The B&B Trophy Semi Finals

The B&B Semis got underway this week. After the enjoyable and entertaining quarter finals both David and I were looking forward to the semi finals. As fate would have it we both had 2 teams apiece in the last four so the Trophy was still up for grabs for either a Brookfield or Bonfire Alliance team.

The semi final draw had brought a coming together of Champions in the form of Flimside the Brookfield Champions against Alliance winners Southover United. Two sides who showed in their respective quarter final ties their pedigree of being winners.

But first onto the table were Cliffe Town the Alliances form team of late against Eastroke United. Both teams finished second in their respective leagues both had chances to be crowned champions unfortunately it was not to be.

Cliffe Town v Eastroke United 1st Leg 

Eastroke started the better and were quick out of the blocks. Inside a minute they had their first chance Fellaini and Royle exchanged passes just outside the shooting area, Royle set Barkley free down the left, who slipped the ball back to Royle, whose first time effort was just wide. It wasn’t long before Eastroke’s midfield passing game created another chance this time Morrissey hit a thunderbolt from just inside the shooting area, producing a fine save from Warner in the Cliffe goal. Cliffe now saw a little more possession but found it difficult to break down a packed Eastroke defence. After 5 minutes Eastroke broke down the left, Barkley, fed Morrissey who in turn fed Royle unmarked in the centre who was able to side foot home for the visitors.

Cliffe responded almost immediately Ally Brown set Howard Vaughton up who fired in the equaliser. This seemed to rattle Eastroke a little they became content with playing the ball around the midfield but a mistake from Hertinga gave the ball away to Cliffe’s Archie Hunter whose first touch set himself up for a shot to give the diving Gordon West no chance. So Cliffe went in at half time 2-1 up.

Eastroke in the second half started the better and pushed Cliffe back and forced an early corner, the corner was delivered with perfection to Felaini who hit the upright, and it was Felaini again a minute later who received the ball from Joe Royle to again strike the same post. Eastroke were now in the ascendency, Morrissey this time put Ross Barkley through whose shot beat the outstretched arms of Jimmy Warner and hit the bar. Cliffe try as they might were finding life difficult and to make matters worse gifted Morrissey a shot who this time made no mistake in firing home for the equaliser. The final few minutes saw a little more effort from Cliffe but without worrying the Eastroke defence.

FT: Cliffe Town 2 v Eastroke United 2

 

 

Eastroke United equalise after some slack marking from Cliffe Town

Eastroke United v Cliffe Town 2nd Leg

Following their fine performance at Greyston, Cliffe Town were soon on the attack, with Richard Davies and Howard Vaughton combining down the right to set up a chance for Ally Brown, whose shot was saved by West. 

Eastroke responded when a long pass from Ian Snodin found Fellaini, who exchanged passes with Royle before the big number 9 shot just wide. This set the pattern for the first half, with Barkley, Morrissey and Royle, again, all having shots on goal saved by Jimmy Warner, and Snodin also going close, when his shot struck a post and rebounded to the keeper.

Cliffe Town also had their share of attacks, but found Dave Watson, Heitinga and Idrissa Gueye all doing very effective man marking jobs.

The start of the second half continued in the same manner, With Nevin shooting wide for the home side, although as the match progressed Eastroke, going all out for the win, began to leave gaps in defence, and Brown, Hunter, Vaughton and Dennis Hodgetts all had chances, which kept West busy.

The save of the match, though, occurred midway through the half, when Morrissey, put through by Snodin’s crossfield pass, sent a thunderbolt goalwards, which somehow, Warner not only got behind, but managed to turn it around the post, despite the momentum of the shot knocking the keeper himself into the goal. After this, it all seemed rather harsh for both Warner and Town that Pat Nevin finally broke the deadlock, slotting the ball home from Barkley’s pass.

Still both keepers were kept busy, without being really tested. It had been an incredible cup tie; incredible that it ended 1-0 rather than 5-4 to either side.

FT: Eastroke United 1 v Cliffe Town 0 (Eastroke United win 3-2 on aggregate)

 

 

Southover United v Flimside 1st Leg

Billed as the battle of the champions everyone concerned was hoping it would live up to the hype. The first half kicked off with Flimside who quickly gave the ball away some neat passing saw Bertie Hall shooting from the corner of the penalty area only for Wood to make a terrific stop but the ball spun away from him and Joe Bache followed up to score. After consulting his linesman the referee disallowed the goal because Flimside’s Roger Kenyon was adjudged closer to the ball than Bache. Southover were quickly on the attack again and Billy Brawn put an unmarked Hall through who beat Wood at his near post for the opening goal. A minute later Harry Hampton’s first touch put the ball into the shooting area, and fired a blistering shot past the covering defender Gaberiel, and the despairing Wood to put the home team 2 up.

