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Photos: Vivan Jayant
Connor Meckin scored a last-gasp winner as Vanbrugh 1sts’ winning streak came to an end in dramatic style.
His strike capped a frenetic final ten minutes which saw four goals scored in rapid succession, in one of the most exciting climaxes in this year’s College Cup.
Denham gave Halifax a deserved lead in the first half with a fine goal, only for Ben Stanier to head home from a throw-in late in the second half to level the match.
After Tom Patrickson restored his side’s lead, Vanbrugh again fought back thanks to a stunning John Gill drive, but could not do so a third time as Halifax 2nds confirmed their place in the Cup quarter finals.
The joyous celebrations at the final whistle from Halifax were completely understandable as they had outplayed one of the tournament favourites in a match they only needed to draw.
The result will worry Vanbrugh, however, as this was their first serious test in the tournament which they failed to pass, and must now look ahead to the clash with Goodricke 1sts next Friday.
Although Vanbrugh began the match with more possession, they could not penetrate a well-drilled Halifax defence which comfortably repelled some of the tournament’s best attacking stars.
To Vanbrugh’s misfortune, on one of the rare occasions they lost possession in their own half, Halifax capitalised.
Vanbrugh were maybe guilty of over-playing in defence when Chris Wignall was robbed of possession, which lead to Hamish Denham lashing a shot into James Wilson’s bottom right corner to emphatically end Vanbrugh’s run of clean sheets.
Halifax were working incredibly hard all over the pitch to close down space and press high up the pitch, and when they did get the ball, looked very dangerous on the counter attack.
Vanbrugh’s Ben Stanier struggled to get into the game and was marshalled superbly by left-back Matt Darling, while Phil Taylor struggled to impose himself as we have so often seen in central midfield.
Shortly before half time, Vanbrugh’s afternoon became even more difficult as the reliable Rory Sharkey limped off with an injury, to be replaced by Tom Parish.
In the last action of the first period, Halifax were perhaps unlucky not to go 2-0 up, as Craig Dean skied an inviting volley after Vanbrugh only half-cleared a long Denham throw.
In the second half, Halifax did not appear to sit back on their lead and pressed Vanbrugh even more.
A long Dave Lewis clearance was terribly misjudged by Max Brewer allowing Moyle to steal in, but his dabbed effort past Wilson was superbly cleared off the line by Matt Graham.
Minutes later, Halifax hit the woodwork as Lewis timed a flick header from a corner almost to perfection, but the ball glanced off the crossbar and away to safety.
But after this point, Vanbrugh began to dominate as Elliot Ross shot straight at Dean Hanson before Taylor screwed an effort inches wide after Parish picked him out with a low cross.
Matt Graham then tried his luck from distance with a rasping drive, but Hanson made a marvellous fingertip save onto the post and behind for a corner.
The weight of pressure finally told with just ten minutes remaining. John Gill’s long throw from the right was flicked on by Taylor and the smallest man on the pitch, Ben Stanier, headed past Hanson to equalise.
Remarkably, Halifax did not retreat and defend the point they required for qualification. In fact, they stormed forward straight from the restart to emphatically restore their advantage.
After probing down the left and winning a throw, Hamish Denham launched the ball into the penalty area where Tom Patrickson soared highest and nodded home into the far corner.
The lapse in concentration angered the Vanbrugh players, and they in turn went into overdrive to get revenge.
Ross held up the play well just outside the Halifax area before laying the ball off to Gill, and the midfielder wasted no time at all as he blasted a rocket of a shot past a stock-still Hanson into the bottom corner to bring Vanbrugh level for a second time.
The drama was not over, however, as there was another sting in the tail waiting for a somewhat complacent Vanbrugh defence.
Again Vanbrugh could not clear a long ball, and Denham used his physical strength to bully his way past Brewer before setting up Meckin, who stroked home past Wilson’s despairing dive.
Meckin ripped off his shirt as the Halifax team went beserk to round off a remarkable match and send a message out to their Halifax 1sts cousins, whom they are set to face in the quarter finals.
Afterwards an elated John Lord said: “It was a fantastic performance, we were closing them down really well and didn’t give them much space. To score three goals which we had not previously done in the tournament is also a great achievement.”
Meanwhile, a downcast James Wilson said: “There are no positives to take from the game apart from the fighting spirit to equalise twice. I’ve told the lads we need to improve otherwise we’ll be going out.”
Vision MOTM: Hamish Denham