03/10/2026
As current holders of the Senior Vase an away trip to Clayton was on paper a tough ask as we began the defence of our crown. Our hosts have been in good form in the league and they started the game brightly without causing the FC Hanley back line any problems.
As the minutes ticked by FC Hanley grew into the game and were causing the Redgate back line problems and it was Lee Cropper who broke the deadlock with a sumptuous left footed strike from distance that left the keeper helpless. On balance a deserved lead but FC Hanley were dominating the game and another goal soon followed as Luke Lewis finished first time after some great work by Brad Wilson found him inside the area.
A tricky score line to go in with at half time but it’s better to be 2 up than 2 down I suppose.
The second half had only just got underway and Brad Wilson fired number 3 to deflate our hosts even further, not finished there either as he grabbed himself another after a great cross by Billy Buckley found the keeper wanting as he dropped the ball at Brad Wilson’s feet for a simple tap in. A quick 5 minute burst had taken the game away from Redgate and left FC Hanley in complete control allowing us to pass and move and keep possession. The icing was put on top of the cake after another Brad Wilson assist sent Luke Lewis through 1 v 1 with the keeper and he made no mistake to give FC Hanley a huge result on paper but there was no taking away from the performance of the FC Hanley squad, organised, clinical and confident.
