College Cup: Langwith 1sts 0-0 Derwent 2nds

Photos: Helena Kaznowska

Team	Pld	Pts	GD
James 3rds	5	12	+3
Goodricke 1sts	5	11*	+8
Derwent 2nds	5	8	+4
Langwith 1sts	5	5	-2
Vanbrugh 3rds	5	3	-7
Alcuin 2nds	5	1	-6

*Goodricke 1sts deducted 2 points for fielding an ineligible player.

A refreshingly bright day on the JLD was not graced by the most entertaining of matches as Langwith 1sts and Derwent 2nds cancelled each other out to draw 0-0. Both sides had already qualified for the plate and had no chance of reaching the cup, so with little to play for, perhaps it was unsurprising that neither side managed to create a clear cut opportunity over the course of the game.

Ineffective long balls and shots from distance were the order of the day in the first half. Langwith’s Mike Newton saw several efforts fly over the crossbar whilst David Kirk of Derwent produced what was perhaps the best of the lot with a well-struck effort which whistled just over, but neither ‘keeper was ever really troubled by these shots from distance.

James Matthews almost saw his corner curl in at the near post before Langwith goalkeeper Tom Lambert stopped it in its tracks. At the other end Langwith had a half-chance from a corner of their own, Liam Condron flicking Luke Gardener’s ball just wide of the post.

Late on in the half both sides again had glimmers of chances to take the lead. Tom Lambert saved well from Derwent midfielder Ben Creswell who had managed to find himself a bit of space behind the Langwith defence before Langwith’s Luke Gardener whipped in an inviting ball from the right which was just too far in front of Laurence Chetwynd for him to connect with his lunging header.

The sides went in without a goal between them at half-time and with the second half mirroring the first in terms of the number of chances created, it was no surprise that the game ended 0-0.

Langwith had the better of the second half’s early stages. Luke Gardener attempted to squeeze the ball in at the far post after he collected the rebound of a blocked Chetwynd effort but Derwent ‘keeper Yelleppa was there to keep it out. Mike Newton then blazed over from range after going through two Derwent tackles and a ball from the same player later found Gardener on the right hand side, whose cross again evaded the onrushing Langwith forwards.

Langwith failed to capitalise on their pressure and it was then Derwent’s turn to be in the ascendancy. David Kirk put a good ball in from the right which almost found striker Jon Garness for what would have been a simple tap in, but Michael Palmer expertly got his body in between Garness and the ball, preventing the Derwent striker from getting his shot in.

Derwent’s Ben Creswell and Langwith’s Mike Newton each had fairly tame long range efforts late on but the game meandred predictably to its eventual 0-0 scoreline.

‘It was a good performance considering we had a lot of players missing’, said Langwith captain Luke Gardener after the game. ‘Overall we were not good enough to get into the cup but we should be one of the favourites for the plate.

Derwent skipper Rick Morris reflected that ‘a draw was a draw result’. ‘We worked hard’, he said, ‘but we just couldn’t get the goal’.

Vision MOTM: Liam Condron