Radcliffe 4-1 Marine Saturday 6th September 2025
Dave McMillan reports from the Neuven Stadium…
Marine suffered a disappointing defeat on Saturday at the hands of Radcliffe.
On an immaculate early season playing surface the homesters opened the scoring inside two minutes, Jordan Hulme rising to head home Michael Afuye’s cross from the right.
Boro doubled their lead with just nine minutes on the scoreboard, another foray down the wings, this time on the left leaving Rio Clegg the simplest of tasks to net from close range.
The Mariners had made some early raids forward with Ash Hunter bringing a good save from Mateusz Hewelt before the opening goal, and they pulled a goal back when Adam Thomas pounced on a loose ball to steer it home for his first goal for the club on 11 minutes.
The frantic start continued with Radcliffe restoring their two goal cushion two minutes later, a corner from the left bouncing into the net at the near post off a defender.
Lois Maynard had a chance to make it 4-1 with a header over the top but Marine were also creating chances, Josh Wardle heading over and then Hunter firing a strong effort wide from a good position.
Bobby Grant’s men came out fired up for the second half and had further chances to get back into the game, before Maynard sealed the points with another close range header from a corner on 55 minutes.
Radcliffe: Hewelt, Jackson, Thornley, Maynard, Hulme (Hope 66), Afuye (Taylor 78), Roscoe, Clegg (Greenfield 66), Gardner (Glendon 63), Sargent, Ball (Dudley 36).
Unused subs: Halstead, Park.
Marine: Spinelli, Nolan, Sloane (Gamble 85), Whelan, Fielding, Wardle ©, Sinclair-Smith, Gregson (Bell 61), Thomas, Hunter (Warburton 81), Marsden (McDonald 70).
Unused subs: Doyle, Huby, McIntyre
Referee: Richard Holmes
Attendance: 1,066