Starting XI
1) Barrie Willacott
2) David Manley
3) Carl French
4) Richard Schuchardt
5) Craig Palfrey
6) Gareth Fundalski
7) Carl Manley
8) Nick Ball
9) Stephen Mustey
10) Simon Paterson
11) Lee Blackshaw 

After a few weeks off for Christmas Northern were looking for a good start to the year with a cup game against Kings Arms, the first game against them of a run of 3 in a month.  Barrie Willacott was making a first appearance in goal eager to impress.  Northern started the brighter of the two sides and quickly got into some good passing football playing a new 4-4-1-1 formation with Nick Ball playing Stephen Mustey.  Northern had spurned a couple of chances, including Lee Blackshaw having a shot cleared off the line, when Stephen Mustey broke clear down the left and bent a shot into the far corner for 1-0. Almost straight afterwards came the move of the game when Carl Manley tackled back well and Craig Palfrey knocked a neat pass to Dave Manley.  He played a ball through the middle to Gareth Fundalski who turned and released Nick Ball through the centre for Nick to run around the keeper and slot home left footed for 2-0.

Northern missed a few more chances before halftime but Willacott in goal was untroubled. After the break Kings Arms started better when Willacott fumbled a cross into the net but Northern were quickly back on top when Carl Manley converted a penalty following a Kings Arms player handling a shot from Mustey on the line.  Then came to the goal of the game, a corner was cleared to Blackshaw on the edge of the box, he beat 3 men as the Kings Arms team looked to push out and then lifted his shot over the advancing keeper.  Daniel Kazemi and Roy Phillips then came on for  Dave Manley and Simon Paterson, Simon had had a good game coming back from injury and only went off due to his lack of match fitness. Northern then proceeded to miss chance after chance before Kings Arms pulled the score back to 4-2.  In the time after the substitutions Northern could have scored 5 or 6 goals but lacked the cutting edge that will be needed next week in the League Cup.

Subs: Roy Phillips, Daniel Kazemi
Scorers: Stephen Mustey, Nick Ball, Carl Manley (pen), Lee Blackshaw
MOM: Nick Ball

* Match Reports represent the opinion of the author and in no way represent the opinions of CNFC.