College cup week 5 review

Derwent trouble Wentworth's defence again

This week's results were as follows:

Monday:

• Halifax 1sts 1 - 0 James 2nds

• Alcuin 1sts 4 - 1 Langwith 2nds

Tuesday:

• Goodricke 1sts 3 - 3 Vanbrugh 1sts

• Derwent 1sts 3 - 1 Wentworth 1sts

Thursday:

• Vanbrugh 2nds 3 - 2 Alcuin 2nds

• Goodricke 2nds 2 - 1 Derwent 3rds

In group 1 Alcuin 1sts have predictably navigated the group stage unscathed, scoring 9 points and 9 goals along the way. Langwith 2nds are pushing Halifax 1sts hard for 2nd place though and are currently ahead of the well-equipped Halifax 1st team on account of having scored more goals. The two meet at 11am on Monday in what will surely be a hotly contested fixture that Halifax 1sts have to win to save their blushes and avoid having to play in the Plate.

Halifax 1sts’ 1-0 win over James 2nds this week condemned James 2nds to last place but they’ll take confidence into the Plate from a display that frustrated Halifax, a sole Dom Green goal being the difference.

Group 2, the ‘group of death’, will go right to the wire as well. After a thrilling 3-3 draw Vanbrugh 1sts and Goodricke 1sts both have 4 points with one game to play with Halifax 2nds sitting ominously behind on 3 points ready to pounce and knockout either of the big hitters if they slip up in their final group game.

A rocketing Remington free-kick, a well worked Grafham goal and a sizzler from Silson put Goodricke in the driving seat at 3-1, but a fight back from Vanbrugh culminated in Gouland grabbing his second of the game which, after a Matt Richards goal, ensured the spoils were shared.

Derwent's Benjamin Smith poised to deliver yet another vicious cross against Wentworth

Tuesday’s other match saw Derwent 1sts ease past Wentworth 1sts 3-1 and seal their place in the next round after only two games. Lacaille (2) and an Alex Cooper header meant a late Derwent defensive lapse that allowed Wentworth only their second goal of their campaign was no more than a consolation.

Captain Chris Barnett, who was singled out as one-to-watch by college football guru and Alcuin captain Myles Preston last week, was obviously pleased to have qualified with a game to spare: “The Vanbrugh 2nds game is the day after Viking Raid so I’m glad it’s not so important now.” As for his team’s prospects he made no secret of his ambition when he said: “I genuinely think we’re one of the best teams in it and people don’t realise that. I’m confident we can prove people wrong.”

Although he didn’t score this week, Anton Murphy was singled out by Barnett as a dangerman. Murphy’s new found respect for college football has not gone unnoticed by his captain who admits he had doubts over the university 2nd team striker’s attitude until days before the tournament. However, an appearance at training and a brace against Alcuin 2nds mean Murphy should be safe from the subs' bench for a while yet!

Elsewhere in group 3 Vanbrugh 2nds’ 3-2 victory over Alcuin 2nds today mean they go through with Derwent 1sts, and as mentioned previously, the two meet on Tuesday to decide who’ll top the group and avoid Alcuin 1sts in the quarter-finals.

Perhaps the most open group is group 4 where all 4 teams are still in with a shout of qualification. Despite this James 1sts will be confident of getting through, only a heavy loss to qualifiers Derwent 3rds and a Goodricke 2nds win over Langwith 1sts could see them having to enter the Plate.

Derwent 3rds will be kicking themselves after letting an early lead slip against Goodricke 2nds. Derwent led thanks to a deflected Whitehouse free-kick but shortly before half-time Goodricke levelled and it came from full back Andy Case whose innocuous forward pass was brilliantly dummied by Adam Leadbitter to leave Dave Coupland through on the goal. Coupland will claim he was trying to improve on the greatest goal that never was; when Pele dummied the ball and ran round the Uruguay goalkeeper only to miss the resultant open goal in the 1970 World Cup. But it seems more likely Coupland was hurried by the onrushing goalkeeper Ben Lake and subsequently fluffed his lines. Either way the ball trickled past the both of them and into the corner of the net, meaning Case scored from 50 odd yards!

Sam Senchal was at the centre of attention for, mostly, the wrong reasons when he popped up from what appeared to be an obviously offside position to volley against the keeper and into the net from 8 yards. This drove the Derwent players berserk and soon after a fracas broke out with Senchal at the centre of it as he stood eyeball to eyeball with the equally vertically challenged, though considerably slighter, De Silva of Derwent. Accusations of elbows were rife from both sets of players but the referee did well to ignore the handbags and let play continue.

We was robbed!
Henry Clark, Derwent 3rds captain, on the loss to Goodricke 2nds

It finished 2-1 to Goodricke 2nds and leaves them needing probably only a point against Langwith 1sts to go through. In an ad hoc post-match interview manager Michael Sneddon could only muster: “Get in! We’re on our way to the quarters”. Derwent 3rds captain Henry Clark was equally succinct and to the point when asked about the possible offside for the winning goal: “We was robbed!”

So only one more week of group games. They are as follows:

Monday:

• Halifax 1sts vs Langwith 2nds

• Derwent 2nds vs Goodricke 1sts

Tuesday:

• Halifax 2nds vs Vanbrugh 1sts

• Derwent 1sts vs Vanbrugh 2nds

Thursday:

• Derwent 3rds vs James 1sts

• Langwith 1sts vs Goodricke 2nds

Monday's first game and Thursday's action are The Yorker's tips for entertainment this week as teams play each other in what will almost be a winner takes all situation. Tuesday's matches also offer this with Vanbrugh 1sts desperate to get through, whilst Derwent 1sts and Vanbrugh 2nds will fight to avoid favourites Alcuin 1sts.

Much to look forward to and as always The Yorker will be covering it: log on next week for the final group standings and draw for the quarter finals in both the main competition and the Plate.

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