Brit Academicals vs Catholic United
Division Three Cup Semi-Final
Sunday 16th Match 10.30pm KO
A damp and cold morning greeted the players at Victory Sports Ground but at least the rain had softened the pitch and given it some zip.
Something's never changed…..Liam didn’t even know it was a semi-final, didn’t know who we were playing and even went to the wrong pitch with the match balls…..obviously being sober didn’t help. Oh, and Randy Titt had a cold or something so couldn’t make it.
We adopted our league winning 4-5-1formation against Brit and within the first 5 minutes we should have been 2 goals up. We weren’t but the tone had been set. Liam, Jon and Mike winning the midfield battle, Mark holding the ball up superbly with Lee and Warren supporting from wide. Our defence were rarely troubled, even against the longest throw-ons in the world…ever!
When our defensive shield of Dave (the clown) Owens and Paul (the scythe) Cotgrove was penetrated, we had Mike Kenneally bravely rolling around on the ground coming to our aid.
We took the lead midway through the half when Lol fed the ball to Warren who slipped in Jon Short to put the ball in the far corner with his left foot.
We were dominant, nay rampant and at 1-0 up halftime came at the wrong moment. We lost our momentum and it seemed our desire. We were on the back foot for the first 20 minutes and it came as no surprise when they equalised following a breakaway.
Rather than look for self-pity, their goal seemed to energise us and once again we dominated and never looked back.
We took the lead midway through the half following a corner which their keeper (who has to be the most hated player in this division) dropped the ball and Dave Owens stabbed home from half a yard.
We effectively won the match with the goal of the game when Mark Hubbard collected the ball 25 yards out, turned the defender and fired into the top corner.
We missed several good chances after this, not least when clean through, Mark Hubbard had a lobotomy and instead of sliding Matt James in for an easy tap in decided to chip the keeper instead. Oh dear…..20 yards high and 20 yards wide.
With 5 minutes to go, Brit pulled another goal back to make it 3-2 but they never looked like scoring another….apart from when Matt Cotgrove cleared off the line, twice!!
A great game played very sportingly and nearly ruined by a referee who didn’t know his backside from his elbow.
So off we went to Wellstead Gardens for a beer or two…..only to find the gates locked and club shut. That’s Sunday football for you.