Today’s game saw Star travel to Rocester who they beat 5 v 2 earlier this month.

First half, Star started very quickly and the quick start was rewarded when young Karime Farrell breezed pass two defenders to tuck his shot underneath the keeper, after just 1 minute, for his first goal of the season. 1 v 0  Star played some very controlled football that frustrated the opposition throughout the 1st half.  The home side’s frustration was shown when Garfield Robinson gained a free-kick about 25 yards out; the free-kick was central of the goal, Joshua O’Garro put down the ball and just curled the ball over the wall, off the bar and in for his first goal since returning from his brief stint at Romulus. 2 v 0  Star’s 2^nd goal clearly deflated Rocester, as they couldn’t get near the ball.  Star’s consistency on the ball was again rewarded when right-back Ruben Wilson’s cross was headed back to the Rocester keeper by his centre-back, but the keeper dropped the ball for Star’s front-man Daniel Elwell to turn the ball in with his left foot for his 4th of the season.  3 v 0  On 44 minutes Garfield Robinson picked up the ball out wide and skipped pass two defenders and cut inside, unleashing a powerful shot which the keeper could not prevent. 4 v 0  More misery was to come for Rocester, as straight from then kick off Rocester got caught on the ball only for Ruben Wilson to float a ball for Karime Farrell to run onto and deliver a cross in for Daniel Elwell to volley home!  5 v 0

HT: ROCESTER 0 CSFC 5

Rocester scored straight after the break to make it 5 v 1 but they failed to build upon this.  Apart from the goal scored by the home side, the second half didn’t produce any goals, but it did produce some good chances with Joshua O’Garro coming close from a free-kick again. Stars created opportunites but failed to put any away in the 2nd 45 minutes, but I guess the game was already done by then.

FT: ROCESTER 1 CSFC 5

Report by: Hameedh 3/09/14

Today’s Bank Holiday kick off saw Star host newly promoted side, Lye Town who have had a very strong start to the Midland Football League premier division.  Star started the game very strongly moving the ball from right to left trying to find gaps in the Lye defence; Ibrahim Benjamin playing a key role in every single attack.  The strong start showed when Ibrahim Benjamin linked up with Star’s striker Daniel Elwell on the edge of the box, Elwell then played a dangerous ball across for Darren Green who showed great determination to get to the ball, to tap home on 4 minutes, 1 v 0.

Star kept the ball very well and had another opportunity shortly after the goal when Modou Jara played a pass right into Daniel Elwell’s feet, he twisted and turned to get his low driven shot away.  After 10 minutes wide man Garfield Robinson picked up the ball and ran at his opposite number before hitting a left footed shot which the keeper was unable to prevent from going in. 2 v 0.  Star continued to play some nice flowing football, keeping Lye on the back foot and forcing them to defend.  Good link up play between Ibrahim Benjamin and Garfield Robinson saw Daniel Elwell go one on one with the keeper, only for the keeper to pull off a great save to stop the Star’s front man making it 3 v 0.  Lye attacked Star when their wide man floated in a cross which was knocked into the path of their centre midfielder who made it 2 v 1 after 26 minutes.

However, just before half time Star’a right-back, Ruben Wilson, made a good run down the line for Modou Jara to float a great pass to his feet, he hit the by line and pulled the ball back into the path of oncoming Darren Green who hit a first time shot that was saved by the Lye keeper.  Not long after Ruben Wilson once again picked up the ball pulling it back to Darren Green for the 2nd time whose shot was blocked this time by the opposition’s defender.

HT: CSFC 2  v LYE TOWN 1

The second half Star came out and played the same way as they had played for most of the first half; maintaining possession and trying to find gaps in the Lye defence.  Again Star created a good opportunity when wide man Darren Green picked up the ball on the half way line, beating 3 players to go one on one with the keeper, who was rooted to his spot, when Green’s left footed shot went pass him but unluckily for Star, it hit the post and rebounded into the keeper’s hands.  Star kept the ball really well but did not really test the keeper in the 2^nd half, but we held onto the lead and got the 3 points which were well deserved.

FT: CSFC 2 v LYE TOWN 1

Report by: Hameedh 25/08/14

Today’s game saw CSFC travel to Shropshire to face Shawbury United FC in a FA Cup extra preliminary round game.  Once again Star started off very slow, failing to string together any passes; we didn’t manage to attack the opposition in our normal fluid way.

It wasn’t long before our poor start was punished.  In the 9^th minute the Shawbury Utd right-back swung in a cross that landed at the feet of their number 8, who calmly hit the ball into the bottom right hand corner of Jordan Ellis’ goal mouth.  Despite conceding we still didn’t pick our game up and the frustration was shown just before the half hour mark when CSFC central midfielder, Aaron Evans failed to control the ball and jumped into an unnecessary challenge on the edge of the opposition’s box; the challenge was so bad that the referee had no other option than to show him a straight red.

Star finally picked up their game after the sending off (and the subsequent delay for the treatment to the injured player).  We managed to begin to attack the Shawbury defence, as we kept pressing and pressing.  This pressure finally paid off; good wide play from left-back, Anton Caines-Powell, ended with a low driven cross that was met by centre forward, Danico Johnson, whose first time shot rebounded off the keeper and into the path of Ricardo Swaby, who slid in and equalised on the stroke of Half Time.

HT: Shawbury United 1 v CSFC 1

We started the 2nd half positively dominating the game playing from right to left and creating good opportunities to grab the lead.  However, Shawbury, with a full complement of players were satisfied to sit back and try and hit us on the counter.

Star had a very good chance half way through the 2nd half when left back Anton Caines-Powell played a one two on the edge of the box with wide man Garfield Robinson and again Caines-Powell drove a low cross right through the six yard box that nobody in a Star’s shirt gambled on.  Star would regret their missed chances as they were punished 5 minutes from time, when Star’s defenders Tom Hurdman and Ruben Wilson were left 2 on 2 at the back and a low cross was latched onto by their number 10 (who looked yards offside); he calmly scored with a clinical finish.

FT: Shawbury United 2 v CSFC 1

Report by: Hameed 16/08/14

 Tonight’s late kick off saw Star host neighbours Walsall Wood, a team that in recent times we have struggled to beat.  Star started very quickly, scoring within the opening 5 minutes when in-form wide man, Garfield Robinson, skipped pass three defenders and in doing so he slipped on the edge of the D; hitting a curling shot into the top right hand corner.  Star were buoyed by this and slowly began to dominate the game.

HT: CSFC 1 v WALSALL WOOD 0 

The 2nd half Star took their foot of the pedal, conceding from a set-piece in the 51^st minute.  There wasn’t very much action in the 2nd half from Star and 15 minutes after conceding the equaliser to Walsall Wood they conceded again on 66 minutes; an identical goal from a set-piece again.

Star’s luck had totally deserted them as they spurned three good chances to equalise and when attacking player, Carlos Thompson, won a penalty with 10 minutes left the referee overturned his original decision once he noticed the linesman’s off-side flag.  In the closing stages of such a close encounter wide man Ricardo Swaby hit the by-line pulling back a very good ball to substitute Danico Johnson who came close but could not get the equaliser for Star.

FT: CSFC 1 v WALSALL WOOD 2

Report by: Hameedh 13/08/14