St Andrews 0-4 Radford (EMCL)

The visitors were impressive in the early stages and were stringing together some good passing moves. Three signings in midweek were making their debut for Radford and the management made several positional changes from the side that played last weekend. Will Gordon came close when he struck the bar from a twenty five yard free kick ten minutes into the game and Samir Boulghassoul came close to scoring for Radford on fifteen minutes but after beating a player in the area his shot flew across the face of the goal and out for a goalkick.

St Andrews first effort on goal came on twenty minutes when Jordan Lever was played through on goal but the Radford keeper forced him wide and his shot hit the side netting. Radford were having the greater share of possession and on the half hour a long goalkick found Samir Boulghassoul who outmuscled his marker, ran into the area and swept the ball past the St Andrews keeper. Radford continued to impress in the remaining fifteen minutes of the first half and went in leading by the one goal.

Five minutes into the second half Radfords keeper Martins Apenitis made a brilliant reaction save to keep out a goalbound effort, but that was the last real moment of uncertainty for the efficient Radford defence.Just after the hour mark Will Gordon found himself running into the St Andrews area but he failed to go down after he was ankle tapped, he stayed on his feet but his shot was blocked. Radford scored a second goal around the 75 minute mark when Gordon hit a 25 yard screamer into the home sides net. A minute later Martin Allen set up Jarrod Russell whoose low shot beat the diving St Andrews keeper.Radford made it a certain away win on 82 minutes when a move on the right wing led to the ball being crossed into the area for Jarrod Russell to finish. FT 0-4

Radford 0-2 Graham Street Prims EMCL

Radford were competing well for much of the first half and as half time approached 0-0 was looking acceptable. But it all turned bad on 40 minutes when Stuart McCulloch was sent off. The midfielder had left the pitch for treatment asking the referee's assistant, but after being waived back on by the referee he was cautioned for leaving the pitch without the referees permission. The assistant did not support the player and then McCulloch was shown the red card for swearing at the referee. One of the Radford management team stood face to face with the referee giving him a tirade of abuse. Amazingly the second of the management team who did not abuse the referee was given a red card!

As the second half began Radford were still doing well but on 58 minutes a ball played over the top of the Radford defence set a Prims player free, as he raced into the area he was brought down by Alberto Salas and the referee awarded a penalty. Salas was the last defender and was shown the red card reducing Radford to nine players. Jim Rushby stepped up to take the penalty and beat Martins Apenitis with his spot kick. Not long after Radford's Will Gordon saw red for a challenge that was adjudged to be violent by the referee and the home side were down to eight players.

Radford went 0-2 down on 75 minutes when Jim Rushby finished from close range but Prims never really bossed Radford even though they were down to eight. With ten minutes remaining Radford put on Richard Derby, Gareth Ellis and Ayokunle Abbis. With two minutes remaining Ellis sustained an ankle injury and had to leave the pitch leaving Radford with 7 players. As 90 minutes was reached Prims had a player brought down in the area and as the player fell to the ground the referee blew for full time!

Radford Res 3-1 Heanor Town Res CML Res Supreme

 A good overall team performance paid its dividends with a 3-1 victory. Radford were playing some good possession football in the early stages but it wasn't until the 13th minute when Radford had the first shot on goal. Matt Wheat fed Adam Pemberton but his weak effort was easily saved by the keeper. Radfords Sherif Babatunde was giving Heanor's left back problems with his pace and after Mark Thomas set him free on the wing, one of his crosses found Matt Wheat just outside the Heanor area but his shot flew miles over. In the 18th minute Radford came close to opening the scoring when a long ball found Samir Boulghassoul but the keeper did well to save his goalbound effort.

Heanor had their first strike on goal on 25 minutes. Andreas Kokkinov went on a mazy run across the Radford 18 yard box before laying the ball off for Josh Henrys to force the keeper into a great save. Three minutes later Heanor's Jack Smith was denied by another great save when the ball was heading for the corner of the goal. Soon Radford were on the attack through Sherif Babatunde. The left winger did the hard work by beating two defenders in the area, but there wasn't much power in his shot and the keeper saved. A couple of minutes later Radford took the lead when Babatunde crossed for Adam Pemberton to sweep the ball in from 12 yards out.

