A mad 20 minute spell ultimately cost the students in a game they dominated and scored a couple of brilliant goals.

We should have been 1 nil up in the opening minutes when Chilaka’s snap shot was parried but Mcluckie missed from close range. However, we did take the lead moments later but only after a spectacular save from Blackhouse down to his left prevented the visitors from scoring. A quick breakaway saw Clark feed Gassama down the left who on the second attempt, clipped the ball back into the penalty box where top scorer Chilaka was perfectly placed, eyes lit up & already thinking about his insta post later, to score an acrobatic overhead kick from 14 yards out!

We had two good chances to double our lead but both efforts flashed just wide. These chances were the last we would see of Hall Russells goal for a while as the tide quickly turned and the next 20 minutes saw the Superleague side romp home 4 goals without reply. A neatly worked equaliser was followed by a 20 yard effort to take the lead. Poor marking at a corner made it 3-1 and it was 4 shortly after when Hall Russell broke in from the right, cut back and bundled the ball in of the bar, much to the disgruntlement of Mallinder who was cut by a flying elbow in the build up.

When the dust of the blitz finally settled we managed to get our foot on the ball again and just before half time we drew a lifeline by making it 4-2. Neat play by Donnelly in the middle saw a couple of short interchanges between uni players before Gassama who had drifted inside found space to drive into the box and slot underneath the oncoming keeper.

HT: AU 2 – 4 HRU

With the managers displeasure still ringing in their ears as the second half started the Uni came out the traps with an added bit of bite and Gassama, Donnelly and Chilaka all went extremely close to scoring in the opening period before Blackhouse was called upon to block low at his near post to stop Hall Russell on the counter.

Ross Clark was next to rustle the side netting, but on the wrong side of the post. Cotton and Mallinder were winning everything launched at them in the air and the visitors resorted to time wasting to try secure their win as the number of chances for them dried up.

The students huffed and puffed while in total control but could not find a third goal ubtil the 89th minute when Gassama’s cross was not held cleanly by the goalkeeper and Chilaka robbed him of possession and tucked the ball into and empty net from 6 yards for whatis incredibly his 10th goal in 6 games this season.

Despite our best efforts and throwing everything we could at Hall Russell, an equaliser in the dying seconds wasn’t to be and the 3points went up King Street to Denmore.

FT: AU 3 – 4 HRU

A result that was really quite gutting, as in our biased opinion, we really deserved something out the match! However, we will take a lot of good from this game and hopefully try replicate that against Stonehaven whilst also working on how we react to conceding goals.

Squad: Ian Blackhouse, James Underwood, Nathan Brown (Dan Cotton), Rob Mallinder, Ross Clark, Nizam Abdulkarim (Alex Clark), Brandon Donnelly, Kieran Mooney, Euan Mcluckie (Gregor Morgan), Adrian Gassama, Nduoma Chilaka; Subs: Oscar Forbes

AU Scorers: Chilaka x2, Gassama

AU MoM: Adrian Gassama – Played a part in all 3 of our goals, with 2 assists and a goal for himself to top it off. A good attacking display from the rapid front man…even after belting out a 10km run the night before!!