Tom Murphy reports from the MTA…
Marine defeated Rushall Olympic by three goals to one at the MTA after a hard fought performance.
The win moved The Mariners outside of the relegation zone with results elsewhere going their way.
Substitutes Finlay Sinclair Smith and Owen Robinson made the decisive impact needed to get the win over the line after an emphatic second half performance.
Both teams started the game quickly as they looked to get on the front foot straight from kick off and Marine saw the first chance go amiss after 12 minutes.
Leigh Whelan whipped a wicked ball into the box from a corner which found the head of debutant Josh Shaw who was just unable to find the target with his effort.
Despite some pressure from the away side, Marine continued to create chances for themselves but couldn’t find that clinical touch in the final third. A three yard headed miss from Adam Thomas showcased this.
The visitors had their fair share of chances and their best came in the second half when Omari Sterling Jones nicked the ball off Max Metcalfe in his own 18 yard area.
The forward wriggled away from the Marine keeper only to see his shot miraculously saved off the line by James Brown.
Marine continued to pile pressure on in the final half an hour of the game. Thomas again came close after Andy Scarisbrick found him deep inside the penalty box before substitute Sinclair Smith couldn’t direct his header on target in the 70th minute.
In the 79th minute Kallan Murphy, who had just come off the bench was brought down in the box resulting in a Marine penalty.
Sinclair Smith smashed home the spot kick leaving the Olympic goalkeeper no chance.
Minutes later, Robinson added a second after he steered the ball away from the defenders and calmly fired the ball into the roof of the net.
With Marine in dreamland, a slight drop in concentration resulted in Kian Ryley pegging one back for the visitors after 93 minutes had been played.
Any doubts of a win were instantly abolished when Sinclair Smith latched onto a poor defensive error and chipped Paul White in the dying stages to seal all three points.
Neil Young’s side take the huge victory into another game at The MTA this Saturday where they play host to third placed Brackley Town.
Marine: Max Metcalfe, James Brown (Chris Doyle 66’), Joe Mattock, Josh Wardle ©, Josh Shaw, Leigh Whelan, Harvey Gregson, Adam Thomas (Finlay Sinclair Smith 69’), Andy Scarisbrick, Jack Hazlehurst (Owen Robinson 46’), Bobby Grant (Kallan Murphy 75’).
Unused sub: Enock Lusiama.
Rushall Olympic: White, Green, Hull, Cameron (c), Martin, Thomas, Mantom, McLintock, Lalkovic (King 69), Ryley, Sterling-James (McAlinden 69).
Unused subs: Bavanganga, McGlinchey, Barkers.
Marine Man of the Match: Finlay Sinclair Smith
Attendance: 994