Due to a number of absences due to work, holiday and injury, the A Team began this fixture with a bare eleven and no recognised goalkeeper. A far cry from last week's fixture with 5 subs!

ATF started strongly and played some good football, knocking the ball about well. But their attacks were well dealt with by Cameron Jarvis, Brett Deeming and Ted Foskett in the Rams' backline. On the flanks, youngsters Max Reeder and Dan Walne also put in good defensive shifts.
There had been very little threat to the goal when, 5 minutes before the half time whistle the ATF no. 7, put a decent cross into the middle. The ATF forward looked like he was going to get his head to it, prompting stand-in keeper Ackery to take a step to his right in anticipation. But the header was missed and the ball went sailing through into the far corner.
Just a couple of minutes later the lead was doubled after a goalmouth scramble.

The Rams went into half time feeling as though the deficit was largely undeserved and that there would be a lot to fight for in the second half. Dom North and Lewis Davidson had made it down for the second half after work and were introduced for the second period. A change of shape saw Cameron Jarvis join the hard-working Jacob Hudson in the forward line.
But the Rams conceded another, right at the start of the second half. ATF forward Ashley Jenkinson had broken forward and attempted to finish in the far corner with a curling right-footed effort. His shot was going wide but another ATF player was quickest to react as he finished from a narrow angle after a desperate lunge.

The Rams had it all to do and ATF now started knocking the ball about with even more confidence. The Rams had to weather a storm for a few minutes before they managed to get a foothold in the game. A promising break resulted in a penalty, which was despatched by skipper Ted Foskett. Moments later a fantastic chance was gifted to Dom North by the ATF goalkeeper, but his effort went just over.

Suddenly it was all Rams and the deficit was further reduced when Cameron Jarvis rose above everyone to head in his first of the season. The Rams continued to push for an equaliser and as we chased the game, more space was allowed to the ATF forwards who broke away to make it 4-2 and subsequently 5-2 with only a few minutes left on the clock.

The scoreline somewhat flattered ATF - with 8 minutes to go it was 3-2 and observers would have thought that the Rams were more likely to get the next goal. But it wasn't to be and this was a very spirited performance with a threadbare side. We go again next week!