League Play-Off

West Branch Park
Spectators: 35 (Terracing: 27, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) The sun was shining, the grass was green and the audience cheered when Ali Sadi got the match started through his kick off. 0-1 became the score in the 3rd minute when Abdelhamid Boutabout elegantly shot the ball into goal just under the crossbar. In the 11th minute of the match West Branch FC got a corner. Tustin Foothills's goalie ran out to the linesman to protest the call, but the linesman resolutely pointed his flag at the cornerflag. Reda Belkacem ran over to the corner to take the kick. A nice corner shot did that Reda Belkacem got away a dangerous shot. Despite this Rachid Benbitour quite easily got ahold of the ball to make the save. An unexpectedly hard shot by Ali Sadi in the 12th minute of play forced Tustin Foothills's goalkeeper Rachid Benbitour to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. When the match had gone on for 16 minutes, Abd al-Aziz Sahraoui put it in 0-2 from a short distance just to the right of Amar Dib. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Rabah Hadj Aïssa during the 19th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. In the 19th minute, Rabah Hadj Aïssa hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Abdelhamid Benmabrouk received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 21st minute. Rachid Benbitour tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. 0-3 became the score in the 27th minute when Abdelhamid Boutabout elegantly shot the ball into goal just under the crossbar. In the 31st minute Abdelhamid Boutabout shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Amar Dib saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Abd al-Aziz Sahraoui struck a weak shot in the 32nd minute. Amar Dib didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Tustin Foothills. West Branch FC's Abdelhamid Benmabrouk got a good chance for a goal in the 34th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. In the 37th minute, Abdelhamid Boutabout left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Tustin Foothills fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 0-4. After 40 minutes, Safy Sakhri mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Tustin Foothills and the West Branch FC players grew even worse after the yellow card. Safy Sakhri hit a great freekick 41 minutes into the match. After having played for 42 minutes, Abdelhamid Benmabrouk managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. West Branch FC's supporters crossed their fingers, but Abdelhamid Benmabrouk was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. Amar Dib didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Abd al-Aziz Sahraoui went, in the 44th minute, to the upper right corner, 0-5 was the resulting score. Disappointed in the 0-5 score, the home team went to the dressing room to adjust tactics for the second half.

52 minutes into the game, West Branch FC's Abdelhamid Benmabrouk nearly tore a hole in the net with a booming shot. Rachid Benbitour made a valiant effort, but he could not reach the ball in time, 1-5. Abd al-Aziz Sahraoui received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 58th minute. Amar Dib tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. When Rabah Hadj Aïssa was, once again, overly rough in his play he received his second yellow card and was ordered off the ground. 60 minutes had been played. Rabah Hadj Aïssa kicked well hit freekick during the 60th minute of the match. Abdelhamid Boutabout fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 62nd minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Amar Dib having to interfere. Abdelhamid Boutabout sent away a hard shot on goal in the 64th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Amar Dib made an important save on a dangerous shot by Abd al-Aziz Sahraoui in the 73rd minute. If Abdelhamid Boutabout had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 75th minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. Amar Dib made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Abdelhamid Boutabout in the 79th minute of play. Rachid Benbitour stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Abdelhamid Benmabrouk's shot from short distance in the 89th minute. If Abdelhamid Benmabrouk had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 92nd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Abdelhamid Benmabrouk struck a weak shot in the 95th minute. Rachid Benbitour didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for West Branch FC. The referee blew the final whistle, and the away crowd roared, having watched Tustin Foothills eke out a victory against a very well matched opponent.