The final match of the College Cup 2013 will see the hotly anticipated clash between two heavyweights of college football, Derwent 1sts and Halifax 1sts, as they battle it out to succeed Vanbrugh 1sts as College Cup Champions.
The contest will be played at 4pm on the JLD, and vast crowds are expected to line the JLD for what promises to be an absorbing encounter, between two in-form teams. Halifax reached their third successive College Cup final by beating their own 2nd team 3-1 on Monday, and throughout the tournament have been handed a fortunate draw with no major tests until now.
That though should not detract from the excellent attacking football that they have played, with University players such as Tom Day, Matt Mawdesley and Alex Tringham integral to that success. All three have been in fine goalscoring form and Tringham, whose availability for the final is in doubt, fired home an unstoppable freekick to seal Halifax’s place in the final. However it has been the more direct route that has been effective of late, as three of Halifax’s last four goals have come from the bullet long throws of Hamish Denham.
At the other end Jonny Sim has had a quiet college cup, and Ryan Doherty’s goal on Monday was the only time the ball has beaten him in the tournament to date. The absence of Tringham though would leave a gaping hole in the heart of the defence alongside Matt Seed, which would give hope to a Derwent side who seem to have reached top-form at the perfect moment.
In the group stages, Derwent were far from their best, losing to Vanbrugh 1sts before beating James 2nds to navigate their way out of a difficult group, but in the knockout stage they have excelled. A strong performance against Goodricke 1sts saw them progress through to the semi-finals, where they demolished James 3rds with a clinical 6-1 victory.
Defensively Derwent are one of the strongest sides in the tournament, with a solid back four, comprising of three of the best defenders on college football in the form of Dave Belshaw, Tom Brandreth and captain Ollie Harrison. Sam Earle has anchored the team well in midfield, whilst Mirhire Overo-Tarimo has scored two stunning goals, the latest against James in the semi-final.
With the likes of Joe Easter and Dan Atherton the team is full of creativity, and looks to possess a potent balance, which will make them a severe threat to Halifax tomorrow. On paper these are probably the two strongest teams, and it is fitting that they will meet in the final, in a game which promises to be a fantastic exhibition for college sport.
After the dramas of the vase and plate final, the main event will commence at 4pm tomorrow, as these fine two teams will both be hoping to be lifting the College Cup an hour later.
Key Player:
Derwent 1sts, Tom Brandreth: Last year’s sportsman of the year has continued his excellent form, and is a defensive rock as well as a danger from set-pieces.
Halifax 1sts, Matt Mawdesley: UYAFC’s 1st team captain has been in terrific form in the college cup to date, and he will be looking to add to his goal tally in the final.
Vision Prediction: These matches are usually tense, low-scoring and very close, and I don’t expect this one to be any different. I’ve tipped Derwent all competition though, so I’ll say a 2-1 victory for Derwent.