One of the most memorable quotes from College Cup 2012 came after Wentworth 2nds’ quarter-final victory over Goodricke 2nds, from the former’s rather honest manager, Dan Howden:
“To get seven points in the groups and to beat one of the best 2nds sides in the tournament when we are fat and postgraduates is a fantastic achievement.”
Such words just epitomise Wentworth’s mentality; they are feeling no pressure whatsoever at the moment, and are enjoying every minute of their Plate journey. Needless to say, their participation in the final, following a semi-final penalties triumph over Langwith 1sts, will go down as one of the more surprising features of this year’s tournament.
Nobody predicted this Wentworth team would do so well, especially after their 8-0 defeat to James 1sts last month in the group stages. But since then, they have kicked on impressively, winning three of their subsequent five games including two penalty shootout triumphs.
In the quarter finals, the team displayed their battling qualities by coming from behind against Goodricke to draw 1-1 in normal time. Yes, they rode their luck on quite a few occasions, but you need that to do well in major competitions. In the shoot-out, Lachlan Murray, Rich Rhodes, Nick Townson and Matt Beacham all dispatched their spot kicks with brilliant composure.
Although their semi-final clash with Langwith was a far more tense affair with few chances aside from the two goals, they again possessed that peerless composure to convert all four of the required spot-kicks.
Their opponents tomorrow, Vanbrugh 3rds, have also exceeded expectations and will be looking to complete a remarkable double following the first team’s success yesterday. No 3rds team has ever won the College Plate, but Vanbrugh’s form going into the final puts them as slight favourites.
Throughout the entire tournament, the team has conceded only four goals, keeping four clean sheets in the process. The defence of George Barnard, Alex Habeck, Mark Lajca, and Charlie Frobisher have been excellent in every game I have seen them play, and with the vocal Kallum Taylor behind them, opponents have struggled to break them down.
Manager Mike Sutcliffe, who would be on the pitch if he weren’t injured, has instilled concentration and discipline into his team’s approach and they play for the shirt like few others.
Don’t be surprised to see a few players from the Wentworth 1sts side try and exact revenge on Vanbrugh, following their semi-final exit last week. Their captain, Wayne Paes could make a return and Lachlan Murray will be hoping to make a mark after a disappointing performance.
For Vanbrugh, I would expect to see Callum Priest and Adam Lewis keep their places up front, and they will definitely get chances with the passing metronome that is Max Poynter Hall behind them. Wentworth must get tight to him, otherwise there will be wave after wave of attacks.
But they might not need to, considering Poynter Hall may be a little worse for wear after his 21st birthday celebrations. If I were a Vanbrite, I would be hoping a few soft drinks made an appearance tonight.
Vanbrugh may also call upon 2nds players such as Callum Woodall and Jack Coy to bolster the ranks, but I say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
Vision’s prediction: Vanbrugh will have enough quality to see out this match in normal time, but must beware of a penalty shootout which has become a Wentworth specialty to say the least. These two are far from being goal machines, so I’m going for a tight, tense Vanbrugh win. Vanbrugh 3rds 1-0 Wentworth 2nds
Nice! Great to see Vision taking an interest in the Plate. I wouldn’t have blamed the media for being less enthused now the big one is done.
Only a small point, the first teamers who were not crossovers are not eligible for the final so Wayne couldn’t play. Lachie is a crossover however and has been eating his weetabix.
George Bernard has been eating his Crunchy Nut Cornflakes
I’ve been eating chips