Touch and go whether we should have played this game with the pitch hard on top after the overnight frost. However, the home team were up for it and so were RRFC! Kick-off saw the sun shining and the ground thawing out throughout the game. It was again like last week a competitive game from the start with both sides battling hard in the middle of the park.
RRFC played with a different defence and goalkeeper appeared a bit rusty but soon took hold of things making some good play down the wings. Hugh in defence marshalled Louie and Richard with wingers Adam and James and Kyle and Harry in mid-field playing their part, helping out as necessary. The boys were therefore shocked when Hendon took the lead. However, RRFC battled well to get back in to the game with Hugh pushed forward into midfield. Reagan came on to assume his centre back position with Ethan and Louie alongside. Callum on for Adam. It appeared that Hendon were going to not enable RRFC through with their solid defence. However, the ball broke to Hugh who drove forward and past the keeper to slot it home 5 mins before half-time.
In the second half Ruislip, even though having the favourable slope, gave their all but still couldn’t find a way through the four man defence. George, out of goal in the second half (Harry reluctantly going between the sticks) Adam and Kyle playing through balls for Jack to try and make that impression. Richard played well pushing forward and hitting some good balls through to forward players It was however down to Reagan to take the ball from half-way, evade three tackles before coolly hitting the ball well past the Hendon keeper. It was the Hendon boys who had to fight and a corner was their saviour. The balled was only half cleared by RRFC and it came out to the Hendon boy who had time to lash it through a crowd of players to score. RRFC had a couple of chances at the other end to win the game but the ball would not go in and a hard fought draw was a fair result on the heavy going.
Assistant Referee: Gary Lovegrove
RRFC Team: George Hollinrake/Harry Diggins (Goalkeeper) Richard Hennessy Ethan Bannister Reagan De Vere (1 goal + Man of the match) Louie Lovegrove (Captain) Kyle Pearson Adam Taylor Hugh Legood (1 goal) Jack Timberlake Callum O’Grady James Hersee