College Football: James 3-2 Langwith

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Photos: Oliver Todd

Langwith were denied a first win in Sunday morning college football in over a year by a clinical hat-trick from James Offord. They played out of their skins, running the College Plate winners close and even taking the lead twice, but to no avail.

A nice touch from both sides before the game started was a perfectly observed minute’s silence, as a mark of respect for fallen soldiers. The game started slowly, the teams sussing each other out, with the men in yellow more than holding their own. Indeed, the first chance came from Langwith captain Andy Hutt, who set the ball up for himself in the penalty box before volleying acrobatically towards the top corner, only for James keeper Roland Gooch to save smartly.

James were lacking cohesion and could not get going and half way through the first half, Langwith had a sustained spell of pressure, troubling Gooch with set pieces and high balls into the box. Eventually, they made their dominance pay, as a diagonal ball over the top of the James defence was met by Kieran Hazell, who finished coolly from a tight angle.

Yet the lead did not last long as just five minutes later James found an equaliser. Bruce Starkey gave the ball away to James Davies on the right wing who centred the ball low in and around the penalty spot where Offord was left unmarked to poke beyond debutant Tom Banks in the Langwith goal. The score remained level until the break, the only real chance from either side coming from a James free kick, Simon Kreienbaum heading just wide.

Langwith started the second half with real urgency and took the lead again, a horrendous mistake by Gooch as he let Danny Mullen’s drive from the edge of the box squirm under his body. Going behind for a second time made James wake up, and they were on the attack soon after, Banks spreading himself well to deny Josh Brownlow. Baxter then had a shot from 30 yards which was not hit truly and hence looped onto the crossbar. Banks impressively got a touch to tip it over, yet the referee gave a goal kick, angering the James players.

James Offord then somehow missed an open goal when it was easier to score, Freddie Ferrao’s low cross evading everyone except Offord, who could not convert from a couple of yards out. He then latched onto a through ball over the top but saw his half volley sail over. Yet he was not to be denied a few minutes later; Banks could only parry a cross out to the edge of the penalty area where Offord was perfectly placed to lash a fizzing volley into the top left hand corner to level proceedings. Then, in a mirror image of his previous strike, Offord completed his hat-trick moments later, lashing the ball home from 20 yards with clinical ease of a proven finisher.

James should really have made it four when Banks, in a moment of madness, upended Josh Brownlow inside the penalty box when he was going away from goal. Yet the goalkeeper got up, dusted himself down, and saved Browlow’s penalty down low to his right, a save worthy of his namesake Gordon. The game ended 3-2 to James, yet Langwith can be proud of their performance.

James skipper Richard Baxter felt that his team deserved the win, saying “we earned our own luck today, showing our battling spirit”. On the match winner Offord, he was full of praise: “It’s what he does every time he goes onto the pitch, scores goals and wins games”. His counterpart Andy Hutt was pleased despite the defeat, saying “we played our best football of the season. We managed to control the game against a good side and if we perform like that for the next couple of games, we’ll get the win we deserve”.

Vision MOTM: James Offord, for singlehandedly winning the match for James. Yet praise has to go to Langwith players Danny Mullen (for scoring and providing an assist) as well as debutants Jan Schick and Thomas Banks.