saturday 21st febrUARY 2026 - 2:00PM KO - home - John Cooper Premier Division
NORTHUMBERLAND HEATH FC vs belvedere fc
The main reason being that, apart from five players, their line-up was completely different to the side we faced in the reserve fixture all those months ago. That left us unsure of what standard to expect this time around, especially given the strong run of wins they had put together leading up to our match.
They appeared confident in their pre-match interview and were backed by sideline supporters and an encouraging coach. They certainly got stuck in from the first whistle, but unfortunately for them, things began to unravel. A couple of heated exchanges between their own players seemed to disrupt their rhythm, especially in the second half.
The game finished 4-2. Both of their goals came from free kicks just outside the box. The first was an excellent strike, rifled into the top left, a brilliant effort, to be fair. The second came from an unfortunate mistake on our keeper's behalf, as he couldn't quite get the right grip on the ball, spilled it, and they were quick to react and convert. These things happen. Credit to them though, they kept fighting and never gave up, even with the bickering.
From a sideline perspective, it was a very strong performance from us.
Nothing was forced, no one overdid it, we simply focused on playing good, composed football.
Belvedere FC may be done with us for this season, but football has a funny way of bringing teams back together. I'm sure somewhere down the line, we'll find ourselves sharing a pitch again.
Best of luck to Belvedere FC for the remainder of their season!
results: NHFC 4-2 belvedere fc
