Brackley Town 0-1 Rushall Olympic 24 October 2023

Danny Waldron’s 40th-minute finish separated the sides on a frustrating night for Gavin Cowan’s side. The well-taken goal was Rushall’s sole chance of a first half dominated by Brackley but without the end product. Dom McHale’s strike was ruled out for off-side and Shep Murombedzi fired close otherwise Saints# periods of pressure failed to create clear-cut openings.

The second half was a tighter affair with Olympic enjoying greater possession than in the first half but Saints were thwarted time and again by determined defending but failed to build again the momentum of the first half.

Riccardo Calder and Jimmy Armson both saw shots deflected for corner kicks and Cosmas Matwasa’s fine cross flashed across the goalmouth when all it needed was the finish. Substitute Luther Munakandafa’s fierce shot was narrowly wide as the visitors almost snatched a second goal on 82 minutes as the home side pressed for the equaliser before Brackley could not capitalise on two late chances that were scrambled away.

“We are obviously disappointed with the result,” was Gavin Cowan’s verdict. “We had a couple of good chances when we should score and they had one shot on target and scored. That says something about us really. It is a game we should be winning but you have to stick the ball in the back of the net. We weren’t overly penetrative in the final third. It’s another game when you can say we played quite well but don’t get the result. It’s a missed opportunity. Without taking anything away from Rushall we were the masters of our own downfall.”

Brackley Town: Lewis; Lilly, Carline, Dean; Lyttle (Matwasa 66), Murombedzi, McHale, Armson (Bates 71), Calder (Roberts 76)); Turner, Newton. Subs unused: Gudger, O’Sullivan.

Rushall Olympic: Weaver, Green, Hudson, Fletcher, Clarke, Moore, Waldron, Skeen-Hamilton (Landell 62), Maher (Munakandafa 85), Masidi, Tonks (Gosling 76). Subs unused: Coyle, Cooper.

Referee: Liam Corbett Assistants: Tom Durno and Jack Shepherd

Attendance: 548