Goalside Issue 235

Purple Patch 1sts win the Wentworth derby

Match Previews

Page 6

Page 7

Vision looks ahead to the Cup quarter-finals

College Cup 2013

Goalside

COLLEGE CUP QUARTER-FINAL HALIFAX 1STS 1-0 VANBRUGH 2NDS

Photo: Oliver Todd

MAWDING IT

Matt Mawdesley taps home the winner against Vanbrugh

2 <<<College Cup 2013>>>

Halifax 1sts 1 - 0 Vanbrugh 2nds

Maw

VISION's RATINGS...

Halifax 1sts JONNY SIM Largely untroubled throughout, Sim dealt calmly with any danger, and when he was beaten the referee came to his rescue.

6

KEIRAN GENNOY A solid showing from Gennoy, who dealt competently with the threat of Parish, but struggled to make a mark going forward.

6

ALEX TRINGHAM Another strong display by Tringham, this time at the heart of the defence, as he tackled cleanly and distributed play well.

7

MATT SEED Seed used his experience expertly to marshal the defence throughout, and won a number of key challenges to deny Vanbrugh.

7

MATT DARLING The Halifax captain continued his good form in the tournament, posing a potent threat with his surging bursts down the left.

7

ASH DALY As per usual Daly’s passing was tidy, and although he was unable to unlock the Vanbrugh defence, it was another good showing.

7

MATT MAWDESLEY Mawdesley’s goal separated the sides, and capped off an excellent all round performance in the engine room, as he dominated play.

8

DAN JONES A generally quiet game from Jones, who was unable to impose himself upon the Vanbrugh defence, despite his best efforts.

FAX HAV

6

CONNOR McCOY One of the stars of the tournament to date, McCoy started brightly but faded as the game went on, before being replaced late on.

6

TOM DAY Halifax’s talismanic forward linked up well with his teammates, and posed a constant threat for Vanbrugh with his clever play.

7

HAMISH DENHAM Denham’s pinpoint long throw set up the goal, but he also missed two chances, as he was far from his best at times.

6

SUBSTITUTIONS Connor Meckin (Denham, 44) Probed and worked hard after replacing Denham. 6 Craig Dean (McCoy, 58) No time to make an impact. 5

MATT MAWDESLEY’S second half tap in was the difference as Halifax 1sts progressed to the semi-finals of the College Cup at the expense of a dogged Vanbrugh 2nds.

Mawdesley scored the only goal of the game, burying a bullet Hamish Denham long throw eight minutes into the second half to seal the victory for his side.

Vanbrugh will be disappointed at the manner of the goal, having defended solidly and kept Halifax at arms length for large periods of the game.

They were unable to deal with the power of Denham’s notorious long throw and Mawdesley reacted where the Vanbrugh defenders didn’t, stealing in at the back post to snap up the chance before running over to embrace his provider.

Halifax had control of the game from the off, but Vanbrugh were determined not to make it easy for them. Brewer and Robonson kept it tight in central defence, whilst Dan Shepherd and Callum Woodall worked tirelessly in central midfield to try and limit the creativity of Mawdesley and Daly.

It was Mawdesley who triggered Halifax’s

first attack just two minutes into the game. He set Connor McCoy through down the left and the winger whipped in a delightful ball, which Dan Jones couldn’t steer past Williams in the Vanbrugh goal.

It was a let off for Vanbrugh, but things were evened up down the other end when a great chance for the underdogs to take the lead went begging.

Woodall robbed Mawdesley in midfield and spread the ball left to Parish, whose ball in was poor when Adam Lewis was waiting in space.

Despite Halifax controlling the game Vanbrugh did actually have the ball in the net first - a cracking half-volley from Dan Shepherd flew past Sim from 20 yards but play was pulled back for a Halifax free kick following a foul in the build up.

