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Tuesday, July 14, 2026
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Peets Shines Off the Bench as Boston United Win
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Bermudian defender Emeer Peets made a telling impression as National League outfit Boston United secured a hard-fought 2-1 pre-season victory over Alfreton Town at the Impact Arena.
The 18-year-old center-back, who has been building his way into the senior setup, was introduced during a series of second-half changes as manager Paul Hurst looked to run the rule over his squad depth.
Entering a physical, fast-paced encounter, Peets quickly found himself in the thick of the action. The teenage defender marshaled the backline superbly during sustained periods of Alfreton pressure, tracking runners well and producing several crucial defensive interventions to keep the hosts at bay.
What stood out most, however, was the youngster's composure on the ball. Faced with a high press from the opposition forward line, Peets repeatedly demonstrated an ability to play his way out of tight spaces, shifting his body intelligently and finding teammates with crisp, clever passing.
The stable second-half display helped the Pilgrims protect their narrow advantage and claim their first victory of the pre-season schedule following an opening-day defeat to Lincoln City.
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Tuesday, July 14, 2026
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Armstrong’s Penalty Completes Motown’s Win
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A dramatic late winner from Bermudian forward Andrew Armstrong saw FC Motown II wrap up their USL League Two regular season with a thrilling 4-2 victory over the Long Island Rough Riders.
The victory at Madison, New Jersey, officially mathematically eliminated the third-placed Rough Riders from playoff contention, capping off a high-stakes Metropolitan Division finale.
Long Island had initially put themselves on the right track to keep their postseason ambitions alive, breaking the deadlock in the 21st minute through defender Joshua Gordon. However, the hosts responded just before the interval when Giacomo Zizza restored parity five minutes ahead of half-time.
The momentum swung heavily into Motown's favor after the restart, with forward Julien Lacher delivering a clinical go-ahead goal on the hour mark. Long Island refused to go down quietly, and Finlay Oliver looked to have rescued their season with a superb 72nd-minute equalizer.
With the game tied at 2-2 and heading into a frantic final ten minutes, the bottom completely fell out for the visitors.
Armstrong became the hero for FC Motown II in the 80th minute, showing superb composure to strike what would prove to be the match-winner.
A late red card for the unraveling Rough Riders compounded their misery, allowing Akira Bofinger to put the gloss on the scoreline with a 90th-minute fourth to cement the three points for the regular-season leaders.
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Tuesday, July 14, 2026
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Barry-Murphy Downplays Trott Injury Concerns
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Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy has insisted that goalkeeper Nathan Trott is not a serious injury concern, despite sitting out the club's opening two pre-season friendlies.
The 27-year-old Bermudian shot-stopper, who completed a permanent move to the Bluebirds this summer following a successful promotion campaign, is currently nursing a minor groin issue.
Trott watched from the sidelines as a strong Cardiff City side cruised to a dominant 6-1 victory over Cork City in their latest warm-up fixture.
Despite missing the opening fixtures of the summer schedule, the club's medical staff are treating the goalkeeper's omission as a precautionary measure to ensure he is fully fit for the upcoming Championship campaign.
Barry-Murphy downplayed any long-term worries regarding his first-choice keeper, indicating that Trott is expected to integrate back into first-team training in the near future as preparations intensify for the new season.
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Sunday, July 12, 2026
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Wells Finds the Net in Pre-Season Opener
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Nahki Wells' teammate Jordan Clark bagged two goals as Luton Town scored five in their pre-season opener against Hitchin Town at Top Field.
The midfielder netted regularly last season, finding the back of the net 13 times to secure the best return of his career, with it only taking him just shy of 15 minutes to open the scoring against the Canaries.
Following a foul on new loan signing Harrison Ashby, Clark managed to get his head on the end of a whipped in free-kick from Liam Walsh to break the deadlock in Hertfordshire, the two midfielders combining after recently committing their futures to the club.
It didn’t take Clark long to bag his brace, finishing off his second just after the half-hour mark, receiving the ball following some excellent build up play on the left-hand side before working it onto his right foot to fire a curling effort into the corner of the net from the edge of the area.
Following the break and a new eleven taking to the pitch, Wembley hero Wells found time in the box to get on the end of a Harry Fox cross to divert his effort beyond the reach of McGregor in the Hitchin goal to put the Hatters three to the good.
Just after the hour, Kasey Palmer scored the fourth goal of the game. Sverre Sandal managed to win a corner which allowed George Saville to whip in a dangerous ball for Palmer to rise highest and nod home.
Returning to guard the net in the second half was Town hero James Shea, and the goalkeeper was called into action right at the death when he had to tip over a fine effort from Hitchin’s Kye Tearle.
The Hatters had the fifth and final goal of the game when our trialist whipped in a dangerous delivery for Christian Chigozie to power a header into the back of the net and wrap up the game.
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Saturday, July 11, 2026
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Smith’s Rhode Island Win After Penalty Drama
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Khano Smith’s Rhode Island FC closed out their 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup campaign in spectacular fashion, defeating Brooklyn FC 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shootout after a tense 1-1 draw at Centreville Bank Stadium.
In a match that had just about everything, it was RIFC goalkeeper Koke Vegas who stole the headlines, saving a crucial Brooklyn penalty before stepping up to bury the winning spot-kick himself to send the home crowd into raptures.
The Ocean State club looked to be on course for victory in normal time when Agustín “Pity” Rodríguez netted his first-ever goal for RIFC, breaking the deadlock with a clinical finish that ignited the stadium.
However, Brooklyn FC refused to go quietly into the night. The visitors ramped up the pressure in the second half and found their lifeline through Juan Carlos Obregón Jr., who curled a magnificent free-kick past Vegas to level the scores and ultimately force the match into extra time and penalties.
With nothing to separate the two sides after 120 grueling minutes, the final descended into the lottery of a penalty shootout.
The Save: With the shootout finely poised at 3-3, Vegas guessed correctly to pull off a stunning save, denying Brooklyn the advantage.
The Winner: Exhibiting nerves of steel, the Spanish shot-stopper then handed the ball to the referee, placed it on the spot, and confidently smashed home the decisive penalty to seal the win.
The victory caps off a remarkable campaign for Smith’s side, however Rhode Island didn’t progress out of the group stage.
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