13th Nov 2021 v Curzon Ashton O35s at St George’s Park.

First up was Curzon Ashton and massive respect to their management and players as they turned up with a wreath to lay alongside our own, pre-game, on this Remembrance weekend.

With respects payed, the game kicked off and in the early exchanges it was mostly the RAF coming forward but it was Curzon who almost scored first with a break in the seventh minute but the forward who got through took it too early and it lacked pace and direction and was easily cleared by a retreating defender. In the 13th minute they did take the lead however when a crunching tackle in midfield fell kindly for Curzon and a little flick freed the forward to fire past Stones in the RAF goal. 1-0 Curzon.

Just two minutes later it was all square when a wasted goalkick went out for an RAF throw. The ball was thrown to Lennonwho hummed the ball forward into the Curzon box. The defender stood still, the keeper stood still but O’Hagan didn’t and he ran between the two to head home. 1-1

In the 19th minute Curzon got in front again when what should have been an easy corner to deal with saw the RAF static on the edge of their own six yard box and it was an easy header for the Curzon player. 2-1 Curzon. The game ebbed and flowed yet at times, the RAF looked good in possession but all too often, the player on the ball tried the killer pass only to see it end the passage of play. To be fair, Curzon were themselves guilty of similar. In the 35th minute a “killer” first time ball from Storey found Hennessy out on the right of the box. As he made his way into the box he slotted it past the advancing keeper and it was 2-2.

In the 40th minute the RAF got themselves into the lead for the first time when Storey crossed for Zenko to shoot past the keeper and that’s how it stayed till half time.

HT: RAF 3-2 Curzon Ashton

The second half was more of the same ebb and flow but without the goals as both teams cancelled each other out though Curzon did have the ball in the net twice but both given offside. Apart from that chances were few and far between and the game ended with a 3-2 victory to the RAF with O’Hagan, Hennessy and Zenko the RAF scorers.

6 Members of the RAF Vets family attended the National Memorial Arboretum the following day where they relaid both wreathes in remembrance. RESPECT!!