‘Red Army’ steals an Easter march

The final home game of the season and a crowd of 107 saw the ‘Scholars’ continue their woeful home record with a ninth defeat.

The ‘Scholars’ started brightly - taking the game to the visitors - and looking the more likely to score.

Good approach play from Michael Murray firstly playing in Ashley Nathaniel-George whose effort was cleared then Rob Hastings who could not force a shot. It was Murray again who flicked on for Nathaniel-George to cut in and shoot but the keeper smothered and a defender cleared.

It was therefore no surprise when the home side finally took the lead on 26 minutes with a ‘trade mark’ goal from Ashley Nathaniel-George who cut in from the left beating a couple players on the edge of the box and fired home into the right hand corner after good approach work from Garry Jones and Chris Doyle.

The home side continued to control the game and push forward but the visitors were level on 38 minutes when Jon-Jo Bates was given room to fire home into left hand corner.

This inspired the visitors to up their game and on 44 minutes they were in front when from a free kick just outside the box Abobacer Eisa fired in directly giving the home keeper no chance and finding the top right corner.

HT 1-2

The home side were quickly into their stride at the start of the second half and level on 49 minutes when Ashley Nathaniel-George was played through the middle outpacing the defence to flick over the keeper.

The game continued with the home side having more of the possession and looking the more dangerous going forward and comfortable in defence but occasionally the visitors got in to a position to remind what they were capable of and after a warning strike from Jon-Jo Bates that went just past the left hand post the same player regained the lead for the visitors on 78 minutes when a firm shot was straight at the keeper but ‘too hot to handle’ and it went over the line.

The home side continued to put everything in for a deserved equaliser but they could not find a way through a determined defence that held on to avenge the defeat we inflicted on them at their ground at the beginning of the year.

FT 2-3

The ‘Scholars’ remain 9th - with one game remaining.

Team: Berkley Laurencin, Billy Baird, Garry Jones, Carl McCluskey, Will Wambeek, Ryan Forde, Omar Vassell (Romario Martin-Miles 78 mins), Chris Doyle, Michael Murray, Rob Hastings (Billy Adcock 46 mins), Ashley Nathaniel-George

Unused subs: James Duncan

Man of the Match: Ashley Nathaniel-George

Updated 21:15 - 2 Sep 2019 by Jeff Barnes