HALIFAX FIRSTS 1-1 GOODRICKE FIRSTS
(HALIFAX WIN 10-9 ON PENALTIES)
Halifax sealed their passage to the College Cup semi-finals on Tuesday, emerging victorious from a marathon penalty shoot-out with Goodricke. After an engrossing sixty minutes of football and twenty one penalties, it was left to Joe Brennan to slot home the winner from the spot and send Halifax into ecstatic celebrations, bringing them within a match of the final.
The dramatic finale of penalties was in keeping with what was a captivating match. Halifax, pre-tournament favourites and still highly tipped for the Cup despite their group stage loss to Vanbrugh, were up against an in-form Goodricke side that had impressed throughout this year’s competition, and boasted a defence and goalkeeper, in the shape of Ed Foster, who had yet to concede in the tournament. In a cruel twist of fate it was Foster, many observers’ man of the tournament for Goodricke, who failed to convert the penalty that allowed Joe Brennan to step up and win the game for Halifax.
The match itself didn’t disappoint, with the opening exchanges between the two teams forceful yet high on quality. Halifax, after performances in the group stage that had left question marks over their ability to win the Cup, gave their best display of the competition so far. Goodricke were equal to their efforts though, with the result being that in the first twenty minutes chances were few and far between, with both teams’ defences proving impregnable.
It was ten minutes before half time when the first real opportunity of the game arose, with Connor Brennan, freeing himself from the defender and finding space, fired a shot that flew just wide. It was a close call for Goodricke, and not long after Goodricke found themselves in danger again, with Connor Brennan combining with the ever-impressive Jakc Beadle to provide Ian McKellow with the chance to shoot. McKellow’s shot, like Brennan’s earlier effort, whistled past the post and narrowly wide. Goodricke, jolted into life by these sudden scares, were presented with a brilliant chance to go 1-0 up just before half time when Halifax’s Eddie Kris failed to hold onto the ball, spilling it at the feet of Goodricke striker Dave Coupland and only just managing to make amends and recover the ball in time. Kris would later be replaced by Halifax captain Mark Lund in goal, and with this close shave over the whistle blew for half time, the score still 0-0.
This changed only minutes after the beginning of a thrilling second half, with Halifax taking the lead through Ian McKellow who, running on to an inch-perfect pass from Eamonn Geoghagen, lifted a sublime chip over Ed Foster to make it 1-0. However Goodricke, having conceded their first goal of the competition, didn’t let their heads drop, and soon after Halifax’s goal Coupland had two outstanding opportunities to score. One-on-one with Lund, now in goal, he contrived to send his effort over the bar with the goal gaping, and he was clean through on goal again later on only for the referee to stop him in his tracks for tripping Halifax defender Dan Turley. Rejuvenated by these chances, Goodricke started to impose themselves on the game, with Chris Grayland and Ben Smith both forcing Lund into important saves. Later on Smith and Coupland found themselves in on goal again, only to send their shots wide. It was beginning to look like Goodricke’s profligacy would cost them a place in the semi-finals.
Five minutes before the end Goodricke got the equaliser they’d been searching so desperately for, with Chris Grayland, unmarked at the far post, leaping to meet a corner and head it powerfully into the net. Halifax almost regained the lead just before the end, but Adam Leadbeater was on hand to clear off the line and bring the game to penalties.
Amidst a tense atmosphere both opening penalties were converted, and it was Goodricke’s Ben Smith who missed the first penalty, sending his effort wide. Foster made up for this by saving Connor Brennan’s penalty, and an astonishing 16 successfully converted penalties followed. Sadly it was Foster, so often a hero for Goodricke, who failed to score his penalty, leaving Joe Brennan to score the penalty that brought Halifax into the semi-finals, and put Goodricke out of the College Cup.
The first half had began in fine fashion for James, when Johnson, who has proven himself to be a key asset for his team throughout the tournament, scored his sixth goal to give his side the lead. It couldn’t have come in better style, as with precision and momentum timed to perfection the ball curled over the wall and into Dave Attwood’s low right corner.
But Derwent’s reply was almost immediate, when at the other end a corner played across the box came back out to Barnett, whose shot was placed low and beyond any surrounding James’ defenders, five minutes before the interval.
Such was the unwillingness of both sides not to let their grip on the College Cup fall at the quarter final stage, that aside from the two goals the action was relatively restricted in the first-half.
But as testing times increased in the second half and the afternoon sun began to add to the suffocating atmosphere, it was time for the would-be winners to step up and prove their worth. Derwent captain Matt Hallam has proven himself with his timeless work effort in his central midfield role, spearheading much of his team’s play. However, fifteen minutes into the second half, he illustrated another side to his game. Getting the better of two of James’ players on the edge of the box, Hallam unleashed an almost freakish cheeky lob that looped over Don Mcmahon and into the net, making it 2-1 to Derwent.
James refused to let their solid group stage effort, which saw them earn top spot, come to a halt at the quarter-finals. Courageous play from Sam Mellor down the left flank saw an inadvertent shot create a problem for Attwood, but the keeper gathered safely with two hands.
Despite James’ best efforts. Derwent’s passage to the semi-finals was sealed in the remaining minutes. James, in search of an equaliser to take it to penalties, were caught on the counter-attack, and a ball played across the goal line by substitute Nav Jabarkhyl reached Barnett at the back post, leaving the striker with a chance he couldn’t miss.
It signalled a very impressive result for Derwent against a James side considered more ambitious than their counterparts. A shock inevitably it may be for James, but for Derwent it represents a great chance, not forgetting a fantastic confidence boost, in their quest for College Cup glory, even if the likes of Halifax and Vanbrugh are still to be played.
Both sides came out playing good football, but Vanbrugh had the best of the opening exchanges, several chances coming close to being converted both before and after Ali Prince had made the most of a Wentworth defensive error, finishing calmly past the keeper to make it 1-0.
Wentworth had always looked threatening on the break, particularly through the pace of Samik Datta on the left wing; however, it was a central through-ball that led to the equaliser. Faced with a high bounce and an onrushing Wentworth forward line, defender Dan Radford panicked somewhat and put a desperate head to the ball, only managing to lift it over goalkeeper Taylor to bring the scores level.
This seemed to galvanise Wentworth, and for a few minutes it appeared that Vanbrugh, the previous year’s finalists and a team that had won their group handsomely, had a fight on their hands. This was not to be. A gigantic throw led to a similar situation to the equaliser at Wentworth’s end, a defending head met the ball in a jumble of players, and Vanbrugh were ahead, and ended the first half in the same way.
The second half was much quieter in terms of incident, but no less keenly contested. Both teams battled hard for the ball in midfield, but Wentworth were shorn of much of their attacking edge by the decision to switch Samik Datta to the right wing for much of the half, a tactical decision that yielded no fruit. The game meandered towards its conclusion, and the sense of the inevitable was only compounded when, after a short period of concerted pressure and several consecutive corners, towering Vanbrugh defender Ben Lowe rose to the ball and made it 3-1. It was a fitting finale to a relatively simple game for Vanbrugh, who will face much harder challenges in next week’s semi-final.