Radford started the second half on the attack and after forcing a series of corners Richard Johnson was on hand to get Radfords second goal when he bundled the ball in from close range. Five minutes later it was 3-0, Michael Coyle headed in from a Matt Wheat free kick. It looked as if Radford were sure to add to the three already scored on the hour when Samir Boulghassoul was sent through on goal, but he shot wide. Heanor came forward on 68 minutes and the referee awarded the visitors a penalty for handball. Luke Duerden took the spotkick and blasted it into the centre of the goal as the keeper dived to his right.

Although Heanor were pressing for a short period, Radford held firm and Carl Shepherd & Michael Coyle in particular were impressive. Dominic Leivers and Richard Johnson were working hard in midfield and Ryan Silverton was looking good when he came on as a substitute. As full time approached Radford had a golden opportunity to score a fourth goal. A ball over the top found Babatunde he crossed low into the area and Jubril Yusuf  blasted over from close range.

Click on photo for larger view

Radford 3-6 Bardon Hill EMCL

A Red card to Bernado Alves for Foul & Abusive Language on 28 minutes made it difficult for Radford against a mediocre Bardon Hill side. Radford started off well and took a 15th minute lead through Antoine Combes. The midfielder collected the ball just inside the Bardon Hill area, wrong footed his marker and a weak effort took a deflection before trickling into the corner of the net.

Radford's Joe Hopper intercepted a poor back-pass but his shot from a difficult angle flew across the face of the goal before going out for a goalkick. The visitors should have been awarded a penalty on twenty minutes after Ryan Collis was brought down, but the referee surprisingly waived play on. Joe Hopper made a good run through midfield and a shot from 20 yards hit the top of the crossbar and went out for a goalkick.

On 28 minutes Bardon Hill were level and Radford were down to ten men. A ball over the top of the Radford defence found Liam Hebberd and the striker ran on to beat Tom Burleigh in the home goal. Before the game could be re-started the referee had shown Bernado Alves a red card for presumably foul & abusive language. It wasn't long before Bardon Hill took the lead when Ryan Collis fed a finely timed through ball for Sam Saunt to collect and shoot past Tom Burleigh. Shortlty after Radford's Stuart Marshall did well when he ran back to clear off the line, after the keeper was rounded and a shot was heading for the Radford net.

As half time approached the ten men of Radford had a good period of possession resulting in a Stuart McCulloch goal. Jarrod Russell cut in from the left wing, beat a couple of players and played the ball to McCulloch on the edge of the visitors area and a powerful shot flew past the stranded keeper. Unfortunately for Radford they couldn't hang on until half-time. A low cross was sent in along the Radford box and three defenders failed to clear and Danny Blythe scored from close range.

A minute into the second half and Radford were caught cold when Jimmy Brooks put Bardon Hill 4-2 up. Sam Saunt got his second of the game ten minutes later and on 63 minutes Ryan Collis got the visitors sixth. All three Radford substitutes came on and Sheriff Babatunde combined with Timi Oluwsanmi to set up Gareth Ellis to score on 68 minutes. Radford created a few good chances in the final twenty minutes but couldnt add to the 3 goals and the game ended in a disapointing 3-6 defeat.

Radford 1-1 Gedling MW EMCL

Bad luck hit Radford as the team warmed up before the game when Ebrahim Mirmohamodi & Adam Mahl both had to drop out of the side due to injuries.The reserves didn't have a game and Carl Shephard & Vincent Papon who both had come to watch the first team were drafted into the starting lineup.

Gedling started off on the attack and Tom Watson missed a golden opportunity on five minutes as he shot over the bar from close range. Radford were having some joy from the long ball where Bernado Alves was a threat. The visitors were creating many chances and should have been at least three goals up by half time but a combination of poor finishing and bad luck meant the sides went in at 0-0 at half time.

