By the Vision Sport Team
Derwent secured the this year’s title with a scrappy 1-0 win against a dogged Wentworth. However, the match will be remembered for one standout moment, when Derwent midfielder and captain Matt Hallam dived full length to acrobatically palm away a Wentworth shot with keeper Seb Treasure nowhere to be seen.
With 20 minutes to go, Hallam told us that he wouldn’t regret the handball if they held on to their lead, which Dom Henney had given them after Jake Farrell’s shot was parried by the goalkeeper.
If Derwent had slumped to an unlikely victory against bottom-of-the-league Wentworth, a chance to catch up would have presented itself to both Halifax and Vanbrugh, who were tied on nine points – three off the lead.
Halifax took the lead with a scruffy goal that was claimed by both Halifax midfielder Jack Beadle and Vanbrugh defender Ziggy Heath. Solid defensive work by Dom Petschak and goalkeeper Johnny Simm was to thank for keeping Halifax ahead, but the barrier was eventually breached when Max Poynter-Hall rasped home a curling shot from the edge of the area. Ben Rea won the game for Halifax with a cool finish, profiting from a defensive error.
In other games, depleted Goodricke beat James 2-0, despite starting the game with only 10 men. John Sharpe scored the first, before setting up Matt Burke for the second. Captain Sam Lewis hailed it “a great performance”.
Meanwhile, Alcuin were spared any blushes by posting a late equaliser which saw them draw 1-1 against Langwith. Neither side had the better of the other, but Matt Derry’s clinical strike lit up an otherwise utterly drab first half. Alcuin, however, came on in the late stages. Simon Reiss had a penalty agonisingly saved by Tom Lambert, but the Alcuin defender redeemed himself by firing in a shot which Lambert could only parry, allowing Brad Wood to level the scores from close range.
The day, however, belonged to Derwent, and Matt Hallam will reflect on a season of ultimately fruitful work from his side. Not for long, though; College Cup’s coming…