| |||
|
City...Cup winner (May 03, 2008) City 3 Holmesdale Reserves 2
If you hadn’t been at the Corinthian Ground this afternoon, you wouldn’t have believed that there could be so much drama in ninety-one minutes of football.
The reformed City won their first knockout trophy, the Kent County Junior (Group A) Cup, in a final that had the nerves frazzled, the fingernails tortured and the club’s Chairman so nervous that he was unable to watch the final extraordinary seconds.
It was in those final moments of the ninety-first minute that this breathless match came to a peak of excitement when, with the score 3-2 in City’s favour, their goalkeeper, Danny Black, had to face a penalty. He chose the right direction in which to dive and saved to give City the trophy and himself, deservedly, the Man of the Match Award. What had gone before also took some believing.
City gave away two own goals and missed a penalty, yet in a performance of great discipline under pressure, determination and self belief, they overcame a team that contained several of the Holmesdale First team who play in the Kent League. Once again City showed that they can compete with and beat teams higher up the football pyramid.
The opening twenty minutes gave few clues as to what was to unfold. Ahead of the game City were disappointed to find that Lee Austin, who was the obvious choice to partner Royston Gough as the twin strikers, was not available. So Manager Dave Fairclough decided that Gough should play as the lone striker, with Dan Bonneywell supporting just behind and hoping to move forward, given the chance.
Holmesdale were clearly strong physically and settled into their game more quickly than City who, despite the recent winning of their own League, realised that they were up against a better standard of player than on the average Saturday. There were some nervous touches and for ten minutes Holmesdale pressed, though with not sufficient finishing power to give the impression that they were about to take over.
From City’s first corner, Gough headed close. His pace was again impressive but for a while City found it difficult to put him in possession. When they did, he shot over the ‘keeper and the bar. After sixteen minutes Jamie Maxted stormed down the left side. Gough met the centre solidly but the ‘keeper held the ball as he fell to ground.
Although it was obvious that City were not going to take a dominant hold in any particular area, they were badly caught out in the twenty-fourth minute when Sam Baker went on a long run down the right. Holmesdale won the ball and countered before Baker could receover. Joel Houghe took the ball back upfield, put his centre across low and Luke Lockhart deflected into his own net.
Bonneywell rallied his troops but for a few minutes things looked bad. Yet as the game moved towards half-time City recovered their composure. Gough could not quite get a foot on a cross to the far post, but the fact that he found space in the penalty area was promising. But there were frequent reminders that Holmesdale were going to keep Black alert in the City goal. Beck Chick smashed a shot against his crossbar before City equalised when Gough again cleverly created space in the penalty area before slamming in the equaliser.
City increased the pressure. Bonneywell almost saw, or perhaps did not see, a ball deflect off his back on to the Holemsdale goalline. So half-time was reached on the equal terms, which was a fair reflection of the first half. Holmesdale now realised that if City were supposed to be underdogs, there was something of the pedigree about them.
Scott Lawford sent a dangerous free-kick into the heart of their defence but they managed to clear. They gathered themselves for a concerted attack and in a frentic scramble in the City goal area, Black managed to grab the ball. It would not be the last time that this fine goalkeeper kept City’s eyes on the silverware.
Then the action really began! After fifty-five minutes Gough was bundled down in the area. The defender benefited from the leniency of the referee who might well have sent him off. Gough stepped forward for the kick but did not make good contact and the ‘keeper saved. At that point Holmesdale might well have thought it was their lucky day but the ‘keeper had not counted on Gough immediately running forwards and forcing him to give away a corner from whichAshley Tuite drove in a powerful close-range shot to take City into the lead.
Two minutes later Baker, in possession, ran into the penalty area and, again, a Holmesdale defender made a rash tackle, giving the referee no option than to offer City another penalty. This time Bonneywell felt it should be the captain’s role to perhaps give City a decisive lead. He hit the ball low. It clouted the post and when it went in the collective sigh of relief from the City fans, and players and the manager, almost drowned out the noise from the motor racing at nearby Brands Hatch. But this was a game with a few fast laps still to run.
With ten minutes remaining, Holmesdale look dangerous every time they went forward. Black had already been frustrated by seeing one own goal slip past, now he was to endure another. A low centre went deep into the City penalty area and poor Lockhart was again the one to turn an attempted clearance into his own net.
At only 3-2 ahead City were in dangerous territory. Even so, with the game going into the ninety-first minute, they thought it was all over bar the final whistle. Again the game took a dramatic twist. A Holmesdale player went down in the area. The referee had no hesitation in awarding the penalty. Holmesdale’s Jamie Baker had the unenviable job of taking it. He stabbed at the ball without total conviction and Black was already leaping in the right direction to save and give City the trophy.
CITY: Black; Baker, Hodge, Lockhart, Maxted, Gutsell, Lawford (Seager), McGeehan (O’Brian), Tuite, Bonneywell (Brooke), Gough Click here to return to the News page
|
|||
