EMCL ~Gedling 1 Radford FC 2

Miners lose out to title contenders

Gedling MW......1 (Stephens 11)
Radford FC…….2 (Hinton 32, King 65)

The table topping Pheasants arrived at Plains Road in buoyant mood determined to push on with their quest to grab the League crown. The Miners, again depleted by absentees and injuries, had other ideas and took the game to their opponents from the first whistle. It was no surprise then, when in the 11th minute, the hosts were ahead. A long ball out of defence by skipper Martin Holt looked to be sailing comfortably into the hands of Callum Dunning in the Radford goal. He somehow mistook the flight of the ball, misjudged the bounce, allowing Dalton Stephens the opportunity to go around the stricken keeper and put the ball into an empty net.
After this setback Radford’s Joe Meakin had a volley that was directed straight at Scott Miles and Phil Hinton came close with a Radford effort on 28 minutes when Joe Hegarty crossed into the area.
Radford began to come into the game more and found a deserved equaliser when Phil Granville crossed for Hinton to tap in from close range in the 32 minute. Just before half time Granville had a shot that rebounded off the crossbar after good work from tricky young winger John King.

From the restart Radford went on the attack and Meakin sent in a pinpoint cross for Granville whose flick-on was turned round the post by Miles. A minute later Meakin saw a shot from outside of the area go a foot over the crossbar.

Tired legs were beginning to show in the hosts legs but Rackeem Reid continued to taunt the Pheasant’s defence into some last-ditch defending. Most of Gedling’s attacks stemmed from the tricky winger and, at the other end, Holt and Jordan Whitehead were just about coping with Knight and his team mates backed up by a fine display of goalkeeping by Miles who kept out Radford’s decent goal bound efforts
Radford went ahead on 62 minutes through King. Granville played a delightful ball through the home defence allowing King to run on and round Miles before slotting the ball into an empty net.
King again came close to adding to the score when he twisted and turned in the area before seeing his shot go just wide of the Gedling goal and Radford came close to adding to the score when Meakin had another effort just cleared over the bar from a shot from just outside the area.
Miles heroics were enough to keep the scoreline down as Radford wasted more chance to increase their advantage.
Considering the players unavailable to Gedling, they gave a super account of themselves against a fine footballing side who now have half a hand on the League trophy.

Att ~ 92
Referee ~ Paul Buck
Assistants ~ Mick Newton and Jack Phillips

Gedling ~ Miles, Ballard, Holt, McArdle, Stephens, K.Mushambi, Williams, Needham, Reid, Whitehead (Bircumshaw 72)
TK Mushambi,
Sub not used ~ Charlie Wood
Yellow cards ~ Williams (69 foul) Bircumshaw (86 foul)

Radford ~ Dunning, Miles, Hopewell, Ramadam. Hore, Meakin, Knight, Hinton, Granville (Russell 63) Hegarty (Hodgson 75), Knight.
Subs not used ~ Zboch, Hough, Reeves.