Report by Jools Thomas

FC fell to their first defeat in eight league games in the long trip to Royston. A tenacious display of tackling by the home team coupled with a first half injury time sucker punch goal meant the Moles failed to take full points from a game for the first time in eight games and amazingly failed to score in a competitive game since the end of August.

On a boggy pitch Royston started brightly creating a chance within the first minute. Ryan Lockett hit in a dangerous free kick only to see it cleared by Daniel Murphy. FC responded in kind with Brian Haule juggling the ball in the box before blasting a shot on goal. One of FC’s best chances occurred on four minutes. A quality cross from the right found Jeanmal Prosper, a man who emerged from the game with great credit for his all action box to box style. Jeanmal’s goal bound header flicked off a defender’s head and away to safety.

Davis Haule and Royston top scorer Kaan Fehmi then had an altercation on the half way line which was to become a feature of the game until Fehmi was substituted later in the game. Overall the game never became nasty however there was an undercurrent of tension as Royston’s attempts to close down FC resulted in strong, close combat tackling.

Bradley Wadkins was the next FC player to go for goal, hitting a powerful drive as the Moles applied pressure to the home team without really dominating. Ryan Ingrey responded for Royston with Davis Haule getting in a useful block before Aston Goss fired in a shot at home keeper Ron Yates which Yates dealt with comfortably. Lynton Goss and Ben Bateman then combined well on the right to play in Bradley Wadkin’s whose header was deflected over the bar to safety.

Right on the stroke of half time Royston took the lead. Ben Bateman lost the ball on the muddy centre field area allowing Ryan Ingrey to draw the ball across the penalty area searching for a suitable opening. Unchallenged and with his angles right, Ingrey fired the ball past FC keeper James Jackson.

The home team had the advantage of playing down the slope in the 2nd half but it was FC who had the first half with Bradley Wadkins hitting a low ball that Yates gathered in the mud before a half hearted shout for a penalty was waived away by the referee.

At the other end Ross Collins played in the energetic Ingrey whose shot Jackson did well to hold. There then followed a series of substitutions as FC looked for more firepower to grab an equaliser. Gareth Price replaced Lynton Goss, and Terry Dixon replaced Brian Haule. Despite these changes it was Royston who created the next clear cut opportunity on 69 minutes with an effort that really should have resulted in the home team extending their lead, as Ingrey placed his header directly at James Jackson when unmarked in the box.

The introduction of Price however had given FC more mobility down the right especially when teamed with the overlapping runs of Prosper. Gareth’s dinking cross on 71 minutes saw Aston Goss just fail to make contact. More positive changes were made by FC boss Steve Bateman as top scorer Sonny French replaced the more defensive minded Ben Bateman.

Most FC fans would have gratefully taken a point at this stage. In an attempt to answer these wishes, a useful Gareth Price cross found Bradley Wadkins but keeper Yates was swift to block the FC man. The away team’s final chance occurred on 90 minutes. Wadkins cross was met on the volley by Terry Dixon with the well organised home defence blocking the chance, clearing their lines before celebrating on the referee’s final whistle.