Radford were much improved in the second half but it was Gedling who again were creating the better chances. As the game entered its final stages it took an own goal from Carl Shephard to give Gedling MW a deserved lead. But almost immediately Radford went on the attack and scored through a Jarrod Russell effort to give the Radford team something for their hard work. FT 1-1

Barrow Town 4-1 Radford EMCL

Radford, in all sky blue strip, showed up well in the early stages of the game and there wasn't much between the sides. The first chance in the game fell to Barrow when a defender was caught in possession and a shot was fired wide of the goal on ten minutes. Barrow should have definately took the lead on 23 minutes. A poor corner was crossed to the far edge of the penalty area, the ball was fired back into the six yard box to an unmarked Calum Ross whose shot flew high over the goal. Four minutes later Radford came close to taking the lead when Ebrahim Mirmohammodi vollied a foot over from 25 yards out. After saving a long range shot from Barrow's Cam Gray the Radford keeper threw the ball out to left back Kyle Crofts. He raced up the wing and played a good ball to Gareth Ellis. Ellis beat his marker and crossed into the Barrow area where Richard Derby smashed the ball home from close range.

Barrow came back at Radford and after a series of corners a cross hit the top of the crossbar before going out for a goalkick.On 36 minutes Barrow were awarded a penalty when a forward was brought down in the area. Up stepped captain Craig Noble who hit it dead centre as the keeper dived to his right. It wasn't long before Barrow took the lead and it was again Noble who scored. A ball over the top of the Radford defence saw Noble run on and beat the keeper with a low shot at his near post.

Five minutes into the second half and Barrow were awarded a free-kick 12 yards from the Radford goal after the keeper had picked up a back pass. Luckily for Radford the kick was blasted at the wall and cleared to safety. Barrow were getting more possession in the second half but good play along the left wing involving Crofts and Ellis nearly led to Derby scoring for Radford. Barrow stretched their lead in the 70th minute when Karl Whymark chipped the ball over Martin Apenitis from 16 yards out. It was all over as a contest in the 80th minute when Cameron Gray made it 4-1. The ball was played back to him from the bye-line and he swept the ball home from 8 yards. FT 4-1

CLICK ON PHOTO FOR ENLARGED VIEW

Radford 3-1 Ibstock United EMCL

It was down as a six pointer between two of the bottom three sides in the East Midlands Counties League. Radford had lost seven players from the first team squad in the last few weeks and were down to the bare bones and Ibstock were bottom without a league win all season. The visitors started brightly as Radfords new look defence were caught on the hop twice in the first five minutes. Radford  were lucky when poor finishing let down Ibstock. It then became a scrappy game being played out in midfield. But Radford began a period of presssure on the half hour and Richard Derby set up Matt Eastwood just outside the Ibstock 18 yard area but a low drive went a foot wide of an upright.

Eastwood was foiled a minute later when the Ibstock keeper pulled off an excellent close range save and from the resulting corner Eastwood shot wide of the goal. Adam Mahl came close to scoring for Radford on 35 minutes when he was on the end of a Jarred Russell corner. Against the run of play Ibstock took the lead. Ibstock attacked wide on the left, the ball was crossed into the Radford area and a shot was fired towards goal which was saved by Martins Apenitis, the ball rebounded out to Jamie Chamberlain who made no mistake from 12 yards out.

There was not much action in the first twenty minutes of the second half until an hopeful pump upfield into the Ibstock area saw a mix-up between the keeper and a defender, Matt Eastwood took advantage to win the ball and equalise for Radford. Five minutes later Adam Mahl rose highest for a corner but saw his goalbound header tipped over the bar by the Ibstock keeper. Radford took the lead in the 75th minute when a good move involving Michael Allen & Richard Derby allowed Stuart Marshall time to run on to a through ball and beat the keeper from 15 yards. Radford nearly increased their lead in the 81st minute after Eastwood had rounded the keeper only to see his shot go wide. Martins Apenitis pulled off a great reaction save to deny Ibstock an equaliser, and when the ball was played upfield Michael Allen supplied Richard Derby with a pinpoint pass, the striker collected the ball and made no mistake from 15 yards to clinch victory for Radford  and a valuable three points.