Alcuin and Derwent secure their quarter-final passage
Photograph by George Lowther
DERWENT FIRSTS 2
WENTWORTH SECONDS 0
In a scrappy affair of few chances, Derwent firsts rounded off their group stages with a fairly comfortable 2-0 win over Wentworth seconds. Goals in each half from Joe Broughtflower, who made an effortless transition from the seconds at right-back, and Ben Smith were enough to see off the challenge of a Wentworth side who will fancy their chances in the Plate.
With the possible exception of glimpses in the 3-0 victory against Vanbrugh seconds, Derwent have not fully hit their stride in Group C but have secured passage to a likely quarter-final with James through a series of workmanlike performances, taking chances when they have fallen their way. Today, some of their passing and movement in the second-half livened up an otherwise uninspiring game and will cause problems in the tournament’s later stages.
As skipper Rich Rhodes acknowledged afterwards, Wentworth gave an excellent account of themselves here – defending stoutly throughout, they were undone only by a momentary loss of concentration and Smith’s composed finish. Goodricke seconds, who lie in wait in the Plate last eight, will not relish the prospect of having to shackle Dom Green and Samik Datta in Wentworth’s front line.
The first goal came shortly before half-time, with Broughtflower, who had bombed forward more in hope than anticipation, left with the simplest of tap-ins after Ed Lacaille managed to squeeze the ball across the face of goal. It was what the game desperately needed, having been nothing more than a collection of half-chances and optimistic potshots until this point in an even opening 20 minutes.
The second killed the contest with little more than ten minutes remaining – Chris Barnett looked left and delivered a well-timed pass to the unmarked Smith, who had time to weigh up his options before finishing with good placement past Dan Horsfall in the Wentworth goal. Alex Cooper, who was excellent on the left flank and scooped the Man of the Match gong, nearly capped his performance with a goal late on, but fired wide. Wentworth’s best opening came when Yuhei Fujita found himself with a clear sight of goal but the playmaker couldn’t get a clean connection and his shot fizzled wide.
“I thought we played brilliantly,” said Rhodes afterwards. “We were in the game for the whole match, whereas previously we have sometimes faded away. I feel we have a really good chance against Goodricke twos.”
Derwent celebrate their opening goal after 25 minutes, as Joe Broughtflower (second from left) taps in at the far post. Photograph by George Lowther.
Derwent Firsts: David Attwood, Dom Henney, Paul Ward-Jones, Steve Walwyn, Joe Broughtflower, Alex Cooper, Chris Barnett, Matt Hallam, John Pinkstone (Matt O’Connor), Ben Smith, Ed Lacaille
Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Alex Cooper
Wentworth Seconds: Dan Horsfall, Stephen Harrap, Alan Burns, Matt Glover (Matt Beacham), Chris Mulligan, Rich Rhodes, Simon Felgett, Jiang Xie (Ko Ando), Samik Datta, Yuhei Fujita, Dom Green
Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Matt Glover
ALCUIN FIRSTS 6 VANBRUGH THIRDS 0
Alcuin will enter the College Cup knockout stages in a rich vein of form after hitting Vanbrugh thirds for six on Thursday afternoon. A hat-trick by Christy Cormac was added to by strikes from Joe Cooper, Miles McDermott and Dan Cox in an ominous exhibition of their abundant attacking threat.
McDermott, the captain, scored the pick of the goals – a terrific finish from the edge of the penalty area just before half-time after his initial free-kick ricocheted back into his path off the wall – and urged his players post-match to step up to the plate once again. “I want to win this tournament, but we’ve got to make sacrifices in order to win,” he barked.
Having completed their group stage without difficulty, racking up 13 goals in the process, Alcuin will expect a stern examination from James in the quarter-finals next week, but the skipper believes his side have what it takes to retain the trophy. “I wanted us to send out a message today and we’ve done that. We have a great chance against James; we just need to maintain the same attitude.”
While a rout of Vanbrugh thirds, the only thirds team to pick up a point thus far, is perhaps not the best barometer of whether Alcuin are truly on the brink of glory, it is worth remembering that Jack Crane, Jake Delaney, Parris Williams and Dan Cox were all absent from the starting eleven today.
Miles McDermott celebrates scoring Alcuin’s fourth goal, shortly before half-time – a sweetly struck shot from the edge of the penalty area. Photograph by George Lowther.
It took all of two minutes to hit their stride on a wind-lashed Astroturf here – from the game’s first attack, Cooper bundled the ball in from close range after Udy Onwudike’s shot had been saved by James Wilson. The goalkeeper had done well to get a block on the forward’s effort, after Ali Laird’s initial try was deflected, but the ball dropped nicely to Cooper for his fourth goal of the tournament.
And it was quickly two, Cormac forcing the ball home from similarly close quarters after the unfortunate Onwudike again saw his header parried away by the Vanbrugh keeper. It was already verging on the training ground exercise and Simon Reiss, one of Alcuin’s defensive trio in an adaptable 3-5-2 formation, felt confident enough to stride forward and test his luck from 25 yards, forcing a block from Wilson’s legs.
McDermott delivered the perfect corner for Cormac to double his tally with a well-placed header and he had an opportunity to make it a first-half hat-trick only to send his shot wide. Laird too could have made it four when bustling through, before McDermott got the goal his performance warranted.
Cox came off the bench to notch the fifth, sending the ball past Wilson with finesse before Cormac rounded things off late on with a cool finish despite strong suspicions of offside. It didn’t matter, the score could have been any number by this point and Alcuin’s championship credentials had been well and truly asserted.
A typcially chaotic penalty area scene in today’s match as James Wilson, the Vanbrugh goalkeeper, tries to clear the ball under pressure from Alcuin’s Udy Onwudike and Christy Cormac. Photograph by George Lowther.
Alcuin Firsts: Michael Wynd, Paul Reiss, Simon Reiss, Bradley Wood, Matt Stopforth, Miles McDermott, Phil Bowers, Ali Laird (Jack Crane), Christy Cormac, Joe Cooper (Dan Cox), Udy Onwudike
Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Christy Cormac
Vanbrugh Thirds: James Wilson, James Salt, Josh Gilboy, Phil Madden, Ben Keane (Jon Adams), Andy Dakin, Max Walter, Alex Willings, Mark Comber, Tom Spring (Joe McGrady), Ben Kirkby
Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Josh Gilboy
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Vanburgh will still win the cup
“A hat-trick by Christy Cormac was added to by strikes from Joe Cooper, Miles McDermott and Dan Cox in an ominous exhibition of their abundant attacking threat.”
“…it is worth remembering that Jack Crane, Jake Delaney, Parris Williams and Dan Cox were all absent from the starting eleven today.”
Did Dan Cox play or not?
Ignore that I misread it.
“I thought we played brilliantly,” said Rhodes afterwards”
Typical modesty from Rhodes. From what I saw of the game, he was terrible.
I thought he played well, but that’s neither here nor there. What he said was that WE played brilliantly, which considering Derwent (pre-tournament second favourites) firsts only managed to put two past us and we had a couple of chance ourselves, that’s not an unreasonable statement.
I’d be very interested to know who was at the match and thinks they know Rich so well that they can comment on both his performance and his personality.
Or is this simply Samuel Norman Seaborne pursuing his petty vendetta?
I retired in season 4, and couldn’t care less about this, Dan.