After a long, tough season, RCF
needed just a point away to North Romford, to clinch the
Essex Sunday Corinthian league Division 2 title. North
Romford had the game switched to Clayhall Park due pitch
payment problems at Central Park. This provided a
potentially fitting setting for a championship victory, as
many of RCF's homegrown talent had adorned Clayhall Park in
their youth, honing their skills.
Unfortunately for crowd and
players alike, the groundsman had used a Subbuteo pitch as a
template to make the smallest pitch in the world. Combined
with the strong crossfield wind, this made for an immensely
scrappy first half hour of the game where chances were at a
premium. It looked like it was going to take a mistake or
piece of magic to create an opening, but both defences were
resolute.
North Romford could have
taken the lead. Some slack marking allowed the right
midfielder to go through on goal. But his finish was
straight at Dawes. It was the RCF midfield that began to
get a grip of the game after this. A few neat touches gave
them a lift and their first real chance of the game provided
a goal. An interchange from Clarke and Prati jr. put Clarke
down the flank, he cut ball back to Maskell who shimmied
past both centre halves, and cut back past a third
defender. He fired a shot in as the entire North Romford
back line seemed to dive toward the goal. The centre half
stuck out an arm to block it and as the everyone turned to
the ref for a whistle, Spicer beat the keeper to the
rebound to toepoke home his 22nd of the season for 0-1.
Clarke should have doubled
the lead shortly after, but was denied by a good save. The
North Romford defence was now in Panic mode, and RCF began
to take advantage of their high line.
A Waithe free kick from deep
found it's way through to
Clarke
who made no mistake this time, as he stabbed the ball over
the keeper into the corner for
0-2
In the 40th minute it
0-3.
Clarke
raced onto a long ball from
Dawes, and from 20 yards tidily lofted the ball over the
Romford keeper who was in no mans land. The Scottish flyer
really has been in fine form in front of goal
HT: North Romford 0-3
Racing Club Fantana 3
The second half began as the
first one ended, and it was
0-4
within a few minutes. Clarke broke down the right again and
played a ball across the faces of goal. It somehow reached
Leiter
at the back post, who finished
with some aplomb. RCF were making amends for their
atrocious performance in the 4-0 drubbing suffered in the
reverse fixture with Romford.
Three quick substitutions by
Micallef seemed to disrupt the tempo of the game from there
on. It was great to see David (Double Pack) Day return to
the fold, after 4 months due to a horrific training ground
accident.
North Romford pulled a goal
back with a penalty. The ball fell kindly to the Romford
forward who was tackled by Maskell just as he was about to
pull the trigger. It was the first time in 5 years that
Maskell had gone to ground for a tackle without sustaining
an injury. Dawes chased down the loose ball but was beaten
to it, and decided to dropkick the Romford forward, giving
the ref no choice. The Penalty was converted clinically
for 1-4.
The quality and passion
deteriorated for the final 25 minutes, and North Romford
pulled back another with 15 minutes to go. A free kick
seemed to be heading harmlessly into Dawes safe hands, but
Micallef flicked the ball past him with his head for
2-4.
The final whistle brought
jubilation to the RCF team and the travelling support of 4.
Lone season ticket holder Stan Day had a tear in his eye.
Fair-weather supporter Richard "I only come to the big
games" Prati puffed a Benson with joy. L-wiz, and Dan
enjoyed their first match of the season. (The worst kind of
supporters).
The remaining league games
are now a formality for RCF, but next week brings one more
big test. Can they complete a historic double in the Bill
Nolan Memorial cup final against Ladzio?
Full time
North Romford 2 Vs Racing
Club Fantana 4
(Spicer
28, Clarke
33, 40, Leiter 51)
Racing line up: Dawes,
Prati. T, Field , Prati. R,
Micallef, Waife (Stimpson 62),
Clarke,
Sack, Maskell, Leiter (Day 62),
Spicer (Pedonomou 62)
