Another battle took place as Halifax 2nds conquered a strong James 1sts team in a thrilling College Cup match. It was Mark Lund who caused the first blow to James’ confidence when he made the score 1-0 after a goalmouth scramble. This came after five minutes of play and was Lund’s first goal of the tournament; a proud moment for one of the main organisers of the competition.
Then just five minutes later, a fumbled attempted catch from James keeper and top uni player Sam Clitheroe allowed Halifax forward Luke Charles to extend his team’s lead. There were several squabbles between the sides as James got frustrated with their play, not to mention the score. A great opportunity occurred for Richard Baxter to help his team claw their way back into the game but he booted it over the bar. Luke Charles succeeded in reducing Mark McLeod’s usually essential role in the game but his attitude was often the cause for disputes between the teams.
There were other noticeable efforts from Tom Patrickson and Elliot Ragan but defending from James’ Nick St. George and saves from keeper Clitheroe prevented the score from escalating. Soon after the second goal of the match, the ball reached the back of Dean Hanson’s Halifax net. This attempt, though, was adjudged to have come from an offside James Offord, and was disallowed. Before the whistle blew for half time, a cross into the box resulted in Tom Clarke being brought down illegally. Clarke took the shot but it was saved by Hanson as he dived to the right, and the first half ended 2-0.
While Halifax continued to dominate at the start of the second half, James still had a handful of opportunities to score. They managed to get the ball in the net for a second time in the game, only for the goal to be disallowed yet again. The play from Halifax was well organised, powerful and an increasingly dejected looking James side could not break through. James substitute Johnny Hyde picked up a yellow card for a badly judged trip on Ben Rae, but they continued to push for goal with an attempt from Tom Clarke’s shot catapulted off the crossbar. Their efforts were rewarded just minutes later, after a goal kick from Clitheroe ended up in the back of the net, outwitting the Halifax keeper Dean Hanson while attacker James Offord also failed to make contact.
Angry, on the attack and determined to get a second for his side to equal the score, Mark McLeod picked up a yellow card from his frustrated response to a foul that he believed deserved a penalty but that the referee overlooked completely. James made a few other last minute attempts to equalise but the score remained 2-1 to Halifax until the final whistle. Mark Lund commented that his team “worked harder than them and at times outplayed James”.