A last gasp Garo Heath goal salvaged the Halifax 1sts’ hopes of retaining the College Cup as they edged Vanbrugh 1sts 2-1 in a tight encounter at the JLD.
The game started slowly, with Vanbrugh’s Elliot Rous-Ross’ effort straight into the hands of Jonny Sim being the only chance of note in the opening five minutes.
Having yet to concede in this year’s College Cup, the five-man Vanbrugh defence looked solid in the opening exchanges until their physical style of play led to needless fouls being conceded in dangerous areas.
They were nearly left to rue said lack of discipline when Vanbrugh ‘keeper Lennox flapped at a Kieran Gennoy free-kick from the right flank.
Gio Pilides then drilled a free-kick into the Vanbrugh wall, with the ball eventually falling to Garo Heath who curled his shot just over the bar.
Vanbrugh threatened in snatches, with Harry O’Brien proving particularly impressive in midfield as he flashed an effort just wide of the target.
The opening goal, however, fell Halifax’s way when the Vanbrugh defence failed to clear a Gennoy corner which fell kindly for Matt Seed on the left flank, who side-footed the ball across goal for winger Connor Meckin to slot home.
The goal galvanised the Halifax team, who began playing with more freedom and fluidity. Garo Heath’s wonderful flick to an onrushing Dan Jones nearly put the left-winger through on goal but for a last ditch challenge from Connor Brennan.
But, with seconds remaining of the first half, Halifax’s hard work was nearly undone when Harry O’Brien launched a spectacular half-volley from all of thirty yards which ricocheted off the top of the crossbar.
The opportunity instilled some belief in the Vanbrugh side, who began stringing passes together in midfield in the second half. The Halifax defence, however, stood firm, with Vanbrugh’s Chris Wignall limited to blasting an effort over the bar from distance.
Halifax then had a chance to wrap up the three points when Garo Heath was put through on goal, only for his low shot to bounce back off the near post with Lennox stranded.
Kieran Gennoy then had two marvellous opportunities in the air from two Dan Jones crosses, only for both his headers to sail wide of goal.
Having failed to establish a two, or even three, goal lead, Vanbrugh appeared to have snatched a point from the jaws of defeat when a Harry O’Brien free-kick fizzled into the bottom left corner of Sim’s goal.
But, just when Halifax hearts seemed to have sunk in the dying moments, a Gennoy corner sailed over a horde of heads into the feet of Garo Heath, who, with a flick of the ankle, slapped the ball off his laces and into the roof of the net, sending the Halifax faithful into delirium.
The eleventh hour finish gifted Halifax a deserved win against a Vanbrugh side who, though spirited, did not offer much going forward.
After the game, Garo Heath stressed the importance of the win to Vision: “[the win] is incredibly important, it puts it in our hands and now what we’ve got to do is win our next two games and we should be topping the group”.
When asked about Halifax captain Connor McCoy’s comments in Vision in which he stated that the team are “not good enough” to win the Cup, Heath replied: “I think his comments were probably taken out of context, but if anything it spurs us on to prove them wrong”.
Halifax 1sts Starting XI (4-5-1): Sim; Brookes, Seed, Kearney, Howorth; Meckin, Bowden, Pilides, Gennoy, Jones; Heath.
Goal Scorers: Meckin, Heath.
Vanbrugh 1sts Starting XI (5-3-2): Lennox; Wignall, Brewer (c), Graham, Brennan, Coy; Grout, O’Brien, Lund; Sides, Rous-Ross.
Goal Scorer: O’Brien.
Vision MOTM: Garo Heath (Halifax).