A Six-Part Series: Pre-Season Match Reports

Six friendlies, plenty of goals, and some new faces to welcome into the squad, our pre-season campaign saw varied results, but a lot of promise

Six sections to this post, each result is going to be very bold though, so easy for you to find each one. Up first:

REDCAR ATHLETIC 0-2 MIDDLESBROUGH FC

Our first fixture of the new season saw us hosting a blend of Middlesbrough’s U21’s and U18’s in a match that enabled both our coaches and fans to see the squad in action.

A string of summer signings were in and around the squad, with Lewis Hawkins, Connor Smith and Andrei Ardelean handed starts in this fixture.

It was Andrei who had the most involvement early on, as his physicality meant he was a prominent player for the Steelmen, as he won us an early free kick and also had several goal attempts.

Overall though, the first half was very tame, with almost nothing of real note to occur. A hydration break, a booking for Danny Rowe, and some decent chances for both sides, though we entered the interval level at 0-0

The second half saw a changed squad that included a debut for Luke Spalding, with the attacker’s first chance seeing him narrowly drag a shot wide in the 64th minute. Before that, a trialist combined with Josh Mazfari to prevent a Boro goal, with the trialist clearing the ball off the line.

We would keep Boro level until the 83rd minute, when Oliver Samuels netted for the visitors through a scrappy but successful attempt.

Mazfari would make a few decent saves either side of that opener, but in the end we would concede a second as they pushed forwards and swept a low strike into the net.

That would be the end of our first friendly, though, and we would have to wait for a first goal.

REDCAR ATHLETIC 0-4 DARLINGTON FC

It was time for another friendly, with Darlington FC being our second pre-season fixture of the season.

It took over 80 minutes for Middlesbrough to score, but a whipped-in corner eventually nestled in the bottom corner, meaning it took Darlington just 4 minutes to break the deadlock.

We did have some chances of our own, with Andrei and Louis both having solid attempts that were either cleared or tipped wide.

Ciaran Banks had an exciting start to his Steelmen career, too, as he worked his way down the left, evaded a defender, and whipped a ball in that was cleared behind for a corner.

Some more decent work from Spalding was the last bit of real action before the drinks break, but following that things did dull down, with Louis Johnson frustratingly forced off with an injury.

A Darlington trike flashed across goal was the last thing of note, and we entered the break a goal down.

The second half saw a bunch of changes, with two trialists also making appearances. Brad Fewster, Bry Taylor and Adam Boyes all had attempts that couldn’t be put into the net, and Darlington had a couple of attempts but couldn’t make any count.

Until the 68th minute, when a ball across goal was bundled into the net.

They then got a third in the 75th, as another ball was played into the box and struck in, and despite some solid goalkeeping from Mazfari, the visitors were not done.

Their fourth came with the final kick of the ball, as they once again bundled the ball over the line at the back post, and it marked the end of a frustrating match. But it was a friendly, so it was just about getting minutes, and we moved on.

REDCAR ATHLETIC 2-4 HARTLEPOOL UNITED

This match report was written by local journalist Meg Weaver

We welcomed National League side Hartlepool United to Green Lane in our third pre-season game.

Hartlepool were on the front foot, with two solid stops by Josh Mazfari in the first five minutes keeping the game level.

It was back and forth between the two sides, with multiple corners and throw-ins, but nothing came of them until a chaotic free kick in the 26th minute meant Danny Rowe managed to get the ball over the line.

Hartlepool stepped it up but were unable to find the back of the net

Oscar Fletcher had a good chance that ended up wide, with Ciaran Banks being taken out in the build-up, forcing him off the pitch.

Hartlepool equalised just minutes before half-time through a Terry Bondo corner, and they then bagged another just moments later.

Following the interval, we levelled the scores, with Adam Boyes finishing a solid move off by slotting it past the Hartlepool keeper.

Their response to that was to make almost an entire squad change, and those substitutions worked, as Hartlepool scored again.

A header was then powerfully struck in the net, giving our opponents a 2-goal cushion, and with a few chances along with scuffles from both sides, the final whistle was eventually blown.

REDCAR ATHLETIC 4-2 REDCAR TOWN

Our next friendly was the Matty Graham Memorial Trophy, where we faced Redcar Town in memory of Matty Graham, who played for both sides during his career.

