First Half:
The home side play in Division Two, so this was a game NRAFC had to take with 110%. However, as most matches, the away side started slowly, being pegged back by the early passing game, which took the defence a few minutes to adjust to. However, a shocking spell for the referee allowed a foul on Tom Kerby to go unnoticed, which led to a cross into the box which was brought down by the attacker in a Maradona-esque style, before planting an elbow into Michael Barnshaw's face, leaving the striker plenty of time to give the home side the lead. Things didn't look to be going well.
However, this just helped the away side raise their game. The spell of attack came from this point onwards, as the energy from a youthful squad provided the edge to an older team who looked to have run out of fuel early on. A quick game of keep bal between Serkan Ozdemir and Oliver Brown led to a misplaced header from the latter, who managed to round the defender to the loose ball and somehow nick it past the goalkeeper to equalise.
Even more forceful play allowed a corner from Ben Dos Santos to reach the head of Reece Churcher, who thundered it towards goal only to be cleared off the line. Luckily it fell to Serkan Ozdemir who rifled a low half volley into the net.
Even more so a penalty shout was denied when Oliver Brown went down in the box following a challenge from the home team centre back, but the referee who was quite clearly intimidated by the opposition, and didn't give it.
Second Half:
Straight from the off, the home team were playing deep due to the movement and tempo of the NRAFC game. Oliver Brown had some space to run into and took one defender on before whipping in a ball which was met by Ben Dos Santos who scored his first goal from open play. Russellers looked in complete control.
Further on in the half, Callum Stapely beat two players to play a ball through to Oliver Brown, who couldn't quite reach it but chased the defender down, who played a back pass to the keeper, but due to further chasing down from the striker, the kick was missed, leaving Oliver Brown to finish his second of the game into an open net.
All seemed to have ended, until a fierce shot from the home side's midfielder was tipped onto the bar by Grant Tugwell, who had little to do all game. But the defence had switched off, which allowed an attacking player to nod in a consolation goal past a floored keeper.
Full time came about, and minus the last minute lapse in concentration, the team provided a solid performance against a higher division side, which puts the team in a good position to carry the form over into next week's clash with Guru Hargobind Sahib.
