Report by Jools Thomas

FC fell to a heavy defeat against leader leaders AFC Rushden & Diamonds on a bitter night at the SRD Stadium. There can be little doubt of FC’s enthusiasm in giving their high flying visitors a game but a combination of overall quality and goal scoring efficiency was enough to give Rushden the win.

It was during the opening first 20 minutes of the game that the game was lost. Within the first minute AFC had forced two corners, the 2nd of which saw Luke Fairlamb hit an effort that FC keeper Ashley Jenkins did well to palm away. The first goal came on 12 minutes. A cross from the left hand side found Tom Lorraine unmarked in the box and his guided header beat Jenkins without too much effort. That vulnerability from crosses was exposed just five minutes as Ben Farrell poked his sides’ second after a lobbed cross, this time from the right.

FC’s first chance was on 23 minutes when Ty Deacon shot narrowly wide after he had broken the Rushden offside trap. Inevitably, perhaps, Rushden’s third goal followed on 25 minutes and yet again it was a high cross that caused the panic ending with Liam Dolman nodding home with a stooping header.Jenkins smartly saved a Lorraine snapshot with the final action of the half being a Fairlamb swipe over the bar after a melee in the box.

The wind favoured FC as they kicked towards their favoured town end in the second half. The first real chance of the game fell to Rushden’s Ben Diamond who dragged the ball wide with a half chance.With 25 minutes left to play, Garry Jones hit a freekick that crept the wrong side of the post. FC continued to try to add some respectability to the score line and Hafid Bounyafe struck a sweet shot just wide after a delightful pass from Kerran Lataille.

Ty Deacon then launched a shot from an angle which whistled just wide of the post. The final minutes of the game belonged to the visitors however. Ben Diamond pulled his shot wide on 88 minutes and as the game entered injury time, Derek Feyi brought his man down just within the penalty area with the referee having no option but to award a penalty. Rushden captain Liam Dolman hit the spot kick with some force to give his side their 4-0 lead and all three points.