The late kick-off between James 3rds and Langwith 2nds ended in controversial circumstances today. As the game started slightly late, impatient 5-a-siders took to the field with James leading 3-2 and just under eight minutes left to play. After the intruders refused to move, the referee went to check with the sport centre staff and on return had no choice but to call a premature halt to proceedings.
This was met by anger from the Langwith fans and players who were desperately chasing an equaliser but had to accept the decision. In fairness to the referee there was nothing more he could have done, but the manner of the pitch invasion left a lot to be desired. Now, back to the actual football.
In an evenly contested match with plenty of fight but limited finesse both teams started tentatively. The best chance in the opening stages went to Andy Doyle, whose header just flew over when he met Will Prescott’s throw in.
It was a battle in midfield with both teams making crunching challenges and they were pretty evenly matched. However, Langwith were the ones to open the scoring when Sam Rooney’s cross was fluffed by the James defence and James Macdonald slid the ball home.
James looked to strike back immediately with Jack Fisher heading over an Andrew Yates free kick. Moments later the score was levelled. Bruce Starkey conceded a free-kick around 20 yards out, slightly wide of goal and Yates fired it into the bottom right hand corner. Keeper Olly Williamson was slightly out of position for the goal but it was well finished by Yates.
It stayed that way until half time and the second half carried on in the same combative style but with few clear cut chances. The best chance fell to Sam Taylor but his shot was driven wide when he should have hit the target.
A goal looked most likely to come from individual skill rather than great passing or teamwork and so it was to be. Langwith’s Andy Doyle made a goal from nothing when he received the ball from a James corner and drove nearly the length of the pitch before calmly slipping in Macdonald for his second of the game.
Doyle had a chance with a header that went over before James levelled the match again. A flick on in the midfield found Taylor who lobbed the onrushing Williamson. Both teams had chances to take the lead with Jack Fisher striking straight at Williamson and for Langwith Doyle’s free kick was deflected by Macdonald just wide.
However, with the game entering the last quarter James would score a decisive winner, Sam Taylor’s header was well saved by Williamson but fell straight to Fisher who finished into an open net.
The defining moment of the game will no doubt be the game’s early finish but James battled well to come back from behind twice in the game.
After the match, James Captain Ruairi Phillips said: “Our victory was controversial obviously, but we came back from 1-0 and 2-1 so we did all we could. We were in need of a performance and showed real character.”
A very annoyed Langwith Captain Craig Burnell chose tactfully to focus on the performance: “We didn’t play too badly and we were unlucky to concede from sloppy mistakes and thought our performance deserved points.” The cry from the rest of his players was ‘farce’.