In a commanding display of football, Preston Manor Royals faced off against Mountfield United First at the Falmer Sports Complex on 5th October 2024. The Royals emerged victorious with a staggering scoreline of 9-1 in this cup home match, showcasing their offensive prowess and tactical superiority throughout the game.
The Royals lined up in a 4-3-2-1 formation, designed to provide a solid defensive base while allowing for fluid attacking transitions. Ryan Thompson occupied the goalkeeping position, shielded by a back four consisting of Sam Copeland and Gillan Williams as right and left defenders, respectively, with Jake Burton and Adam Arnold forming the central defensive partnership. In midfield, Tyler Banting operated centrally, flanked by Jake Nurse on the right and Valery Jingwa on the left, while Danny Grafton and Mark Baroni took up the roles of right and left attacking midfielders, supporting lone striker Marlon Perrin.
The substitutes for Preston Manor Royals included Reece Coughlan, Matt Howard, Stiven Lopes, Dominic Hewitt, and Aziz Can Karan, who would later play pivotal roles in the match as the game progressed.
The match began with an early key pass from Jake Burton in the 7th minute, a long ball that set the tone for the Royals' attacking intent. Just a minute later, Valery Jingwa converted a penalty with his left foot, putting the Royals ahead 1-0. The momentum continued as Mark Baroni was involved in a foul in the 11th minute, pushing his opponent but avoiding any penalty repercussions.
Defensively, Adam Arnold made a crucial tackle in the 17th minute, maintaining the Royals' lead. However, Jake Nurse committed a trip in the 20th minute, again without conceding a penalty. The Royals doubled their lead in the 22nd minute when Mark Baroni scored a header, assisted by another long pass from Jake Burton, making it 2-0.
Danny Grafton had an attempt shortly after, sending his shot wide in the 23rd minute, while Valery Jingwa's effort in the 24th minute went high. The Royals extended their lead to 3-0 in the 28th minute when Adam Arnold scored from close range, capitalising on a corner delivered by Danny Grafton.
As the first half drew to a close, Marlon Perrin had a shot saved in the 29th minute, but the Royals went into half-time with a commanding 3-0 lead. The second half began with two substitutions for the Royals, as Reece Coughlan and Matt Howard replaced Marlon Perrin and Tyler Banting, respectively.
Mark Baroni had an early attempt in the 49th minute that went wide, followed by a wide shot from Reece Coughlan in the 50th minute. Valery Jingwa's shot was saved in the 52nd minute, but Reece Coughlan was flagged offside shortly after, a decision that was deemed incorrect.
Stiven Lopes entered the fray in the 54th minute, replacing Mark Baroni, and made an immediate impact with a key pass in the 55th minute that created a chance. Danny Grafton had another shot saved shortly after, but the Royals were relentless.
In the 60th minute, Reece Coughlan scored his first goal of the match, assisted by Danny Grafton, bringing the score to 4-0. Coughlan added another goal just two minutes later, again finding the net with a right-footed shot from inside the box, making it 5-0.
Despite a defensive effort from Adam Arnold in the 56th minute, the Royals continued their assault. In the 67th minute, Coughlan completed his hat-trick, scoring his third goal with an assist from Stiven Lopes, pushing the score to 6-0.
Reece Coughlan's attempts continued, but he shot high in the 70th minute and had another saved in the 71st minute. The Royals made a further substitution in the 76th minute, bringing on Aziz Can Karan for Adam Arnold.
Stiven Lopes scored in the 79th minute, assisted by Dominic Hewitt, extending the lead to 7-0. Danny Grafton added to the tally in the 85th minute, capitalising on a defensive mistake to make it 8-0.
Mountfield United First finally found the net in the 86th minute, scoring from inside the box to reduce the deficit to 8-1. However, Reece Coughlan was not finished yet; he scored his fourth goal in the 89th minute, assisted by Danny Grafton from a corner, sealing the match at 9-1.
The match concluded with a remarkable performance from Preston Manor Royals, highlighted by Reece Coughlan's outstanding contribution and Adam Arnold's solid defensive display, earning him the accolade of Player of the Match.
