Late Westley penalty saves York’s blushes after tense finale
York Men’s 1sts 5
Abertay Men’s 1sts 4
After a comfortable start, York had to fight hard at the end to win 5-4 in a dramatic match against Abertay University that sees York through to the third round of the BUSA knockout plate. York went 2-0 up in the first half after goals from Fergus Shields and James Hume and looked comfortable, but complacency from the home side saw that the game was taken into extra time after Abertay scored a late equaliser.
York were made to battle hard for their victory over Scottish team Abertay University
Photo: Robert Duvall
It looked all but over for York as the Scots took the lead in extra time after a short corner was converted by Abertay’s Chris Gillis, but the score was levelled in controversial fashion after a penalty flick was awarded after repeated charging of the line on a York short corner.
York looked the stronger of the two sides at the end, breaking in the dying seconds and being rewarded for their efforts with yet another short corner. Captain Dan Westley converted with a searing shot to win the game.
The conditions were far from ideal in the build-up to the game as strong winds and rain threatened to dampen the spirits of the two sides. However, from the very start York attacked with purpose, frequently finding space down the left channel through the no. 10, Ben Griffiths.
The home side were almost rewarded for their efforts eight minutes in when Fergus Shields hit the post after a counter attack that left the Scottish side questioning their strength at the back. This was not the case for York though, who had the Abertay attacking force under control to the extent that the away side frequently resorted to unsuccessful high flicks to progress up the pitch.
The first goal came after just 14 minutes, when patient build-up left Billy Walsh to pass into the path of Shields, whose shot gave the York team a well-deserved lead.
Further joy came for York when James Hume took advantage of the space York were creating down the left to score past the reserve keeper after the starting goalkeeper was taken off the pitch due to a leg injury. However, things started to fall apart for the home side in the second half as Abertay came back with a new-found desire for the game. Two goals from Gavin Tomlinson saw the Scots hold on as full time approached.
Going into extra time there were doubts from officials as to whether the game could continue, as the AU had not booked the pitch in case of a draw after full time. A number of footballers were left to sit in the sports centre as the game eventually continued.
The start was scrappy, with both sides scoring from almost identical short corners in the space of three minutes to take the score to 3-3. It was Abertay who were to break the deadlock after the York defence took a prolonged battering, with Chris Gillis scoring from a short corner to give the away side a shaky lead.
With less than five minutes left, York intercepted a wayward Abertay pass and broke again down the left side that had given them so much joy in the first half. The attack led to a short corner which was shrouded in controversy when the decision was taken by the referee to send off an Abertay player and award York a penalty flick after the Scots frequently charged the line in an attempt to run down the clock. The flick was converted and the game was all square at 4-4.
With the Abertay keeper shaken after fainting from the penalty, the momentum was with York in the dying seconds. The game was buried when York captain Dan Westley blasted past a defeated Abertay side with the last shot of the game, finishing the scores at 5-4.
