New Russellers 4-2 Running Horses
Serkan Ozdemir (2)
Oliver Brown
Conor Boud
First Half:
The home side couldn't believe it when a team sitting in the bottom half of the table arrived with only 9 players to kick the game off. Surely this should have been approached with the belief of a cricket score. But that same thinking almost cost Russellers, as Running Horses created the earlier chances to show they weren't whipping boys. The pace they had on either wing really facilitated their attacking prowess, and you wonder how this team keep losing every week. They also dominated the middle early on, having time and room to do what they needed. But a ball from Serkan Ozdemir to Matthew Brittle set up nicely for a quick burst of pace and a ball across the box, to meet a waiting Conor Boud. Not known for his goalscoring abilities, it was magical to witness a fine curling effort beating the keeper with pace and finesse. Russellers had the lead.
Moments later, with Russellers still half asleep, a throw in was launched in and headed in by a lump who could only be refer to as 'Stelios'. 1-1, and yet another dead ball situation making the home side pay.
Back and forth the play went, but soon enough a break came with the ball into Oliver Brown's feet, flicking it through the legs of the defender onto the in form Serkan Ozdemir, who took the ball in his stride and let off a thunderous strike which fizzed past the keeper who misjudged the flight of the ball. Russellers retained their deserved lead as they got better with the game going on.
Not much later, the 10th Running Horse player arrived and took his spot, and somehow it made New Russellers play better. But the momentum of the side stopped, as many missed opportunities came before the half time whistle. 2-1 in all honesty was a fair scoreline for a team outnumbered.
Second Half:
It wasn't long before the home side began the relentless pressure, playing magnificent short passing triangles all over the pitch, looking comfortable on their home domain (despite being on the smaller pitch one). The attack moved wide to Matthew Brittle, who has been consistently brilliant in recent times, who put the ball into the feet of Oliver Brown. Times like this you wouldn't have backed him to score on the back of a 3 game goal drought, but after skipping past the defender, he slotted home across the body of the goalkeeper, finally breaking his duck, and putting the home side 3-1 up.
More fluid movement of the ball from Russellers took it down the left wing this time, a pin point pass from Josh Halles into Oliver Brown's feet, who spotted Conor Boud next to him, taking the defender away creating space for Conor Boud to roll the ball to Serkan Ozdemir, who rifled a second long range strike over the goalkeeper, cementing his place as joint top goalscorer. Was he to finally get his first career hat trick after many braces?
A rare break from Running Horses saw the ball played to their winger, who was identified as 'Drizz', and a lapse in concentration from the defence saw a ball rolled past Grant Tugwell who really has had nothing to do all game.
One last chance for Serkan Ozdemir, who picked up a loose ball and struck it with power, only to see it roll past the outside of the post. The final whistle blew shortly after, leading to a 4-2 win which could have been far more.
New Russellers now have a last 32 Kent Sunday Junior Trophy fixture against Division 4 side Thameside Lions, with a win taking them to a county wide fixture in the last 16! #COYNR
