1-0

The first meeting of Sporting Richmond and Partizan Richmond was a real chess match. Both teams looked up for it from the beginning. Dorey Park was in shambles which caused the game to start off at a wild pace. There might have been 5 square feet of even ground on the entire pitch and neither team was able to find it to settle the ball.

Partizan started off strong carving out a few chances and Tommy did well to save from a point blank Andy Macintosh shot in the 5th minute. Sporting started to gain a bit more possession as the half wore on from great midfield play of Stu B, Casey Smith, and Jonny Rios. In the 35th minute, Cecil Lewis broke free of the Partizan defense but could not find the finishing touch to put the ball past the keeper. The score stayed knotted at 0's until the half.

The second half started with more of the same. Each team with spells of possession but Sporting looking the more likely to score. It wasn't until the 67th minute that the ball ended up in the back of the net. Against the run of play Partizan won a corner, with the ensuing dead ball situation, Macca placed a ball into the box. Some how the ball slipped through to the 6 yard box, rebounded off of Vaughns shin and landed in the back of the net. Disaster had struck, an undeserved own goal to put Partizan up 1-0.

Sporting continued to pour the pressure on by switching up the 4-5-1 to a 3-4-3 formation seeking the equalizer. Lewis did well to make some space for himself but before he could get a proper shot off or pass the ball the door was closed by two Partizan defenders. Sporting had corner after corner, but none could find the back of the net.

With nearly the last kick of the game Sporting was awarded a free kick from 20 yards out. Up stepped Lewis again testing the keeper with a well placed shot but it did not have the power to cross the line. The whistle blew and it was defeat again for SRFC. A tough result for a match that had draw written all over it.

Sporting with try and buck the trend of the last two defeats this Thursday versus Lions.