.png)
MATCH REPORT | Punjab United 2-2 Larkfield & New Hythe
- Punjab United
- Aug 12
- 2 min read
Match Report by Harvey Puttick
For their first home league fixture of the season, Punjab welcomed Larkfield and New Hythe to The Steve Cook Stadium.
Punjab started the game strong, getting forward and applying pressure on the opposition.
In the 7th minute, a long throw-in bounced to the edge of the box where debutant Ritchie Hamill struck a shot that whistled just over the bar.
Punjab continued to cause problems with their long throw-ins and corners. In the 20th minute, Steve Ratcliff whipped in a ball onto the head of Roman Campbell. His initial header struck the bar, but he reacted quickly to turn in the rebound, giving Punjab a 1-0 lead.
Just four minutes later, Campbell found himself through on goal once again and slotted the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs, but his effort agonisingly struck the post.
In the 33rd minute, the visitors worked a nice ball out wide, which was met with a composed finish by Tyler Ibe to level the score.
Punjab didn’t let the equaliser dishearten them and pushed on to regain the lead. 6 minutes later, another dangerous corner was flicked on by Jack Hopkins and found its way through a crowd of bodies and into the back of the net. 2-1.
However, just before the end of the first half, Punjab conceded a penalty. Larkfield striker Matt Day stepped up and calmly converted, bringing the game level at 2-2 heading into the break.
Punjab came out strongly again in the second half, committing players forward. This nearly left them exposed, but a thumping challenge from Steve Ratcliff halted a dangerous Larkfield attack.
As tensions rose throughout the match, Larkfield and New Hythe were reduced to ten men after receiving a second yellow, giving Punjab the upper hand for the final 25 minutes.
In the 83rd minute, Roman Campbell had the ball in the back of the net again, but his celebrations were cut short as the linesman’s flag was raised for offside.
As both sides pushed forward in search of a winner, Punjab were caught out, and Larkfield looked destined to score. However, Roman Campbell raced back and smashed the ball off the line to deny a late winner.
Despite a frantic finish, neither side could find the breakthrough, and the points were shared in an entertaining 2-2 draw.
Punjab’s next fixture is on Wednesday night, away against Stansfeld at The Artic Stadium where they will look to pick up their first win of the season.