College Cup: Halifax 2nds 7-0 Vanbrugh 4ths

 

A team made up predominantly of ex-Halifax 1sts and crossovers were on the attack from the very first blast of the referee’s whistle as Luke Charles flicked the ball over a Vanbrugh defender’s head before being thwarted by Paul Taylor. Anthony Ellis hit the bar from 25 yards after the ball was not cleared from a corner, indeed with every corner Halifax looked like they were going to score. The first goal was scored not long after, Mark Lund dancing through the defence despite a hint of offside before rounding Taylor and slotting into an empty net.

Long range shooting seemed to be the order of the day as Lund went close again with a 30 yard snapshot again saved by Taylor before Vanbrugh’s talisman Andy Dakin tried an audacious 40 yard half volley which was saved well by under-used Halifax keeper Dean Hanson. Down the other end, another corner provided a chance for Luke Charles again, who really should have done better with a free header at the far post which went wide. Yet another header from a corner produced yet another fine save from Taylor, tipping over from point black range.

However, the score was extended, a scruffy goal to concede from a Vanbrugh perspective as a corner was not cleared as centre half Tom Patrickson scuffed a header into the net at the far post. Anthony Ellis had a golden chance to make it 3-0 on the stroke of half time, shooting the wrong side of the left hand post when clean through. With the score at only 2-0, Vanbrugh can be proud of their effort in the first half, playing out of their skins despite the obvious gulf in quality.

Yet the floodgates opened after half time, as it does so often in College Cup when the lower ranked XI get their heads down or start to tire. With the first move of the half, Hamish Denham finished from a far post cross with ease. Mark Lund made it 4-0, superbly flicking the ball over the Vanbrugh defender before firing a half volley beyond Taylor into the bottom right hand corner. Kimi Tang-Wright had a rare attempt for Vanbrugh after being played through by the solid William Maxwell Cooper, but his long range effort was weak and saved with ease. Taylor made a terrific double save from another dangerous Halifax corner, but the men in white were not to be denied more goals, Ellis scoring the goal of the game to make it 5-0, when a corner straight from the training ground paid off, a low pass to the edge of the box where Ellis met it with a fine curling strike into the top corner.

Another Denham tap in made it 6-0 a few minutes later, before the comedy goal of the game, Vanbrugh left back and University Challenge hero Ben Keane rifling the ball off his own crossbar and down when attempting to clear his lines, before Denham headed it in from a yard. Paxman would not have been impressed. Denham claimed it but Vision’s photographer said the initial effort was a yard over the line, so the two can fight it out to claim the goal. Yet the 7-0 final score line cannot be argued with, a sound thrashing, as expected by most before the game.

James Bugg, Vanbrugh 4ths skipper said he was “very disappointed, but the opposition were a class above. But I can’t fault the effort of the boys, I’m very happy with them”. Halifax’s captain said “We did what we needed to do, we didn’t make it easy for ourselves first half, but after the break he was very happy with the performance”.

VISION MOTM – Mark Lund: The Halifax midfielder pulled the strings in their performance and notched two goals for himself. Special mention goes to Vanbrugh keeper Paul Taylor for an outstanding performance despite the score line.