Few clubs have had a week to match Dudley Town's. It began with a Black Country derby at The Beeches, where Nathan Lamey's side put five goals without reply past Tividale, Alfie Wilkes, Jonathan Millinchip and substitutes Omario Ford, Ethan Moran and Adam Nazir all getting on the scoresheet in a dominant second-half display. Ford's strike, described by the club as a beautifully placed effort, was later named Robins Radio's goal of the game.
That run of form continued, if not the goals, when Darlaston Town visited the Guardian Warehousing Arena three days later. Both sides created chances - Ryan Snape and Charlie Muir for Dudley, Jack Sane and captain Nathan Oyemende for the visitors - but neither could find a breakthrough, and the match finished goalless. The draw stretched Dudley's unbeaten league run to seven games, though the club's own match report acknowledged frustration at failing to convert their dominance of possession into a win.
Dudley now head into the MFL Cup, making the short trip to face Step 6 side Gornal Athletic at the Garden Walk Stadium. The tie carries an extra edge for the visitors: Harry Crook, who signed for Gornal Athletic only days earlier, is a former Dudley player, while Traevay Wright, last season's Midland League Division One golden boot winner with 30 league goals, poses an obvious attacking threat for a Gornal side sitting second in their division.
For Darlaston Town, the goalless draw came after a difficult week that also brought a 2-0 home defeat to Abbey Hulton United, whose goals came from Kallam Boyle and Ben Marshall. Darlaston's under-18 development side had happier news, however, t thrashing Dudley Town 7-1 at Noose Lane in the Midland Midweek Floodlit League to go top of their western division, with the club's press release noting four goals of the highest quality in a dominant first half.
Abbey Hulton United backed that up with a 3-1 win over Tividale at Drayton Beaumont Park, Ben Marshall collecting his second Man of the Match award of the month, before turning attention to a rescheduled fixture against Wythenshawe Town.