Recap

If these two teams stick around, this fixture could go on to become a Ballers classic, right up there with Insole v Kinky Slipper and Old Reddish v AC Milmanchester! Prior to kick off Magpie and Polish Army were level on 9 points at the top of the table, with the Army having dropped their first points of the season last week.

The first half was very tight, with few chances at either end in the opening quarter of an hour, but it was Magpie who struck first through an own goal on 16 minutes. Despite shading the overall play, Magpie were dragged back by a Marcin finish in what was a rare Army attack in the opening period, but it was enough to see them go in level at the break.

Things burst into life in the second period, as Nicula Alexandru restored the Magpie lead three minutes after the break, before Maruisz Koszla made it 3-1 two minutes later. Polish Army hit straight back with Kamil’s strike, but a freak Sebastian David goal a minute later made it 4-2 with 18 minutes to play. The Army stepped up the pressure and had their best spell of the game, creating and missing a host of chances, and they were made to pay 4 minutes from time when Koszla grabbed his second to seal the win for Magpie, as they go three points clear at the top of the table.