MJSL Joan Collins Premier Division
Republic of Mancunia 2nd 1 Hyde Park Rovers 0
A tight game between Republic and Hyde was settled by Daniel Klapisch scoring from a rebound after missing a penalty.
A thrilling contest featured two teams wanting to attack and it deserved more than a solitary goal.
The game was tight, but both teams looked to be as positive as possible. Several chances were missed by both teams, none better than a missed penalty with 10 minutes to go by Hyde Park’s Oli Grant.
The decisive moment came when Republic were awarded a first-half penalty after Hyde’s Paul Clayton was adjudged to have handled inside the area. Klapisch's spot-kick was parried but he made no mistake from the rebound.
Hyde Park stepped up a gear and tried their luck with a number of shots on goal. The pressure was rewarded with a penalty following a mistimed tackle with 10 minutes remaining. The usually reliable Oli Grant stepped up to fire goalwards but as he went to strike - in a scene reminiscent of John Terry in Moscow and Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford - he slipped and skied the ball high, wide and not particularly handsome.
Republic manager Ian Newman told JC Sport: "It was a really good game, played in a competitive but friendly manner by both sides.
"Hyde Park are a very good side and we did well to ensure we came out with the three points.
"We are playing well which is really good, especially with the big games we’ve got coming up. We are taking it week by week and seeing how it goes, but we are definitely on the right track. They were probably slightly on top, but I suppose it was the tale of two penalties!"
Hyde co-manager Paul Clayton said: "It was an interesting game. We were definitely the better side but if you can’t take your chances, you’re not going to win games.
"We’ve got the squad to win the league, definitely, but we’ve got a lot to learn and we need to learn to play better as a team, but this will all come in time.”
When asked about the penalty decision, Clayton said: “It was a very harsh decision to award their penalty. I was standing only a yard away when the ball was struck and my hands were down by my sides. But, these decisions even themselves out over the course of a season.
"Our penalty was a pretty blatant penalty, just a shame we couldn’t convert it as a point was the least we deserved.”