role of caretaker manager.

Edwards took his first permanent head-coach role in men’s football at Telford United where he spent a year, before returning to manage the U23’s at Wolves.

The new Watford manager, then spent two years as the U16 manager for England, before eventually joining Forest Green Rovers in 2021.

The 39-year-old averaged 1.75 points per match in charge of the Rovers and his free-flowing and high-energy philosophy as a coach has attracted the services of his new employers.

Undoubtedly, Edwards was the pivotal factor in Forest Green Rovers’ promotion to League One and his presence at the club will be hugely missed as they embark on their new venture in the third-tier of English Football.

If Edwards can bring the same style of football to the Hornets then he will quickly earn the love and trust of the Hornets’ faithful as they bid to work their way back into the top-flight.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt

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