Boing FC 2-3 Stoke Ramblers

Last updated : 31 May 2011 By Dan Buxton

Stoke Ramblers came out on top in this friendly, between the two sides who will play out the IFA Midlands Cup final in the next weeks.

The game was full of incident and nearly descended into a brawl at the end after a punch from a Boing player on Ramblers captain Craig Taylor.

The Ramblers, who were defeated 4-0 at Boing back in November, knew what to expect from their possession hogging opponents and adapted their tactics to try and press the ball higher up the pitch, and it caused problems for Boing early on as Jaquiss went close with a trio of chances.

Boing had creaated chances of their own and went ahead when a ball forward beat the offside trap and was tucked away by a Boing striker.

The first major controversy arrived shortly before half time when a good move through the middle saw the Ramblers end with three men in on goal, after the home defence stopped appealing for offside. The liner had flagged but the offside player stopped and allowed play to continue without him getting involved and Alex Bradford was on hand to stroke the ball into the net.

Ramblers took the lead after half time when a corner was flung into the box. The ball was headed out to the edge of the box where a first time effort from Adam James, just five minutes into his debut, flew through the ruck of players in the box and into the net.

The lead didn't last long though as Boing levelled within seconds of the restart after a ball over the top brought out Rich Glennan and the Boing striker knocked the ball over the keeper and into the unguarded net.

Stoke thought they were back in front with twenty minutes left when Simon Duckmanton burst through the middle before latching into a pass and finishing with aplomb past the home gloveman but the ref amazingly gave offside.

The Ramblers were not to be denied though and scored the games fifth, and final, goal when a corner from the left was headed goalwards before being deflected into his own net by a Boing defender.

The action wasn't over though and tempers flared in the final seconds of the match as a tangle between Taylor and a Boing player ended with the home man landing a blow on the Ramblers skipper, before players from both sides jumped in to stop the incident going any further, the ref blowing his whistle for full time in the process.