One of my tweets from this game is currently sat on over 7,500 likes. I wish it was popular for a different reason though...
Over 2 hours to get to Sheffield, but an exciting day nonetheless as a Steelman squad in fine form took to the pitch once more
Our opponents this time were Hallam, one of the oldest sides across the globe, and a record holder for the oldest ground in the world as well.
An incredibly hospitable group of workers at the ground meant our entry was beyond phenomenal, even if the pitch was…well, not even remotely flat.
Our defence started the game off with the bigger impact, with eventual man of the match Rio May, along with Kev Burgess and Danni Lay, all making some important blocks and clearances to prevent Hallam from shooting.
Eventually, the hosts did get some shots off, though they were all put wide or comfortably stopped by Josh Mazfari.
As the minutes ticked on, we began to push for something. A deep free kick from Dane Burlace was cleared for a throw-in, and a Curtis Round cross found Brad Fewster, who saw his attempt ultimately go out of play
Shooting downhill in the first half, Hallam’s attempts all came from long balls played over the top, and they very nearly got a goal through that method.
Rio May attempted to clear one, and in the process, nearly ran into Mazfari, though our keeper was able to grab the ball amidst the chaos.
Our first solid chance of the half came just before the 40th minute, when a Mark Anderson corner was narrowly headed over by Danni Lay.
Mazfari then pulled out a quality stop at the other end to keep Hallam at bay.
The final chance of the half saw Owen Burns produce an intriguing flick as, whilst on the ground, he got the ball out wide, though the cross into the box narrowly evaded Adam Boyes.
We ended those 45 minutes looking the stronger of the two sides, and we now had the angle advantage too.
This half saw the steelmen take full control, with every Hallam chance stopped before it could develop.
We nearly got the opener through a freak move, as a whipped-in ball was attempted to be cleared by a Hallam defender’s scorpion kick.
Said kick ended up veering back and very narrowly avoided looping over his keeper’s head
We then tapped into what may be the strongest bench this league has ever seen, with Louis Johnson and John Howard both entering the field.
Instantly, Johnson was deeply involved in our attacks, with his first move having him receive a pass from Dane Burlace before weaving his way into the box, where he won us a corner.
The 71st minute saw us get insanely close to scoring a goal, as John Howard whipped in a ball, an amazing save stopped Louis Johnson’s header, and Adam Boyes’ attempt on the rebound was agonisingly put over the bar
That seemed to scare Hallam enough into parking the bus, with most of their players spending the next 10 minutes sitting very deep
Louis Johnson had one more solid chance for us, but as he shot he was dragged down, meaning he put his attempt wide, and we also did not receive a penalty
I then brought in the commentator’s curse, though for us it may have been a blessing
In the 87th minute, with hopes fading, I mentioned how a goal was unlikely to come
In the 88th, I was proven wrong.
A ball through the middle found Adam Boyes, and our leading goalscorer was able to dink the ball over the onrushing keeper, and it meant we had snatched the lead in the final moments
The end of the game saw Hallam pushing, but we did not let them shoot, with the highlight of these closing stages being when John Howard put in a series of great tackles to stop a cross or pass coming from the right wing.
That was followed by a Redcar free kick, and very promptly after, the full-time whistle.
Another 3 points, our lead at the top of the table remains as it was, 10 points clear of 2nd placed Matlock Town.
Up next, we travel to Heaton Stannington on Tuesday, before we return to the Hollou on Saturday, where we take on Newton Aycliffe
Hopefully, we see you at both of those, but if you can only make one, then make it the Newton Aycliffe match!
If you are unable to make either or both, then there will be live updates on our X page. Probably no viral tweets this time, though.
And as always, take care, and up the Steelmen.
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Hallam FC (A) – Match Preview
The second oldest club in the world host the Stelmen tomorrow, and hopefully we can leave with another three points..as long as the match is on
Match Report: Silsden AFC 0-1 Redcar Athletic
On the road, and another three points for the Steelmen as we end our H2H against Silsden with an 11-1 aggregate score
