FC Hanley

A short trip to Pointon Park was our midweek fixture, which in previous seasons has always been a tricky one.
FC Hanley started brightly and created some decent opportunities to take the lead but it eventually took a deflected shot from Lewis McMurdo to beat the Leek keeper as the deflection wrong footed him. It wasn’t a great first half from either side but FC Hanley deservedly went into the break with the goal advantage.
The second half never really hit into a pattern as both sides struggled to create anything but it always looked like if any goal was coming it was going to be scored by FC Hanley. It took until the 88th minute for a quick counter attack as Josh Bristow looped the ball into the path of Liam Tomlin who advanced on goal and fired across the leek keeper and into the far corner. Points safe, game in the bag and on the balance of play a well deserved victory.
Back to back wins and a clean sheet which makes a great nights work for FC Hanley. We will be looking to continue the run on Saturday as we host Stafford Town Development at Northwood Stadium.

With the disappointment of the midweek defeat a fresh performance was expected from all involved.
FC Hanley started bright and should have been in front early doors but wasted chances came back to bite FC Hanley as we found ourselves behind from our opponents first real effort on our goal. The reaction was top draw as FC Hanley pored forward creating chances and dominating the ball.
It was a corner that finally broke the Madeley resistance as Taylor Coulson rose highest to plant a bullet header into the well guarded net. The chances kept coming as FC Hanley had Madeley pinned in their own half with both wingers causing problems. After some good play FC Hanley were awarded a penalty ( stone wall ) which Lewis McMurdo stepped up to fire home and give FC Hanley the lead into the half time interval.
The second half was a controlled performance from FC Hanley as the game went a little flat with few chances available for either side. It was another penalty given by the referee for handball ( a little harsh ) that made the points safe as again Lewis McMurdo lashed home from 12 yards. With the game won and points in the bag it was about managing the game and some fine closing down from Liam Tomlin winning the ball high up gave Lewis McMurdo his hat trick after Tomlin squared the ball for a simple finish.
A good solid performance after the disappointment of Wednesday, we go again on this coming Wednesday as the games keep coming thick and fast.

A tricky midweek trip to play a strong team proved too much for a depleted FC Hanley squad. Early injuries to key players put FC Hanley on the back foot even though a magnificent solo goal from Gael Bitshilualua had given FC Hanley the lead.
It wasn’t long before our hosts managed to turn the game on its head with 2 quick fire goals to leave FC Hanley trailing at the break.
The second half was a very stop start game with the ball spending no time on the floor which left the game lacking in quality and goal scoring opportunities and it wasn’t until stoppage time when the referee was conned by the most ridiculous and blatant dive you will ever see (Tom Daley would have been proud). The penalty was scored and the game was finished, a disappointing result after a solid and encouraging performance the previous Saturday.

FC Hanley Developments first game of the season ⚽️

Today we made history. PCT’s first men’s team and we took the 3 points home too.

The first half we were dominant and should have been 5/6 up by half time but we settled for a 2-0 lead at the break.

Our first goal came from captain Ollie picking up the ball and finding Ben who scores from outside the box on minute 17. A fully deserved lead.

Just before the break Mikey takes a shot which hits a hand in the box and awards us a penalty. The penalty cooly slotted home by Ben for his double.

The second half was much the same, however we did lift our foot off the gas slightly. There were plenty of opportunities to extend our lead but the game finished with the home side making it closer and testing the young lads mentality to get the job done.

Unbelievable first game for the young lads, let’s hope we kick on and start finishing our chances.

Having thrown away 3 points in our first 2 games todays game at home took on even more importance especially as our opponents will probably be there or there abouts come the end of the season.
The early stages were very scrappy as neither side really got any control of the game, AFC Crewe has a couple of good chances to break the deadlock but failed to take them as FC Hanley rode their luck a little. A quick break from FC Hanley saw Lewis McMurdo get in behind the Crewe backline and as the keeper advanced he slipped the ball into the path of Gael Bitshilualua who found the empty net to open the scoring. The goal gave FC Hanley the control they needed as confidence grew and the passing became a little bit crisper and it was only a matter of time before the second goal would come. The chance came as the ball found its way to the feet of Liam Tomlin just inside the penalty area who finished superbly into the top corner to take FC Hanley into the break with a 2 goal lead.
The second half flew by with AFC Crewe failing to really test Zak Hill in the FC Hanley goal and it was Lewis McMurdo who made the points safe with a late penalty to put the gloss on what was an impressive and controlled performance.

A midweek game to try and put right what had gone wrong on the Saturday and the lads came out fighting and hungry. An early red card for our hosts only boosted FC Hanley’s enthusiasm to take the 3 points home.
Gael Bitshilualua making his debut from the bench prodded home the first goal of the game to take FC Hanley into the interval in charge.
The second half should have been a walk in the park but a freak goal from the Rocester keeper tied the game up. This set back seemed to give FC Hanley a shot in the arm as we began to control the ball and territory, and it was Gael Bitshilualua who finished a lovely move into the far corner who restored FC Hanley’s advantage. Surely the 3 points were safe 2-1 up against 10 men with only 4 minutes left, but no an untracked run followed by a lump into the area found an unmarked player who smashed the ball into the net ( as cleaner strike as you will ever see). Another disappointing end to the game and more points dropped, even though the performance was ok apart from managing to see the game out.

Better late than never, match reports will resume as normal 👇🏼

The new season arrives way too soon and the first half performance showed this. New players in, same old mistakes as we gave away 2 first half goals through poor defending. After the break FC Hanley pulled their socks up and saw plenty of the ball and played some really good stuff in spells. A brace from Lewis McMurdo pulled the game level but as is the normal we didn’t protect what we had and got the ultimate sucker punch with a late goal conceded again whilst having the most of the ball.
A disappointing start having dominated the ball but plenty of signs for optimism moving forward.

⚽🎉 GAMES WEEK IS HERE! 🎉⚽

Looking for some football fun this weekend?

Come and join us at FC Hanley Coaching School where football is FREE Saturday morning! 🙌

✅ Fun games and challenges�✅ Football development sessions�✅ A great atmosphere for all abilities�✅ Café and refreshments on site ☕🥤�✅ Toilets available

⏰ 9:15am - 10:45am ✅

We've had some fantastic sessions over the last few weeks, and here are a few photos showcasing the hard work, smiles and progress from our players! 📸⚽

Whether you're a regular or coming along for the first time, we'd love to see you there. Bring your friends and enjoy a morning packed with football, fun and learning!⚽️

And so it starts all over again ⚽️

First game of the season sees us travel down to Wolgarston High School to take on Cannock Town, hoping to build on last years success with a positive start to the season.