Dogged Derwent Deny Faultering Fax

Halifax had most of the early ball but could not really fashion a clear cut chance through all their possession. Despite dominating the ball, Halifax fell behind somewhat against the run of play when James Grey cleverly played in Lacaille to smash past the goal keeper. This goal seemed to invigorate Derwent as they wento on to play the better football for the rest of the half. Their best chance to extend the lead came courtesy of an indirect free-kick taken pro-evo style as the ball was laid off to Grey who feigned to shoot before manoeuvring the ball around the wall and thundering a 25 yard strike against the cross bar.

Derwent led going into the break and this is where their advantage ended as Halifax came out and played all the football in the second half. They eventually equalised through a superb long range volley from Charles who wheeled away as if he scores them every week. Halifax perhaps should have gone onto win but Derwent did threaten again after the introduction of Liam ‘The Launcher’ Griffin and his long throws.

The other game in the group saw a very efficient looking Wentworth firsts easily beat Vanbrugh thirds 5-0. A hat-trick from Russ Kitson and a brace from Dave White gave Wenty a deserved win. Goals came from all sorts of avenues as Wenty dominated through long throws and corners as well as well worked through balls and passing. I would like to give Wentworth more credit than this report gives but I was refereeing the game and as those in attendance would testify, I barely saw anything.

Tuesday was a tale of two hat-tricks as Mark Johnson and Ed Murrills set up easy victories for James first and Alcuin firsts respectively. James easily beat a Goodricke thirds side who limp out of the competition without scoring a goal. The first goal of the game came in farcical fashion as Goodricke keeper Matt Brennan was given an awful back pass which he failed to control allowing James Offord to bundle the ball into the empty net. Brennan soon redeemed himself with two good saves after Offard was put through one-on-one and again when Offard shot from inside the’D’. Goodricke were limited to tame long efforts and went in pretty flattered at 1-0 down at half time.

The second half saw the James superiority turn into goals as Johnson scored his first after sliding in a rebound from a Matt Vermeulen shot. Simon Mole made it 3-0 with a scorching 25 yard volley which was still rising as it hit the net. Johnson completed the rout with two goals of supreme quality. First he beat a few men before hitting a powerful effort that gave Brennan no chance before his hat-trick was sealed with his left peg, 20 yards out from an angle.

Alcuin firsts also had a big win, hitting four past Wentworth seconds, but the game was not as comfortable as the score line makes out. Alcuin included graduate Ollie Webb and it will be interesting to see what the reaction is to him playing if he gets involved in the knockout stages as Alcuin will be without the influential Jake Delaney.

It was Wentworth who started the brighter and had a couple of chances to take the lead but a long shot and one-on-one were spurned before Murrills opened the scoring by hitting the top corner from distance. The goal did nothing to dampen Wentworth and they again went close after a long throw caused brief panic in the Alcuin box. For all their effort, they couldn’t score and were punished just before half time as Paris Williams latched onto a through ball and prodded the ball over the keeper.

The second half was more business like from Alcuin as they took control and could have added to their lead but for some top keeping after a mazy run from Dan Cox. Wentworth still posed a threat on the break but after Dan Hyde was brought down after a burst forward, Murrills put the game beyond doubt by curling in the resulting free-kick. Three became four as Murrills secured the match ball by powering the ball into the roof of the net in the closing stages.

All the third teams have now completed their league campaign and it is down to the first and second teams to decide who goes through, who can compete for the plate and who goes home. On Saturday, The Yorker will have an in depth look at who needs what in their final group games.

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