Goodricke 2nds confirmed their place in the Vase thanks to a 9-0 hammering of Langwith 3rds, who gave debuts to five players and looked every bit a side who hadn’t played together much. Goodricke showed their greater quality, particularly in a seven-goal second half, with captain Fabian Ashurst and Joe Mann each bagging a hat-trick.
In truth Goodricke dominated throughout, but while they were more wasteful in front of goal in the first half, they were ruthless in the second, including a spell where they seemed to score every time they pushed forward. Langwith were restricted heavily and Goodricke keeper Noel Rogers might as well have brought along a deckchair to the sun baked JLD.
The opening goal came after five minutes. Jonathan Gillbanks, whose early corner had already created a chance for Gabriel Altiparmak, connected well with another corner, his bullet header finding the net despite the crowded goalmouth.
Goodricke’s opener would be their only goal in the opening 25 minutes before they doubled their lead just before half-time, but the scoreline was not representative of the balance of play. Goodricke truly dominated with Langwith restricted to one Tom Rudden shot from 40 yards which went well over.
And it was Ashurst and Mann who were at the centre of things. The former should have scored after seven minutes but missed his kick with only the keeper to beat. Later on, he was played in down the right hand side but his well struck shot flew over the crossbar.
Mann, meanwhile, showed himself to be head and shoulders above any other player on the field. His first shot, after thirteen minutes, was deflected into the grasp of Steve Le Cornu, the Langwith keeper.
Five minutes before the interval, Mann had two great chances. The first was a curler which Le Cornu did well to tip over the bar for a corner. The second came after an incredible jinking run – not the last Mann would embark on in this match – but he held off the shot for too long which allowed covering defenders to get across and block.
There was a moment of controversy after 25 minutes when Gabriel Altiparmak headed in from a free kick, but was given offside. Still, a minute later, the breakthrough finally came, Gianluca Cremi curling a low shot past the diving Le Cornu.
Ashurst nearly made it three on the stroke of half time, but Le Cornu did well to save the shot with his feet.
In the second period the proverbial floodgates opened. Langwith hadn’t yet touched the ball when Ashurst made it 3-0. Mann was the creator, his square ball perfectly placed for Ashurst to tap in to the empty net.
It was soon four as Ashurst placed a free kick on the edge of the box into the corner of the goal, leaving Le Cornu flat-footed. It was justice for the manner of the foul, as Cremi had been through on goal before being brought down by Igor Schevchenko. Only refereeing leniency for the depleted and floundering Langwith side saw Schevchenko remain on the field.
The fifth goal came after 40 minutes of the game, and was Mann’s first, a terrific solo goal. He ran up the right wing before ducking inside, wrongfooting the defenders and finding space for a shot which easily found its way into the net.
Ashurst completed his hat trick from the penalty spot two minutes later. Errol Waters was correctly adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area, and Ashurst calmly struck his penalty into the net as Le Cornu dived the wrong way.
The seventh goal was another for Mann, as he was in the right place at the right time to turn in a rebound after Cremi’s initial shot had been saved. The eighth was another solo goal, this time by Chris Osbourne, who ran up the middle, found space outside the box and curled a shot into the net.
The final goal of the day came eight minutes from time, and rounded off an eight minutes spell in which Goodricke scored five goals to more than double their lead, seemingly scoring every time they went forward.
It was Mann who got this one, to complete his hat-trick, although special mention must go to Gillbanks for his part. Mann ran infield with the ball from the right, playing a one-two with Gillbanks, whose backheel set up Mann perfectly for a first time shot from the edge of the box.
The final few minutes saw Langwith try and salvage some pride but Goodricke remained comfortable and the men in yellow couldn’t muster a notable attempt on goal. Goodricke hadn’t picked up a point before this game, but their performance showed their potential as they embark on a campaign in the Vase. For Langwith, the College Cup is over.