Rhonda Royals FC

Date: Saturday 24th March '07         
Time: 2:00                                           
Competition: National Christian Cup
Location: Home (Boggymead Springs)


St Albans Romans                            4 (1)     
  P Wilson
  Gray
  Baxter
  Harris
 
Rhonda Royals FC                            1 (1)   


Match Report 

When the away team arrives 2 hours before kick-off, and more importantly, the entire Romans first team squad are early or on-time, it’s a sure sign of a big game.

Both teams seemed calm right up until kick-off and showed a great deal of sportsmanship. Will “Gary Barlow” Kumar was in fine spirits and the Romans looked and talked like a team who were focussed on a united goal.

Despite the blustery conditions, Boggymead saw a record attendance with roughly 50 hardcore Romans and Rhonda fans surrounding the pitch.

The match started off tense, however, the first minute saw the in-form Wilson have a shot that narrowly went past the near post.

Some good football followed from both teams, and it would take an error or something special to break the deadlock. And the game saw both…

The Rhonda striker got onto the end of a through ball and was tracked back by Powell, who made a good challenge, only then to lose possession in his own box. A composed finish past Laurence saw the away team go a goal up mid-way through the first half.

10 minutes later there was some crisp passing on the left-hand side between Konkoly and Wilson, who then brought the ball inside onto his right foot. It bounced up off the defender and Wilson hit a superb strike on the half volley into the top corner of the Rhonda goal. 1-1 and the crowd went wild!

Half time

Shortly into the second half Wilson was put through down the left wing following some good play in midfield. He carried to ball to the byline and pulled the ball back across goal (followed by falling on his head) to the back post where Gray calmly brought the ball down with his first touch, taking it past the dispairing dive of a defender and slotted it home from 5 yards. 

The Romans were on top and there were very few attacking chances from the physically strong Welsh side.

A free kick on the left hand side lead to the Romans 3^rd goal, which Baxter dispatched from a similar position to the goal he scored in last season’s Inter-League Cup final.

The eager Harris replaced the unusually quiet Wyatt mid-way through the second half. Harris then quickly went on to pass the ball around well and even had a good chance. After squandering numerous good chances, he then found himself in the right pace at the right time to increase the score to 4-1. The ball was played in to Harris in the middle of the park, who took a touch and sprayed it out to the advancing Kendal on the right wing. He then delivered a pin point cross field ball to Gray at the back post, who cleverly knocked it back across goal to Harris, giving him an easy tap in. 

There was only one more drama to come before the end of the game when the battling Gunning jumped for a header, only to get the ball and clash heavily into the hefty Welsh defender.

He fell to the floor and after a few seconds sat-up and called “what happened there?”. “It’s Tommy, he’ll get up” we thought… we were wrong. There was blood and Gunning was helped off the pitch and taken straight to hospital, whilst wearing a version of Terry Butcher’s famous headwear… only made of toilet paper.

Despite the blow causing him to forget his own name and spend a night at hospital under observation, there have been no significant changes to Gunning’s persona.

The game finished 4-1. A convincing win for the Romans who will now face Doncaster in the final at Rushden & Diamonds Nene Park in May.