After an unbeaten run since Christmas, RRFC were up for the rematch versus league leaders, Ruislip Town. Postponed a couple of times, thankfully the weather was sunny and the pitch in reasonable nick. The home team needed to win to claim the Division 6 title; RRFC needed to win to possibly finish 4th. The early encounters were played in midfield with neither team giving much away. However, RRFC were straining throughout the half, not able to play their normal passing game. Ruislip Town begin to gain confidence and claimed a free kick on the edge of the area after the defence stopped a run on goal. The execution despite a good wall was perfect, hitting the underside of the bar to rattle in. 1-0 down at half-time the manager tried to instil some calmness and ask the boys to keep trying to get the ball to do the work. Downhill the second half it was about getting the ball out to the wings or behind the defence. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen enough. The fight from RRFC was not there, shown with a strangely executed kick-off. And so it continued with the ball too often given away; particularly in mid-field.Town kept edging it and came forward to evade the initial tackle. This was followed up with another clearly tripping the player. The resulting free-kick was again struck well to hit the back of the net. Whilst RRFC maintained the subdued performance Town were always one step ahead. When RRFC did come forward, Town with one of the best defences in the League snuffed the ball away. Doing this once their centre half played a great ball forward for the midfielder to drive forward and beat three players before lashing it into the goal. The pain was complete when the same Town midfielder had a similar run and scored again; this was after Town had hit the post. Despite a late flurry from RRFC they could not convert a cross and separate free kick chance to at least replicate the result at Kings College. Assistant Referee: Neil Hersee RRFC Team: Lewis Cole Richardson (Goalkeeper) Richard Hennessy Louie Lovegrove (Captain) Ethan Bannister (Man of the Match) George Hollinrake Aingaran Selvarajah Adam Taylor Hugh Legood Callum O’Grady James Hersee Harry Diggins