It was Day and Mawdesley who were causing most of the problems for Halifax. Day looked particularly dangerous when dropping deep whilst Mawdesley’s raking long passes down the right kept Cust on his toes.

It was a run down the middle from Mawdesley that almost gave ‘Fax the lead four minutes after the break however. He marauded through the centre and found Denham in space on the left but Vanbrugh right back Coy was too quick for him and the big centre for-

ward couldn’t manage a clean shot on goal.

He had another great chance to score a minute later when Tom Day pulled the ball back across the D from the right, but Denham’s shot went straight at a defender when he should have done better.

He compensated with his missile of a throw however, with Mawdesley’s simple finish proving once again what a weapon the long throw can be on the JLD. Vanbrugh’s best chance to snatch an equaliser cam on the 40 minute mark. Some good work from Lewis allowed him to find Shepherd, and the Vanbrugh captain shifted the ball left to Parish, whose powerful shot whistled just over Sim’s crossbar.

In truth though, Vanbrugh never really looked like breaking down a clearly stronger Halifax outfit.

Day and Daly fashioned two chances with some intricate inter-play late on for the men in white, both of which Daly shanked over the crossbar, before a harmless Tringham freekick signalled full time and confirmed Halifax’s place in the semi-finals.

“We were okay today, we didn’t play our best,” said Halifax captain Matt Darling.

“It’s all about knockout now. We kept a clean sheet, we kept rock solid and now we go again in the semi-finals.”

<<<College Cup 2013>>> 3

wdesley tap in puts Halifax in semis VISION's RATINGS...

VANBRUGH 2nds TOM WILLIAMS A solid showing from the shot stopper, who dealt with any danger cleanly, and had no chance with the Halifax goal.

7

JACK COY Vanbrugh’s right back battled well to deal with the lively McCoy, and despite a few shaky moments, was good throughout.

6

MAX BREWER Another excellent display from Brewer, this time for the 2nds, as he continues to be one of Vanbrugh’s most impressive players.

7

JAMES ROBINSON Against strong opposition, Robinson rose to the occasion, making numerous key challenges and a series of strong headers.

7

VE MAW

Photos: Oliver Todd

HENRY CUST Cust’s forward burst were limited as his side spent much of the game on the back foot, but defended well for large parts.

6

CALLUM WOODALL A good showing from Woodall, who matched Daly and Mawdesley in the midfield, and played a number of incisive passes.

7

KYLE PICKNELL Solid but not spectacular from Picknell, as he defended well but was unable to really dictate play in midfield as he would have liked.

6

DAN SHEPHERD Shepherd’s excellent first half strike was ruled out for a foul, and he appeared as one of Vanbrugh’s star performers.

7

JOHN SANDESRSON A quiet afternoon for Sanderson, who was unable to really run at Darling, and instead was restricted to the occasional burst.

6

MATCH STATISTICS Shots 3

23

Shots on Target 7

0

Fouls 4

5

Offsides 1

0

Corners 3

3

TOM PARSIH Parish worked hard, but squandered Vanbrugh’s best chance, as he blazed over the bar from 12 yards in the second half.

6

ADAM LEWIS Lewis showed glimpses in the first half as he threatened with his pace, but had less of an impact after the break, before being subbed.

6

SUBSTITUTIONS Matthew Parkes (Lewis, 50) Little time to make an impact, but still tried wilfully. 6

4 <<<College Cup 2013>>>

The Story of the Groups

James 1sts go goal-crazy while Langwith, Alcuin and Wentworth sides flounder THE OPENING five weeks of College Cup action has been filled with thrills and spills. True, there tended to be more of the latter, but there has been no shortage of memorable moments, colossal clashes and debatable decisions.

The big teams came through the group stages largely unscathed. Vanbrugh 1sts, Halifax 1sts and James 1sts each won five out of five, while Derwent 1sts and Goodricke 1sts won four and lost only once – each to the side in their group who joined them in the top two. Halifax 2nds and Vanbrugh 2nds also progressed to the final eight, at the expense of Alcuin 1sts and Wentworth 1sts, respectively. The fairy-tale of the Cup, though, has been James 3rds. They toppled not only Langwith 1sts, but also Wentworth 2nds and Alcuin 2nds to reach the elite group.

