Football Mens 1sts
York 0 - Lancaster 1
Ten-man Lancaster claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory in a tense and often fraught affair as Roses 2007 drew to a close.
Although York had already been announced as overall victors, it was a nervous atmosphere and the weight of expectation was reflected in the early exchanges as both sides looked overcome by the occasion.
Both teams played with great energy but little urgency as the midfielders pressurised the ball well, and prevented any prolonged periods of possession. It took until the 21st minute for the first chance to be fashioned from a tidy move down the right-side by York building up to an open opportunity which striker Dan O’Shea dragged wide of the left-hand post.
The first opportunity signalled a change in approach from both sides as they looked to create more down the channels, but clear chances were generally thwarted by the dominant aerial performances from both central defences.
However, the opening and ultimately decisive goal came against the run of play came in the 25th minute. A ferociously whipped in free-kick from Lancaster was met with a tame header from the commanding centre-back James Hopkins but managed to find its way thorough several players and into the bottom left corner, as York goalkeeper Ben Taylor was left stranded.
Despite the setback, York recovered well, forcing three corners in quick succession from open play, but went into half-time a goal down.
The start of the second period saw a greater attacking threat from both teams as Lancaster looked to finish the game off. However it was York who looked the more dangerous. A powerful run from right-winger John Seale produced an opening in the middle only for captain Dan Browne to hit a speculative overhead kick high and wide.
Play remained fragmented and frenetic, with chances few and far between. It took the sending-off of Lancaster player Paul Reay for foul and abusive language to reinvigorate a tiring crowd.
Despite the renewed sense of optimism, and the ten-man advantage York were starting to look jaded and lacked offensive penetration as Lancaster looked to run out time on the clock by holding the ball up on the wings.
Substitutions were made on either wing by the home side as they attempted to inject greater pace down the underexposed flanks. However Lancaster worked hard, pressurising the ball well within their own half of the field and defending deep to prevent exposing themselves to the dangerous pace of the York forwards.
It took until injury time to see the next attempt on goal from a free-kick on the edge of the Lancaster penalty box. All 11 men were sent forward for York including goalkeeper Ben Taylor, and a great opportunity was spurred as the set-piece was drilled into a Lancaster player.
The final seconds saw increasing pressure on the Lancaster back-line from a series of resulting corners, but it was not to be for York as Lancaster broke free and missed an open net with Taylor stranded up field. As the keeper took the goal kick, the referee signalled the end of the match. Lancashire celebrated, but in truth both teams knew they could have won.
Speaking after the game, centre forward Pardeep Singh expressed his disappointment at his own performance. He said: “It was always going to be a scrappy, poor game of football. The chances were few and far between, but they got the ball down and played it around better than us.”
“The crowd played a big part in making a tense match but Roses is a special atmosphere and it was great to play in it.”
Analysis: Long ball game fails
The opinion of Lancaster’s captain, Neil Morgan, that they were playing against a “poor side” was an overly harsh judgement on York’s efforts, but the home team’s tactics failed to take advantage of their strengths.
In a game characterised by battling midfield performances from both sides, it was the visitor’s advantage in height that won them the game. Yet if York had stuck to what they had done best throughout the match, keeping the ball on the deck and spreading it out to the wide men, then they may have walked away with some of the points.
Booting high balls into the box was understandable in the last five minutes as York stretched for the equaliser they probably deserved, yet they had maintained this strategy with poor returns for the majority of the match. With the front men unable to hold-up the ball, the tall Lancaster defence dealt easily with the York pressure. Attack after attack was swatted away, and although the York defence dealt admirably with Lancaster’s similar tactic, they were ultimatly more effective.
In fact it was when the home team kept the ball on the ground, playing it out wide and displaying nice touches, that they achieved the most. The wide men often managed to get behind the Lancaster back line when given the chance, and low crosses across the area in the first half could so nearly have been buried in the back of the net.
Morgan’s further observation that it was an “awful and scrappy game” seemed closer to the truth, yet this was always going to be the case. Despite the fact that the Roses were virtually in the bag by the time the match started, the big games of the weekend always have that extra level of tension. As a result the tie had a cup-final feel to it; unfortunately this produced cup final football. Both sides gave away countless niggling fouls, which the referee could perhaps have limited with more discipline and better use of his cards.
Despite the superior height of the Lancaster team, the midfield battle was even, with Dan Brown, York’s captain, excelling himself in getting stuck in. The game started at a frenetic pace, yet neither side managed to settle into a rhythm with no one being allowed any time on the ball.
The stop-start nature of the game played into the away team’s hands, and although the goal came against the run of play, the difference in height proved the decisive factor.
From that point in, Lancaster were not going to be bothered by the lack of fluidity and they would have scored more if it was not for the brilliance of York’s keeper, the home team’s man of the match.
As the crowd became more vocal at the end, urging York to find an equaliser, a succession of corners just failed to find a vital breakthrough. Both teams will have gone away feeling as if they had been in a tough game, yet York could be excused for wondering what could so nearly have been.
Spectator
Ben Taylor? Dan Browne? Which game were the Nouse reporters watching?