TANGERINES EDGE TIGERS IN LOCAL DERBY FRIENDLY!

Rentford Town welcomed Hull City to Oakfield Park on 12 July 2025 for a friendly kick-off at 4:00pm, where they secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory after 98 minutes of competitive football. The match saw Rentford Town overturn an early deficit to claim the win in front of a crowd of 9,678, with Oakley Ball’s late goal proving decisive.

Rentford Town lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, deploying James Abbott in goal behind a back four of Justin Scott at right back, central defenders Ted Rundeer and Carlos Rodriguez, and Darlington Akpan at left back. The midfield double pivot featured Connor Field and Diego Hernandez tasked with both defensive cover and linking play. Ahead of them, Max Gray operated on the right wing, Charlie Simms played centrally as the attacking midfielder, and Cameron Whittaker-Humphreys took up the left wing role, supporting lone striker Evan Marsh. The formation was designed to balance defensive solidity with attacking creativity, expecting the wide midfielders and the central attacking midfielder to supply chances for Marsh up front. On the bench, Rentford Town had Ezra Fayoto, Ben Cooke, Oakley Ball, Matt Harding, Theo Barber, Lucas Barrister, and Ralf Hansen available for tactical changes.

The match began with early action in goal as James Abbott was called into action in the 10th minute, producing a sharp parry to deny Hull City’s initial efforts. However, Hull City capitalised on a goalmouth scramble just four minutes later, with Harry Vaughan scoring from close range to take the lead and put Rentford Town on the back foot.

Rentford Town responded with growing confidence and their persistence paid off in the 32nd minute when Cameron Whittaker-Humphreys delivered a spectacular goal directly from a corner kick, levelling the score and igniting the home crowd. The first half continued with intensity, but Hull City’s aggression was noted when one of their players received a yellow card for a bad tackle in the 42nd minute, a caution that perhaps reflected their frustration at being pegged back.

The referee, Richard Law, brought the first half to a close at 49 minutes, allowing both teams a brief respite before the second half commenced.

At the hour mark, Rentford Town made a sweeping set of tactical substitutions, replacing seven players simultaneously. Ezra Fayoto came on for Justin Scott, Ben Cooke replaced Charlie Simms, Oakley Ball took over from Cameron Whittaker-Humphreys, Matt Harding came on for Connor Field, Theo Barber replaced Evan Marsh, Lucas Barrister swapped with Diego Hernandez and Ralf Hansen came on for Darlington Akpan. These changes injected fresh legs and new dynamics into the team as Rentford Town sought to assert control and push for a winning goal.

Despite the flurry of substitutions, the match remained finely balanced. Rentford Town’s Ben Cooke was caught offside in the 74th minute due to a lapse in concentration, a decision correctly flagged by the officials, halting a promising attack.

As the match approached its conclusion, Rentford Town’s persistence was rewarded in the 90th minute. Ben Cooke delivered a precise cross from the right, which Oakley Ball expertly converted with a close-range tap-in, securing the winning goal and sending the home supporters into raptures.

Oakley Ball’s impact after coming on was pivotal, earning him the player of the match accolade for his decisive contribution in the closing stages. Rentford Town’s victory over Hull City in this friendly will surely boost confidence as they prepare for the upcoming season.