Group A was both the most one-sided and, at the same time, most exciting. Halifax 1sts walked the group, barely breaking sweat in their unbeaten run, without conceding a goal. In truth, they have yet to be tested, but they showed no signs of weakness.

Behind them sat five very evenly matched sides. Langwith 1sts were narrow favourites to claim second spot but a series of disasters – a last second penalty miss by Matt Morton in a 2-1 defeat to Derwent 3rds and a 9-0 demolition by Halifax – saw them drop to fifth and into the Vase.

Derwent 3rds and Wentworth 2nds each recorded two wins in their five matches, but they both had to settle for the plate as James 3rds rose to the summit of this mini-league within Group A. Derwent would have finished second, but for a two point deduction for failing to provide a referee. Refereeing,

and the points deductions for not providing one for designated matches, remained one of the most contentious issues of the Cup. James only won once, but proved hard to beat. Only Halifax 1sts beat them, and that by their narrowest margin of the competition so far (2-0). Alcuin 2nds, who picked up a point against James and against Langwith 1sts but ended without a win, were eliminated.

Group B saw another side rise to the top.

James 1sts, led by the indubitable attacking supremoes Tom Clarke and James Davies, scored more goals than any other side in the groups to finish top. Vanbrugh 2nds join them in the Cup; they recorded three wins, and achieved the necessary point in a thrilling 3-3 draw against Wentworth 1sts in their final game to confirm second place.

Wentworth, understrength for the early games which put their Cup hopes on the back foot, drop into the Plate, alongside Derwent 2nds, who showed flashes of brilliance yet also dropped crucial points along the way.

That left Alcuin 3rds and Goodricke 3rds to battle it out for the Vase spot.

Alcuin had the upper hand thanks to a point against Derwent 2nds, while

Photo: Jack Western

Goodricke suffered a record 12-0 hammering to James 1sts. Alcuin got the draw they needed and finished fifth, Goodricke ending bottom and going out.

Group C was another which was closely fought. Goodricke 1sts and Halifax 2nds remained unbeaten against the rest of the group, which was enough for them to finish first and second, respectively. Halifax would have finished top but for a points deduction.

That threatened to derail their campaign, but they overcame it to beat Goodricke and ensure qualification, despite a scare in their final game against Vanbrugh 3rds.

Alcuin 1sts won three games, but tended to do so in less than convincing fashion.

Defeat to Goodricke and a draw with Halifax condemned them to the Plate, to be joined by Vanbrugh 3rds, who showed themselves to be a tough proposition.

Vanbrugh overthrew Langwith 2nds, who will compete in the Vase, while Wentworth 3rds – the only side to have lost all five College Cup matches – were unsurprisingly eliminated.

Group D saw perhaps the highest quality battle for the Cup places. Vanbrugh 1sts got the upper hand very early thanks to their controversial win against Derwent 1sts, and never looked back on their way to top the group as they aim to defend the Cup they won twelve months ago.

Derwent, on the other hand, were forced to work for their place by that result. By the final week, though, they had really hit their stride and overcame the admirable James 2nds to confirm themselves in second place.

James, like Derwent, had only dropped points to Vanbrugh before the final match, but Derwent proved too strong.

James 2nds thus enter the Plate, and will be one of the favourites for it. Halifax 3rds join them there; quirkily, they took only four points and scored only three goals, yet their fourth place was secure going into the final week.

Much of that was down to Goodricke 2nds inability to win a game; when they finally managed it, they did it with a bang, beating Langwith 3rds 9-0 to qualify for the Vase. 36 goals conceded and on -1 points due to a deduction, Langwith 3rds are out and make the long trip home to Heslington East.