It was a frustrating start for the Steelmen, as we were unable to create any successful chances, and Brad Fewster was then forced off in the 14th minute.

It was fairly end-to-end, with both sides having some decent opportunities, but we passed the half-hour mark level, and with no goals scored or conceded.

Many decent Steelmen chances were deflected, missed, or cleared, but we were finally awarded something in the 37th minute, as Nathan Guru was brought down and we won a penalty.

Louis Johnson dispatched his attempt high into the net, giving us the lead, and we ended the half a goal ahead.

The second half saw five changes, but it was Redcar Town who would score next, as a quick break allowed the ball to be swept across the box and turned in.

The lead came back to the Steelmen just after the hour mark, as a Louis Johnson corner drifted all the way in, meaning somehow, both our goals had come directly from set pieces.

We then made it 3-1 as a corner was whipped in by Curtis Round, and headed in by Danny Rowe, and we almost instantly scored again, though Adam Boyes was offside.

Redcar Town did get a second themselves, though, as they once again swept the ball past Josh Mazfari.

But the final goal of the game would be ours, as Boyes did brilliantly down the right, tackling a defender and playing a ball into the box that Owen Burns was able to place past the keeper.

That was the last bit of action, and it meant we had won the Matty Graham Memorial Trophy, with both sides coming together at the end of it all to honour his memory

REDCAR ATHLETIC 1-0 GUISBOROUGH TOWN

A late change to our schedule saw Guisborough Town replace Dunston UTS as our opposition, with the Priorymen preparing for a season in the league we just championed

An early change to our lineup saw Andrei Ardelean replace Adam Boyes, and it was Andrei who would have a first notable bit of action as he nabbed the ball off a defender, though he was quickly met by an onrushing goalkeeper.

In all honesty, the first half was a very even affair, with neither side being able to create any solid chances, with the last bit of action in the half seeing Owen Burns get a shot off that was gathered by Guisborough’s keeper.

The second half again started quite even, with Louis Johnson having a strike that went over, and Mazfari then holding onto the ball following a Guisborough counter and shot.

We did eventually break the deadlock though, as a great free kick was whipped in by Louis Johnson, nodded across goal and bundled in by Andrei.

We made a few substitutions, conceded a few free kicks, and had some decent chances, but all in all the match was, as said at the start, a fairly even affair.

Oscar Fletcher would retrieve the ball in midfield, push forwards, and lay a pass to Louis Johnson, but the move ended with Guisborough quickly clearing the ball.

That would be the end of it all, too, as the whistle went and we left with another victory.

REDCAR ATHLETIC 3-0 MORPETH TOWN

Our final friendly saw us at home again, and it was Morpeth Town who would round off our pre-season campaign.

A strong squad took to the field, and that strength was instantly proven as a great ball from the left found Andrei Ardelean, who entered the box and slotted it into the net.

A rapid start, and we looked like we were out for more, as Luke Spalding attempted to bend a shot into the top corner that narrowly went wide.

He would get his first goal for us though soon after, as a ball from Andrei found Luke, who rapidly broke into the box and rolled a shot into the far corner, doubling our advantage.

We spent the rest of the first half pushing and prying for more, with Morpeth’s keeper forced into an early mistake that we nearly capitalised on.

Great stuff from Louis Johnson saw him play a ball to Owen Burns, though his touch frustratingly took the ball out of play, and we kept having shots on goal, all within the opening 30 minutes.

Things did dull down just before the interval though, and it meant we would enter the break with that two-goal cushion we achieved so quickly.

Attempts from Louis, Owen, and Luke following the break all were unable to be turned in; some solid defending from Danni meant we weren’t set to concede any goals either

A pair of subs saw Nathan and Ciaran come off for Kev and Bryan, and we still looked great as we entered the final ten minutes.

That ‘looking great’ became greater though, as we bagged a third, with Bry Taylor having a couple of attempts blocked, before Owen took the ball, went wide, and slid his shot into the net to make it 3-0 to the Steelmen.

That goal would ultimately be both his and our last bit of action, as he was brought off for a trialist, and the full-time whistle would sound roughly ten minutes later.

A successful end to pre-season, and now we prepare for our opening league match against Bury FC.

We hope to see you there, and as always, up the Steelmen!