AFC Wulfrunians 2 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 1

Diamonds completed a busy week of pre-season action with a trip to AFC Wulfrunians on a sunny Black Country day and were beaten 2-1 by their Midland Football League Step 5 opponents.  A debut goal for MMA scholar and second half substitute Matt Pinder replied to first half goals from Rose Laing and Stevenson in a game that was ultimately decided by defensive errors.

8 of the starting line up had also started in the 6-2 win at Lutterworth just two days earlier with Henderson, Hewitt, Parkinson and Ling across the back four, Gearing and Lamb-Johnson playing out wide with Turner and Fazel Koriya starting up-front. Finlay returned in goal and Bunting and Harris made up a strong central midfield.

Sprinklers were on before the game at the excellent Castlecroft Stadium on a baking hot day and it was a lacklustre start from both sides.  Wulfrunians were harrying and closing down well and Diamonds were unable to retain meaningful possession especially in the final third.

Lamb-Johnson was involved in most of the attacking play for Diamonds in that early period, and did have a good run a shot from the edge of the box well saved by Wulfrunians young keeper Brown after being set-up by Bunting.

Wulfrunians were breaking quickly and seizing on miss-placed passes to turn defence into attack, particularly down the right wing, and it was a swift move down that side with a ball in behind Ling that resulted in the 15^th minute corner that they would take the lead from. The initial ball in was only partly cleared to the edge of the box and it was fired back in for the impressive Rose-Laing to flick the ball from between his legs across Finlay into the far corner.

The nearest Diamonds came in that period was an excellent through ball from Henderson into the path of Turner who was just flagged for offside.

Wulfrunians added a second on 30 minutes in bizarre circumstances. A Harris pass into the back four was part blocked by striker Greg and the ball broke behind the diamonds defence. Finlay rushed out of goal to try and beat Greg to the loose ball but failed in a blocking challenge, and with Finlay out of position Greg had the presence of mind to roll the ball back to Stevenson who lobbed the ball into the empty net from 40 yards.

Wulfrunians were worth their lead and were putting in plenty of fierce tackles to unsettle Diamonds. Koriya came off worse from a sliding challenge that had him hobbling for a few minutes, but it went unpunished by the referee. That became a bit of a theme with both side feeling errant tackles should have been punished but the referee was content not to whistle most of the afternoon.

He did eventually blow for a foul on Bunting out wide after a scything challenge, and from the free-kick while everyone was waiting for a cross Gearing slid the ball to the excellent Bunting who fired a rasping shot inches wide with keeper Brown scrambling.

Diamonds closed the half with a better period and came so close to pulling a goal back. Gearing went  on a surging run from half-way and fed a great ball into the path of Turner who saw the keeper rushing out and lobbed from just inside the box only to see the ball fall onto the top of the cross bar.

Half Time – AFC Wulfrunians 2 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 0

Andy Peaks made two substitutions at half-time with both full-backs replaced. McBride for Henderson and Rashid Koriya for Ling.

The game resumed a lacklustre tempo with both side reduced to long distance efforts although Finlay was put under pressure twice in quick succession. Firstly a cross from Stevenson had him back peddling and he looked beaten as the ball crashed back off the bar. And just a minute later a lob from just outside the box had him back peddling again this time seeing the ball fall onto the roof of the net.

A third substitution on 55 minutes saw MAA scholar Matt Pinder make his debut replacing Lamb-Johnson. He played up front alongside Turner with Fazel Koriya playing out wide. He immediately showed a good physical presence and energised the Diamonds side and he got Diamonds back into the game with a dream debut goal on 62 minutes. Another misplace back-pass, this time by Wulfrunians fell into the path of Matt Pinder and he collected the ball well, surged towards goal, coolly rounded the keeper and slotted home under pressure from a last ditch defender.

Together with a series of rolling substitutions which saw Henderson, Ling and Lamb Johnson return Diamonds played with better tempo and intensity in the final third of the game and deserved an equaliser that just never quite came.

During that period Rhys Redding replaced Finlay in the Diamonds goal, and he pulled off one excellent save in a rare Wulfrunians attack. Stevenson was clean through down the right hand side and shot low as he broke into the box but Redding got down well to his right to save.

Pinder very nearly got a dream second goal after a great run and cross by the impressive Gearing. He seemingly only had to tap home from 6 yards but the ball got caught under his feet and was cleared. Turner looked stronger in the latter stages of the game and he cleverly turned his man in the box and shot from 10 yards on the angle with ball cleared by the keeper’s legs.

A rare free-kick on 80 minutes looked dangerous but Bunting struck it just over, and we very nearly had a magical Brad Harris moment in the dying minutes. The energetic McBride crossed deep to find Brad Harris in space behind the Wulfrunians defence with a Van Persie esk (!!) flying header just wide.

Final Score AFC Wulfrunians 2 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 1

A much improved second half performance in energy sapping conditions will have pleased Andy Peaks. With 4 tough games in 8 days against good opposition and plenty of game time for the whole squad it feels like Diamonds are preparing well for the start of the season.

Diamonds Man of the Match: Richard Bunting

 Attendance: Approx 100

 Match report by Paul Judd