Match Report
Radley College 3rd XI vs  Abingdon School
On: Saturday, 02 Mar 2024
Venue: at Home

After a premiership level warm-up, led by Capt Campion, the team were looking sharp and ready for a potential league decider against Abingdon. Playing uphill and into the wind with fresh legs, the first half was end to end, with a balance of attacks to both teams. Toby and Billy oversaw some impressive defence, assisted by Max and Hector. Heading into the second half the game turned on a sluggish first 20 seconds when the Abingdon team jumped on some slow passing from Radley straight after the Radley kick-off, creating a good chance that was saved by Matteo, but the ball bounced to a free man on the back post - a mirror image of the first goal scored by Marlborough the week before. This immediately sharpened Radley who started to dominate, building well from the back to create sharp passes and good shape. The Abingdon defence were effective, with a good turn of pace, but it increasingly looked like Radley were going to score. The parental support on the sidelines enjoyed wave after wave of attack, including a corner that Toby collected well with his head but the ball managed to somehow sneak just past the outside of the post. But just like the week before, an Abingdon counterattack led to a second goal. And just like the week before Radley rallied yet again, finding another gear and applying huge pressure on the Abingdon goal. Appleton beat a couple of players with his speed before being taken down inside the box and was unlucky to not earn a penalty. Radley continued apace, and eventually Hector W hit the back of the net - the first team to do so against Abingdon this season. Hector was incredibly unlucky to not score a second goal after collecting a corner with his head and punched the ball into the back of the ... but somehow it managed to find it's way onto an Abingdon arm on the goal-line, an arm that the referee adjudicated as 'not intentional' in the moment. And that was where the score remained: 2-1 to Abingdon.