Tomorrow afternoon Darlaston Town play their fourth pre=season friendly against BetVictor Southern League Premier Division side Hednesford Town at their PRG Stadium at Keys Park.
This blue-ribbon friendly against one the areas strongest clubs, being played at a ground steeped in history. The wide-open spaces on the keys park pitch will provide the Darlaston men with a significant challenge.

With over half of the pre-season friendlies completed Darlaston’s promoted team are yet to record a win, but is winning all of your pre-season fixtures important, no not in the wider scheme of things. Its all about preparing a squad for the coming season. What is the point in paying friendlies that provide guaranteed wins, are clubs not better in playing opposition from higher levels of the football ladder to test everyone and improve not only their performance as a team but help in the players the development.

The latter has always been the practice of manager Andy Parkes “Although I never turn up to lose, I always want to win, pre-season is a unique time, when matches are used for bedding in new players, getting them integrated into the squad, and start to develop methods of play and team systems”, said Andy Parkes.

“This season we have been fortunate to retain 14 players from last seasons squad, and have added eight new players, who have been chosen very carefully, not only for their on the pitch performance but their personality because they would be joining such an established tight-knit group. Some of the new squad members will make an impact immediately and others further into the season as they get fitter and develop.”

The management team will now change their focus in the remaining games starting tomorrow. With the start of the season now so close, the manager will select the strongest available squad available so as to prepare and get ready for the first league game at Pershore Town on 3rd August. Parkes and his coaches will be looking to work on patterns and methods of play, develop and improve partnerships.

Parkes finished by saying “I enjoy pre-season, but now is when all the hard work pays off, as we change and go into game mode for the first time in many months. This is why we do what we do, challenge yourself, and always aspire to be the best you can. This is the reason why I challenge the players with our choice of pre-season games, always looking to play opposition from higher standards, who by the nature of their position on the non-league ladder are better than us, its our job to prove that not to be the case in a one off game, tomorrow is a perfect example of this.”

The trip to PRG Stadium at Keys Park tomorrow is a perfect example of what Darlaston’s manager is on about, they will face a mixed Hednesford team, first teamers, trialists and U23 players, they are all bound to provide a massive test for the newly promoted West Midlands (Regional) League team.

Gary Haywood Hednesford’s manager who returned to the club in May has recruited well to his squad, bringing in many new players, and will be looking out to add the finishing touches to his squad read to play their first game of the season a week later than Darlaston on 10th August when the entertain Lowestoft Town.

Tomorrows match kicks off at 3 pm, entrance costs are £3 for adults, £1 concessions and children free.
The full address of the ground is PRG Stadium at Keys Park, Keys Park Road, Hednesford, CANNOCK, WS12 2DZ