Alcuin 1sts v Wentworth 2nds 
A sterling first half performance by Jack Crane was enough to lay the foundations for Alcuin 1sts to seal a classy 3-0 win over a spirited Wentworth 2nds side.
The first half saw Alcuin Striker Joe Cooper fluff a myriad of chances as the men in red sought to convert their comfortable possession and neat passing movements into a lead. Cooper found himself in several good positions but was unable to apply the finish despite Wentworth’s shaky defence.
Alcuin opened the scoring after 15 minutes when the lively Crane played a well timed cross to find an unmarked and unchallenged Cristy Cormac loitering with intent by the back post. Only the simplest of touches was needed bring the score line to 1-0: a soft goal to concede but sadly an accurate reflection of the game.
Conceding a goal seemed to bring the Wentworth players to life as they scrambled to create an equaliser. Matt Glover, in an attacking role, proved to be a handful for the Alcuin defence though he was unable to find a way past centre back pairing Jake Delaney and Simon Reiss.
Wentworth’s poor defending continued as they nearly went 2-0 down when Delaney’s headed Miles McDermott’s corner onto the woodwork. Wentworth looked vulnerable during most set-pieces and narrowly avoided extending their defeat as defender Chris Mulligan was forced to head clear from the goal line after ‘keeper Dan Horsfall had been beaten.
After much probing Alcuin finally doubled their lead with a strong finish from Delaney after another well-timed cross by the energetic Crane leaving the players to walk into the half time break with the score set at 2-0.
The second half substitutions of Cooper and Crane leaving the field for Udy Onwudike and Matthew Lang clearly signalled that Alcuin were looking to play it safe and defend the lead. This almost backfired as Wentworth’s introduction of Dave Walker for the surprisingly ineffective Dom Green was a clever tactic. Walker nearly earned his team a penalty after he looked to have been brought down in the box though goalkeeper Micheal Wynd and his defence were spared the wrath of referee Mark Lund when he turned down the penalty appeal.
Alcuin’s goal was once again threatened, though this time in comical fashion as ‘keeper Wynd misjudged the ball allowing it to bobble slowly through his legs on course to be named the ‘softest goal of the cup’. Fortunately for Alcuin he was able to turn and retrieve the delinquent ball.
Alcuin were finally able to wrap up the game after Ali Laird applied the finishing touches to ball by Dan Cox just mere minutes before the finish.
It was a timid second half display from both teams though Alcuin were certainly well worth their lead playing purely on the basis of their first half performance. The final score: 3-0.
Derwent 1sts v Vanbrugh 2nds
By Roger Baxter
On a grim day in early June (so much for summer football), Derwent lived up to their Milan-esque colours by posting a clinical 3-0 victory over Vanbrugh 2nds.
Despite Vanbrugh spurring themselves on with cries of “C’mon” before the whistle, as well as having the larger support, it was Derwent who started the match much more brightly. Some elaborate interplay down the left wing led to Vanbrugh keeper Wilson being forced into a smart save low to his right, forcing a corner. The early blitzkrieg paid immediate dividends as the same corner forced the opening goal, a saved header falling to the feet of Steve Walwyn, who made no mistakes in converting for the lead.
Derwent were at this stage passing the ball very well indeed, but as soon as they came up against the hustling, pressure-orientated Vanbrugh midfield, there appeared to be no way through. This lack of penetration was compounded by a couple of freakish circumstances midway through the half, the first being when right-back Burne came out of a tackle with his thumb dislocated to a revolting angle. He was subbed off, forcing Nav Jabarkhyl, who had previously been rather effective in the final third, to drop back and cover.
The second verged on the farcical. Derwent keeper David Atwood failed to clear a corner from Vanbrugh captain Waterson, and a snappish shot was stopped by skipper Matt Hallam desperately throwing himself down with his legs clenched together, which resulted in him unintentionally sitting on the ball. This, in turn, resulted in half the players on the pitch sitting on Hallam, and in the subsequent confusion Derwent were awarded a free kick, despite the howls of ‘obstruction’ from the Vanbrugh support.
Derwent, to their credit, remained composed when they could have allowed the fiasco to rattle them, and another corner, this time on the right, led to almost a carbon copy of their first goal, converted in this instance by Dom Henney.
This ended a strange first half; Derwent were exhorting each other not to get over-confident, and this attitude bore fruit at the very beginning of the second, with yet another corner being clouted in by striker Ed Lacaille on the volley from close range. At this point it seemed Vanbrugh would take a beating, but a few wayward passes from Derwent meant the match maeandered into quieter waters. Both sides became frustrated, and the match was marred late on with persistent fouling before the final whistle blew and Derwent could rest easy.
When questioned about the fact that his side had only managed to score from set plays, captain Hallam thought his side had created far more than just the set plays, and stated that he “wasn’t really worried” about his team’s ability to unlock the better college defences in the later rounds. If the clinical approach can work for Inter Milan, perhaps it may work for Derwent this season too.
Photo by Marcus Roby