Luke Goddard’s men recorded their first opening day win since becoming a step 5 side, with a well deserved 2-0 win over newly promoted and last season’s division one champions Dudley Town. Due to unavailability and illness, the Blues were only able to field 3 substitutes, which would be needed on a hot August afternoon on a fast paced 3G pitch.

It was a frantic opening, as both sides went on the offensive but it was the Blues who made the most of their opportunities in the 11th minute, when Junior Brown forced a defensive error, dispossessing the Town defender to play a lovely through ball to Matty Birchall, who made no mistake, firing past Hawke into the bottom left hand corner. Although the hosts tried to get into the game, the Blues restricted Dudley to playing the long through ball in hope, rather than expectation that one of their forwards would get in the end of it. If they did, the superb defensive group of Simms, Griffiths, Carpenter and Campbell dealt with everything.

As the half time whistle approached, Alex Hughes needlessly got himself sin binned, for a petulant clap towards the referee after finally being given a foul. This is something the league is clamping down on this season, as the Dudley skipper was also sin binned in the second half for dissent.

The 2nd half was really about game management, still nullifying any threat from the hosts, whilst pressuring the home defence. The all important 2nd goal came on 65 minutes, as Matty Birchall this time became the provider, as his slide rule pass fell at the feet of Ollie Pope, who raced in on goal to fire past the keeper.

It took the hosts 80 minutes to register a shot on goal, and it nearly caught the Blues out, with the shot coming back off the post and to safety, but other than that, the lads were comfortable all afternoon.

The final whistle blew, and the Blues are up and running this season with a fine away win. We now most to tomorrow evening(Monday 14th) when we host Wolverhampton Casuals at the Air2Root Stadium, 7:45pm kick off