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Photos: Oona Venermo
Goals from Will Manners and Will Goodwin propelled James 3rds to a 2-1 victory over Wentworth 2nds, and momentarily into second place in Group A ahead of the final round of matches. James were the stronger of the two sides throughout the contest, and despite a controversial late goal from Dan Horsfall, James deserved to secure the three points.
In the tightest of all the groups, the win moves James ahead of Langwith 1sts and into second place with five points. Wentworth’s hopes meanwhile of reaching the cup have been all but quashed as they struggle in the lower reaches of the table with three points.
Indeed James started the encounter promisingly, with Sam Blumson firing wide and Alex White dragging a snapshot off target. In front of a depleted crowd, the Black Swans opened the scoring in the sixth minute, Manners firing home after a deep Pete Mabe corner had been knocked back into the six yard box.
James nearly doubled their lead soon after, as a poor touch by Adrian Speakman allowed White through on goal, but ‘keeper Sormaz stooped to turn the ball around the post. James continued to dominate the early stages, and Jordan Steel should have doubled the advantage, but he conspired to head another Mabe corner over the bar.
With fifteen minutes gone Steel again almost found the back of the net, but this time he was denied by the body of Sormaz, after a surging run down the left flank. Mabe then produced another excellent delivery from the resulting corner, but Selahattin Kosunalp rose to head clear.
Gradually Wentworth began to establish a foothold in the encounter, as firstly Jasper Lipton scuffed his shot horribly wide, before Vasileios Kourvelos was cleverly picked out by David Clinton, but the former’s touch let him down.
Wentworth’s best chance of the half came on 20 minutes, as Mutlu Cukurova blasted over from 12 yards after being found by Kourvelos’ pullback. Indeed Kourvelos was the postgraduates’ most threatening player throughout, and after a skilful run he dragged another shot well wide, much to his anguish.
There were no more goals in the first half, but the chances continued, as White was denied by a reaction save from Sormaz and Tom Schofield blazed over, whilst at the other end Michael Rossonis unleashed a powerful drive narrowly wide off the James goal.
James started the second half in promising fashion, and Goodwin was just unable to get on the end of a dangerous long throw. Wentworth though almost equalised from a Nick Townson corner, as Iain Parker’s header was blocked on the line, and Cukurova fired over the rebound.
At the other end the action continued, as Goodwin cut in from the right flank before being denied by an excellent block. The resulting corner was then whipped in dangerously, but James Lomas was on hand to hack the ball off the line.
Cukurova continued to be a surging presence down the left flank in the blazing sun, and he tested Andy Lake with a low shot which the James ‘keeper was equal to. Sormaz was also called upon as he comfortably denied White, before Mabe embarked upon a skilful run, but missed his kick when he tried to shoot with his weaker left foot.
With 13 minutes remaining James doubled their lead, as Goodwin tapped home from three yards after the ball had ricocheted wildly from an Ameer Alhasan long throw. Only three minutes later though Wentworth were back in the game, substitute Dan Horsfall scoring in controversial fashion. The ball was lobbed into the box by Cukurova, and Horsfall pounced from four yards to head home, and despite seemingly being yards offside the goal stood.
James though almost sealed the victory minutes later, when White was played through on goal, and he lobbed the onrushing Sormaz, but was unable to find the target as the ball bobbled wide. Wentworth pushed for a late equaliser, and in the last minute the enigmatic Horsfall thought he had bagged his second as he scrambled the ball home, only for the goal to be disallowed for a foul on Lake, as James held on to seal a vital win.
After the game James 3rds captain Ameer Alhasan told Vision: “We’re ecstatic with the win, and I thought we thoroughly deserved it. That leaves us second in the group, so we’re optimistic about our cup chances.”
Wentworth manager Dan Howden was philosophical about the defeat, giving Vision a very honest reflection of his thoughts: “It was a pretty dreadful performance; it was an abysmal start which only got slightly better. I thought James were very good and completely deserved to win, if we’d got anything out of the game at the end it would have been an injustice to them.”
Vision MOTM: Will Manners