Starkey hat-trick stuns James as Goodricke secure Plate progress
Photograph by Maggie Aslet
LANGWITH FIRSTS 3 JAMES FIRSTS 1
A splendid second-half hat-trick from Bruce Starkey capped a lethal counter-attacking display from Langwith on Thursday lunchtime, condemning James firsts to their first defeat of College Cup 2010. Having led through James Offord’s composed fifth minute finish, James had looked odds on to cement their place in the last eight before Starkey struck in devastating fashion.
The first resulted from a pinpoint 40-yard pass from Danny Mullen in the deep, with Starkey outmuscling his defender to go one-on-one with goalkeeper Sam Clitheroe. He produced an ice-cool finish despite scorching temperatures on the Astroturf. With James committing too many players forward, including defender Oscar Lynch, in pursuit of the winner, Langwith broke three-on-two with Starkey again allowed to surge through. This time he blasted the ball past Clitheroe, sparking delirium amongst his teammates.
The coup de grâce arrived in the dying seconds: Paddy Sloane tussled with Joe Jenkinson down the left flank, managing to squirm free and bear down on goal, only for the James wing-back to slide tackle him. Starkey, the only choice as penalty taker, slammed the ball high into the net, guessing the keeper no chance despite guessing correctly.
James, who have looked superb in their opening matches, will be kicking themselves at the manner of the defeat. They dominated the opening period but failed to generate, or convert, enough chances. Their profligacy was punished in the most uncompromising way by a Langwith team who many thought were doomed in a testing group containing Halifax and Goodricke seconds, but who now will most likely top the table.
You never quite know with Langwith, the most unpredictable team in College Football. Two minutes before kick-off, they had just eight players assembled with the heads and stomachs of those present lamenting the early start. Thankfully, the yellow and black cavalry appeared right on time from the East, making a full compliment.
Bruce Starkey blasts home his second goal despite the attentions of Oscar Lynch and Sam Clitheroe. Photograph by George Lowther.
But James looked uncompromising and, after Offord and Mark Johnson had tuned to the right wavelength in the opening moments, forcing Langwith goalkeeper Tom Lambert into brave evasive action, the former opened the scoring on five minutes. Striding onto a clever ball into the left channel, the striker showed great composure to round Lambert and roll the ball home. At this point, you would have been forgiven for putting money on a heavy James victory.
At times, their football was intricate, if not incisive, and Oscar Lynch should have doubled the lead when left unmarked in the box from Mark McLeod’s corner. But that was pretty much it and Langwith showed signs of promise late in the first-half, notably when Starkey was hauled down in the penalty area, only for the official to wave away vocal appeals.
James seemed caught in two minds as the second period started – to preserve or press for a second goal. The usually faultless passing radar of Johnson and McLeod seemed slightly awry and the defensive line started to push forward all too readily. Starkey was determined to take full advantage, firing first into the side netting and then forcing Clitheroe to make a reaction block.
His equaliser only exacerbated James’s dilemma, with Lynch playing practically centre forward at times, alongside Offord, Johnson and Alex Collins, and aided by the wing-backs bombing forward. Johnson wafted a shot wide and the gung-ho tactics were punished when Langwith took the lead following a three-on-two.
Sloan’s penalty confirmed that James had committed too much in pursuit of glory, Jenkinson the only covering defender. They say every cloud has a silver lining and James will maybe be relieved to get the inevitable big tournament blip out of the way. Langwith, meanwhile, should savour the moment.
James Offord rounds Tom Lambert in the act of opening the scoring for James in the fifth minute. Photograph by George Lowther.
James Firsts: Sam Clitheroe, Joe Jenkinson, John Carroll, Oscar Lynch, James Loftus, Aquilino De Girolamo (Simon Mole), Mark Johnson, Mark McLeod, Richard Baxter, Alex Collins, James Offord
Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Mark McLeod
Langwith Firsts: Tom Lambert, Luke Gardener, Liam Condron, Matt Wilcox, Laurence Chetwynd, Duncan Sills, Callum Sheridan, Danny Mullen, Patrick Khosravi, Bruce Starkey, Patrick Sloan
Substitute (not used): Tom Parker
Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Bruce Starkey
GOODRICKE SECONDS 3 HALIFAX SECONDS 1
Goodricke seconds came from behind in fine fashion to win this College Cup battle with Halifax. In blistering conditions down on the Astroturf, goals from John Sharp, Sam Lewis and Nick Dheir overhauled an early header by Harry Gompertz.
With Halifax unable to fully exploit the pace of their front line, Goodricke were decent value for the three points, with the more experienced heads in the team settling the game. Captain Nick Dheir certainly had few complaints about the performance in the game’s aftermath and highlighted Ollie Braid’s towering centre-half showing for the Man of the Match accolade.
Halifax started brightly and took the lead on ten minutes as Gompertz was left with the simplest of headers after reading a perfect cross from Luke Charles at the back stick. Goodricke equalised shortly before the break through Sharp, who applied the telling touch in a game of penalty box pinball.
After the impressive Halifax defender Dom Petschak had seen his free-kick saved by Matt Brennan early in the second-half, Goodricke took control through Lewis’s 30-yard strike. Goalkeeper Dean Hanson got a strong hand to this missile but was unable to prevent the first-team crossover getting on the scoresheet.
Dheir’s goal was almost a replica of Halifax’s, heading home after escaping the attentions of his marker from Lewis’s inswinging corner. Goodricke could have added to their tally, but John Crawley skewed wide from six yards after Christian Hammer had seen his shot blocked.
Halifax open the scoring through Harry Gompertz’s header in the first-half, but they were pegged back by Goodricke. Photograph by Peter Iveson.
Goodricke Seconds: Matt Brennan, Ollie Braid, Sam Astbury, Dave Driver, John Crawley, Michael Brooks, Nick Dheir, Sam Lewis, John Sharp, Matt Sutherland, Christian Hammer
Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Ollie Braid
Halifax Seconds: Dean Hanson, Tom Patrickson, Alex Simon, Harry Gompertz (Anton Ellis), Dom Petschak, Joe Woods, Ben Rea, Alex Reid, Luke Charles, Sahil Sha, Jason Winstanley (Fraser Moyle)
Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Tom Patrickson
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What’s Rocky Balboa doing in net for James in that picture above??!!
ADRIAAAAAAN