Attenborough Colts 0 Hucknall Sports U13's 5
Saturday 12th March 2005
The end of Season 2004/2005
is set to be an exhilarating experience for Hucknall Sports U13’s and their
dedicated fans. The trauma of 2
semi-final matches has borne the fruit of a thoroughly deserved Final place in
the YEL Trophy competition, and despite there being still 4 league matches yet
to play, their secured promotion into Division 2 for next season, only needs to
be contested as Division Champions or runners up.
Hucknall regrouped to save face
in this week’s Semi-Final encounter, this time away to the formidable Colts of
Attenborough who are currently 7 places above Hucknall in a Division 2 mid-table
spot. Hucknall got off to their
usual tense but flying start, determined to take control of the game, keeping
the lions share of the ball, managing to root themselves firmly in their
opponents half of the pitch. It
took just 11 minutes for Hucknall to break the Attenborough defence, a close
range shot from Vijay Digpal was spilled high into the path of the inbound Jan
Westrik, who instinctively chested the ball into the net for his 10th
goal of the season.
Colts did well to hold the 1
goal deficit up until half time, and showed their best chances of squaring the
game within the first 10 minutes of the restart, testing the Hucknall ‘keeper
Joshua Priestley on a number of occasions, forcing him to make some fine saves,
one effort from a corner bounced along the full length of the cross bar before
going behind, suggesting luck was not going to aid a home comeback.
Their spirits were somewhat further dampened when Sam Sims took two
attempts to score, the ‘keeper spilling the first for Sims to make absolutely
sure from the rebound on 50 minutes.
Reassured by their now
comfortable lead, Hucknall resumed their forceful presence on the pitch. A
characteristic, unstoppable volley from Shaun Holmes connecting with a deflected
Alex Featherstone corner, barely dipping from the full 18 yard line to nearly
rip the net from the goal posts. A
Colts defender wisely avoided any contact with the ball, in fear of joining the
projectile in the back of the goal. Westrik
bagged a lucky second 6 minutes later, when an opportune close range tap-in
rebounded off both the ‘keeper and the back of a defender to fall over the
line.
The “pièce de résistance” came when a superbly delivered Kane Barker cross fell to the perfectly positioned, Man-of-the-Match striker Vijay Digpal, culminating his consistent efforts throughout the game in delivering the fifth and final goal of the contest just 2 minutes from time, securing beyond doubt Hucknall Sports’ place in the YEL Trophy Final, to be played on 14th April 2005 against Bulwell Rangers.