MILTON UNITED 0 RAYNERS LANE 3Cathline 2UchechiRayners MOM: Troy Perez-Duah
Rayners Lane began their debut season in the Combined Counties Premier North Division with a journey deep into Oxfordshire to take on fellow promoted side Milton United. They returned with three well deserved points and three well taken goals to top the inaugural League table.In a game that began in bright sunshine it was the home side who settled first and strikerChris Joyce will really feel he should have taken at least one of the two great chances he was presented with in the opening quarter of an hour. He didn’t and Milton were made to paythe price on 22 minutes when a Lane short corner saw Kyel Reid send an inch perfect crossin for Alex Cathline to head past Matty Crowther in the home goal.This settled the nerves of the visitors and they should have further extended their lead ten minutes later when the lively Rio Connell dribbled his way almost to the Milton goal line but delayed his strike a fraction too long and the chance went begging. A superb strike by TroyPerez-Duah was then turned over by Crowther before Rayners did finally add to their tallyon the 44 th minute when Cathline followed up a well saved shot by Connell to slot home. Two became three moments later when Danny Uchechi followed up a stinging Kyel Reideffort in time added on at the end of the half. The second half was played against a backdrop of high winds and persistent rain, making quality football for either side an impossibility. To their credit Milton continued to battle and Ollie Nadin sent an effort just wide of Henry Grad’s far post in the 50th minute but in truth the Lane keeper was rarely troubled. If anything Rayners would have extended their lead but for some courageous last ditch home side defending. Manager Gary Meakin took the opportunity to use all of his substitutes (five are permitted in the Combined Counties) and will no doubt be very pleased to get his Rayners Lane reign off to such a positive start. However, as the saying goes, “it is a marathon, not a sprint” and there is still a lot of hard graft to be done to both on and off the pitch to get the club where it wants to be. Come On The Lane!
Rayners Lane – 1. Henry Grad 2. Manny Folarin (Sub: 12 Ivan Atkins, 85) 3. Callum Webb 4.Oliver Sprague 5. Keano Robinson 6. Troy Perez-Duah (Sub: 14 Zaine Gangadeen, 72) 7. RioConnell 8. Aaron Minhas © 9. Alex Cathline (Sub: 16 Chris Henry, 78) 10. Danny Uchechi(Sub: 15 Kunle Otudeko, 86)11. Kyel Reid (Sub 17. Bradley Bubb, 60)Att: 68Ref: Ethan Stacey Asst: Richard Graves / Andrew Corcoran