Goodricke 1sts 1-0 Langwith 1sts

By Alex Finnis

Goodricke’s premier side were made to fight hard to the very last in order to grind out a 1-0 victory over a spirited and resilient Langwith 1st team. The game was far more a gritty physical battle than an exhibition of flowing football yet it was not at all lacking in excitement.

The game could have gone so differently, as Goodricke had a gilt-edged opportunity to open the scoring early on. Langwith goalkeeper Tom Lambert hesitated when coming to receive a pass to the edge of his area, allowing Goodricke striker Ben Smith to round him, only to fire his shot wide of the gaping goal from a tight angle.

Goodricke then had a goal ruled out for an unfair challenge. Sam Lewis played a beautiful through ball from the left hand side to the dangerous Jon Sharpe down the right, but the winger bundled Langwith full-back Matt Wilcox to the floor before slotting his strike home.

Langwith’s UYAFC dominated defence, led by the solid centre-back Liam Condron, coped well with Goodricke’s threatening attack, particularly in the first half, with Sam Lewis’ curled effort in the 24th minute providing Goodricke’s only other real chance of the half, the shot sailing just wide of the upright.

Langwith had chances of their own too, and were inches away from being able to take a lead into the half time break. Callum Sheridan’s ball found a way through the centre of the Goodricke defence to the feet of Bruce Starkey, whose turn and strike beat the Goodricke ‘keeper but struck the outside of the post, much to the dismay of the vocal Langwith support.

Goodricke began to pick up the pace at the beginning of the second period, with captain Lewis orchestrating the play with his excellent passing. They often lacked the final ball from the wide areas however.

Callum Sheridan’s handball gave Lewis’ side a free kick on the edge of the area, which he himself curled wide, and a few minutes later, substitute Adam Botterill jinked past Langwith’s Duncan Sills before firing his own curled effort wide of the target.

With ten minutes remaining, and neither side having yet broken the deadlock, the frustration became visible through the medium of some crunching challenges. Tempers flared after determined Langwith midfielder Callum Sheridan was brought down by a challenge far more suited to an American Football field, and then dragged away by his team mates and booked for his part in the resulting scuffle.

Four minutes later however, the tension for the side in green at least, was relieved, as substitute Luke Inness headed past Lambert in the Langwith goal to put his side 1-0 up and send his college into jubilant celebration.

However, these celebrations were almost extremely short lived. Langwith’s Cameron Craig fired what was arguably Langwith’s best opportunity of the game just over the bar less than a minute after seeing his side go behind. Langwith then had one final chance to grab a heroic equaliser with a free kick from 20 yards, but Liam Condron’s effort hit the wall and the game finished with Goodricke holding on to their hard-earned 1-0 advantage.

Langwith captain Andy Hutt was visibly ‘disappointed to lose by the odd goal’, but proud of how his team ‘battled hard’ against a more fancied Goodricke outfit. Goodricke skipper Sam Lewis was in a bullish mood after the final whistle, saying how his side ‘really deserved the win’, despite the efforts of a resilient Langwith side, who he said ‘made it really difficult for us. They made it into a physical contest, but we always keep going. We have done it all year’.

Man of the Match: Sam Lewis