Nouse.co.uk » Win or bust for Vanbrugh against Derwent in 11.00am barnburner

Win or bust for Vanbrugh against Derwent in 11.00am barnburner

June 9, 2009
Dan Hyde

Photo: George Lowther

Vanbrugh face favourites Derwent Firsts today knowing that they need at least a win to progress to the quarter-finals stage.

At 11.00am on the JLD Astroturf the two teams will match up in what has become, by some stretch, the biggest game of the group stages thus far. An ingnominious defeat to Goodricke Seconds a few weeks back has Vanbrugh’s cup hopes hanging by a thread going into today’s critical encounter.

The problem for Vanbrugh will be a Derwent defence of Greg Gardner, Jack Amiry, Mark Worrall or David Slater and Dom Henney that is yet to concede a goal in three games; and a strikeforce of Dreamz Murphy supplied by the rumbunctuous, rampaging Chris Barnett in midfield. These impressive parts have made Derwent favourites for the competition as a whole.

By their own admission last term’s league winners Vanbrugh have yet to find any sort of form in the competition and will rely heavily on the finishing prowess of the experienced University Firsts striker Mark Gouland for the goals needed to send them through.

After Dreamz Murphy started an Alex Ferguson-style war of words last week claiming that “they’re already out; we will beat them”, Vanbrugh midfield dynamo Matt Oliver agreed that “we’ve been poor so far”. But if this team plays to its potential, it can snatch a win today – and then anything is possible after they’ve had the opportunity to regroup for the latter stages.