VCD ATHLETIC 1 HAMPTON & RICHMOND BOROUGH 1

But for the woodwork and some resolute defending from Hampton, the Vickers would certainly have won this encounter by a convincing margin. On a perfect playing surface both sides played some attractive football as the game progressed, but it was VCD that got into their stride first as they took the game to the visitors and tested Seb Brown in the Borough goal. First Niko Muir cut inside Michael Kamara before sending in a drive that the keeper saved low down, before new signing Sam Bantick sent in an effort that Brown palmed away. The pressure was kept on with Austin Lipman drawing a save from his snap shot, and when he played in Bantick, Brown did well to get down and turn the ball behind. From the corner the ball was headed clear to Arron Wickham who sent a fierce volley just wide. Borough’s first meaningful effort came from a free kick delivered by Tom Jelley, that home keeper Rob Budd turned over the bar. Then, somewhat against the run of play it was the visitors that took the lead when an appeal for handball was waved away, and the ball was played wide to Rheo Josephs whose pinpoint cross picked out Nicke Kabamba where he headed home from close range. This was a setback for the Vickers but they rallied and almost equalised when Ashley Probets’ free kick was met by Niko Muir, but he was unable to get enough power on his header to trouble keeper Brown.
The Vickers attacked straight from the resumption with Sam Bantick chasing a ball down before sending a chip towards the far post but just out of the reach of Niko Muir, and Hampton responded with a Josh Casey free kick that was met by Moussa Diarra, but Budd made a fine stop, pushing the ball round a post at full stretch. Just on the hour mark the Vickers drew level thanks to the persistence of Austin Lipman who pressured Eddie Hutchinson into a weak header back to Brown, and he took the ball round the stranded keeper before stroking it into the empty net from an acute angle. Both sides then went looking for the deciding goal with Hampton breaking quickly from a corner where Kabamba raced clear to the VCD area before squaring to Josephs in space, but he snatched at his shot which flew high over the bar. VCD then began to dominate with Ritchie Graham orchestrating the midfield and they had a number of chances to make the game safe. Sam Bantick broke down the right before sending in a deep ball that Alex Teniola headed against a post and from the rebound, Hutchinson bravely threw himself in the way of Austin Lipman’s fierce drive, blocking it to safety. Then Ricardo Joseph was inches away from Bantick’s cross to the far post, before the same player broke from defence and played in Niko Muir out wide, where he cut in and curled the ball round Brown only for it to strike a post and bounce to safety. There was one last chance for VCD in the final minute when Bantick's free-kick picked out Teniola, but his header went inches past the post.

VCD Athletic: Budd, Cox, Probets, Wickham, Tozer, Joseph, Graham, Bakare (Teniola 58), Muir, Lipman (Ramadan 77), Bantick

Substitutes not used: King, Fakinos, Fitzgerald

Attendance: 101