Flimside try as they might made few chances and Southover were content to keep a solid back line. Just before half time Southover again broke this time down the right were there was an abundance of space Billy Brawn from this position crossed to Bache who side footed past Wood for the home teams third.

The Second half saw Southover again take control and won a corner from a Garraty shot which was well saved by the busy Wood. Flimside seemed to wake up at this point and enjoyed some great passing breaching the Southover defence on three occassions, hitting the post, and bar, and forcining a finger tip save from Billy George. With 4 minutes to go all this Flimside pressure paid off when Bob Latchford spun around and putting the ball in front of Nick Barmby who gave George no chance of stopping the blistering shot. From the restart Southover were quickly up into Flimside’s shooting area and Bache yet again let fly and Harry Hampton deflected the ball straight into the top corner, again the referee went to the linesman and after consultation disallowed the goal as Hampton was adjudged offside. The final 3 minutes belonged to Flimside in there quest to decrease the deficit and another away goal. They were almost rewarded when Parkinson, Baird, and Latchford combined, and Latchford again forced another excellent save from George who tipped the ball around the post. The final whistle blew shortly afterwards. It was definitely a game of 2 halves with Southover taking their chances in the first and Flimside creating some excellent chances but failing to convert in the second. The scoreline has given Southover a great chance of reaching the final, But don’t discount Flimside just yet, on this showing they could on another day turn this tie around.

FT: Southover 3 v Flimside 1

 

 

Flimside v Southover United 2nd Leg

We think Southover may have sent some spies over to watch Flimside in their last BL match, which they lost 1-0, to a Reiver Forest team who outnumbered them in defence, and continually sent long passes forward into areas where this compact Filimside outfit didn’t want the ball.

Southover played them in the same manner, making good use of wide areas in midfield, and playing long passes towards a corner flag, thus taking away much of the home side’s momentum, and giving their own defence more time to reset their positions.

What this produced was a match of few chances, although high on tension throughout. Southover’s forward line played well as a unit, and a passing move out of defence, started by Alf Miles and Jack Windmill, ended with a Joe Bache shot saved by George Wood. From the resulting corner, Bertie Hall’s shot was blocked by someone inside a crowded goalmouth, and became an easy pick up for Wood.

A few minutes later, Bache had another scoring opportunity, when his mishit shot was almost deflected into his own net by Brian Bason. Flimside’s chances were few, although Ian Baird shot wide when Bob Latchford flicked on Nick Barmby’s pass to him. The first half ended just after Bache played the ball out to Hall, but Bason headed the ball away, this time in the right direction.

Having unsettled Filimside in the first half, Southover really got their game flowing from the start of the second, with Hall and Billy Brawn both going close to giving them the lead. Generally, however, Flimside defended well, without making much progress over the halfway line.

Five minutes from time, the visitors finally got the goal they deserved, although it wasn’t without some controversy. Bache intercepted a clearance and immediately played the ball to the right, where Brawn played a one-two with Billy Garraty, striking a firm shot from wide, which stuck in the side netting, just behind the post. Flimside’s defenders thought the ball hadn’t fully crossed the line,

but the referee, without the aid of either goal line technology or a Russian linesman, was in no doubt and awarded the goal.

Despite their few attempts in the second half, Flimside threw everything at their visitors, and were rewarded with a last minute equaliser from Ian Baird, from Kenny Brown’s pass down the right.

It gave them a fortunate result from a game in which they had contributed little in the attacking half.

FT: Flimside 1 v Southover United 1 (Southover United win 4-2 on aggregate)

 

 

The Final Awaits The Winners

So Eastroke United will play Southover United in the inaugural B&B Trophy. Both David and I have enjoyed the competition so far, and it’s worked out better than both of us had expected, we both have a team in the final so no draw to see who plays with what team had 2 teams from the same league reached the final. It’s been an interesting project and very enjoyable to play. It’s ended my season brilliantly, and has been a similar experience for David although it has been for him more of a pre-season tournament considering he started his 14th Brookfield league season recently.

Keep On Flicking

Ian and David