Onwards and upwards...

Effort rewarded this time

A decent crowd of 123 saw an enthralling game with both sides having a solid defence - difficult to breakdown - but the home side made good use of set pieces to secure three points.

The game started and continued with both sides committed to going forward and looking to create opportunities but such was the composure of both defences neither goal keeper actually had to make a proper save in the game.

So it was down to taking any opportunities made from either corners or free kicks and the ‘Scholars’ were to have more of each.

So the opening goal on 30 mins came as a result of a free kick when a foul on Sandro Costa some twenty yards out from left of the box was the perfect opportunity for Michael Murray to hit one of his pinpoint free kicks into the centre of the box where Steve Brown headed down and Sean Grace slid in to force the ball over the line.

HT 1-0

The second half was similar to the first - lots of periods of play when each team had more of the possession without being able to open up the other side. The closest the visitors came to a goal was when Chris Doyle needed to clear in the six yard box from a corner.

Sandro Costa and Eoin Casey had efforts deflected and the home side always looked the more likely to score again with Lee O'Leary at the heart of everything.

On 82 mins another foul on the hard working Sandro Costa some ten yards outside the box to the right saw another trade mark firmly struck free kick from Michael Murray that was looking to hit the left hand corner when the keeper dived to parry but only into the path of Eoin Casey who made no mistake in finding the back of the net.

A solid all round team performance which deservedly took the three points on offer.

So the 'Scholars' continue in sixth place with the teams above well in sight.

FT 2-0

Team: Berkley Laurencin, Chris Doyle, Andy Lomas, Lee O’Leary, Steve Brown, Sean Grace, Gilberto Soares Abril (George Nicholas 71 mins), Jordan Lawal, Michael Murray (Billy Baird 87 mins), Eoin Casey, Sandro Costa De Fernandes

Unused subs: Carl Pearce, Joakim Ehui, Darren Brown-Merrick

Goal scorers: Sean Grace, Eoin Casey

Man of the match: Andy Lomas – Mr. Consistency.