Radcliffe 1-2 Marine; FA Trophy 2nd Round, Saturday 14th November 2026
Lydia Durband reports from the Neuven Stadium…
The Mariners travelled to the Neuven Stadium to face fellow National League North team Radcliffe, as the two sides met for the third time since the beginning of the season.
A fast-paced tone was set in the opening minutes of the game as Marine were able to produce multiple chances within the box. The ball repeatedly made its way through the midfield, displaying a constant creative spark, with the aim to find George Newell in the box. The Mariners found themselves with a tally of corners in the early stages of the game, as George Kattah was the focal point on the wing, delivering some strategised crosses to try and find a Marine player.
Despite Marine maintaining the majority of possession in the opening fifteen-minute window, Radcliffe were able to activate a counterattack, leading to Marine conceding the first goal of the game and putting them on the back foot.
The Mariners continued to push forward, showcasing chance after chance and putting the Radcliffe defence to the test. Despite Radcliffe showing low levels of possession within the first half, a chance arose leading to a one-on-one encounter with Jack McIntyre, who produced a crucial save to keep Marine in the game.
Tension between the two teams began to rise, as the scoreline did not reflect the large number of chances that Marine had produced. Finlay Sinclair Smith found himself in various battles within the midfield, as he worked effectively alongside new signing Carlos Dos Santos, with the aim to put the Mariners level before the end of the first half. As a corner ball was fired into the box, George Kattah was offered the chance to put Marine level but could not find the back of the net as the whistle blew for half time.
As the second half commenced, Marine were aware that their hard-working attitude must continue in order to find themselves a goal. Loan signing Harrison Rimmer delivered an eye-catching strike on his debut, which resulted in a sharp point-blank reaction from Radcliffe keeper Tom Donaghy.
As the minutes ticked on, Bobby Grant made the decision to bring on some fresh legs to prevent a second goal for Radcliffe, and to liven up the midfield once again. After some impressive communication between Marine’s midfield and front line, substitute Conor McAleny delivered an unbelievable goal for the Mariners. The ball was fired perfectly into the top right of the net, leaving Radcliffe’s keeper stunned and giving Marine their equalising goal.
With both sides not wanting to make the next mistake, the ball travelled back and forth across the pitch. A chance for Radcliffe, however, left Jack McIntyre with no choice but to showcase his sharp reflexes as he denied two quick fire attepmts, keeping Marine alive with his goalkeeping heroics.
Momentum continued to build between the two sides, as the game reached the final twenty minutes, with everything to play for. A run down the centre of the pitch left Dos Santos with the ball at his feet, who produced a breathtaking strike to find the top left corner of the net. The final stages of the match were lit up with a sensational goal as the precision put Marine one goal ahead of Radcliffe.
Moments later, Charlie Jolley was pulled down in the penalty area, meaning McAleny would take his chances from the spot. However, the shot was saved by Donaghy, leaving Radcliffe with five minutes of added time to try and equalise.
Radcliffe’s wishes went unfulfilled, as the full-time whistle was blown, sending Marine into the third proper round of the FA Trophy. The travelling Mariners did not hesitate to show their support throughout the game, as the team returned to the MTA with another win under their belt.
Marine: McIntyre, Rimmer, Doyle, Whelan (Darby 20), Wardle ©, Drysdale, Sinclair-Smith, Raikhy (McAleny 65), Newell (Potter 87), Dos Santos, Kattah (Jolley 59).
Unused sub: Huby.
Attendance: 674.