Group A

Group C P

W

D

L

GS

GC

GD

Pts

P

W

D

L

GS

GC

GD

Pts

Halifax 1

5

5

0

0

24

0

+24

15

Goodricke 1

5

4

0

1

17

1

+16

12

James 3

5

1

3

1

5

6

-1

6

Halifax 2

5

4

1

0

15

2

+13

11*

Wentworth 2

5

2

0

3

9

13

-4

6

Alcuin 1

5

3

1

1

6

3

+3

10

Derwent 3

5

2

1

2

6

8

-2

5*

Vanbrugh 3

5

2

0

3

8

10

-2

6

Langwith 1

5

1

2

2

6

15

-9

5

Langwith 2

5

1

0

4

2

17

-15

1*

Alcuin 2

5

0

2

3

3

11

-8

2

Wentworth 3

5

0

0

5

3

18

-15

0

Group D

Group B P

W

D

L

GS

GC

GD

Pts

Vanbrugh 1

5

5

0

0

18

1

+17

15

10

Derwent 1

5

4

0

1

20

2

+18

12

+5

7

James 2

5

3

0

2

12

5

+7

9

13

+3

7

Halifax 3

5

1

1

3

3

10

-7

4

2

16

-14

2

Goodricke 2

5

1

0

4

10

10

0

3

1

25

-24

1

Langwith 3

5

0

1

4

1

36

-35

-1*

P

W

D

L

GS

GC

GD

Pts

James 1

5

5

0

0

30

1

+29

15

Vanbrugh 2

5

3

1

1

9

8

+1

Derwent 2

5

2

1

2

10

5

Wentworth 1

5

2

1

2

16

Alcuin 3

5

0

2

3

Goodricke 3

5

0

1

4

*Halifax 2, Langwith 2, Derwent 3 and Langwith 3 deducted two points for failing to provide a referee for designated matches

<<<College Cup 2013>>> 5

ALCUIN

DERWENT

GOODRICKE

HALIFAX

HIGH: 2nds and 3rds both taking points from higher opposition in opening matches.

HIGH: 3rds topple Langwith 1sts thanks to last second penalty miss.

HIGH: 1sts finish top of their group after recording four wins out of five.

HIGH: 1sts and 2nds each hammer Langwith counterparts by nine goals.

LOW: 1sts unable to qualify for the Cup and drop into the Plate.

LOW: 1sts lose to Vanbrugh 1sts thanks to controversial refereeing decision.

LOW: 2nds lose opening four matches and find themselves in the Vase

LOW: 2ndsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cup challenge put in doubt by two point deduction

STAT: Only college to lose a 2nds team from the competition in the group stages.

STAT: 3rds miss out on being only 3rds team in the Cup after points deduction

STAT: 3rds defeat to James 1sts was largest margin in Cup history (12 goals).

STAT: 1sts are only team in the compeition yet to concede a goal

PLAYER: Tom Chadwick

PLAYER: Ollie Harrison

PLAYER: Chris Osborne

PLAYER: Connor McCoy

1STS C

GRADES 2NDS E

3RDS B

GRADES 2NDS C+

1STS B

3RDS A-

28

10

35

games won by teams from Halifax and Vanbrugh

9

47

36

1STS B+

GRADES 2NDS E+

3RDS D

1STS A+

11

3RDS B-

30

36 28

goals scored by James 1sts in the group stage

42

3.93

GOALS SCORED BY COLLEGE

goals conceded by Langwith 3rds in the group stage

GRADES 2NDS A

Alcuin

Goodricke

James

Vanbrugh

Derwent

Halifax

Langwith

Wentworth

average number of goals scored per game (3.32 in 2012)

JAMES

LANGWITH

HIGH: 3rds reach the Cup knockouts after losing only one group match

HIGH: 1sts and 2nds both record wins in their second matches of the tournament.

HIGH: 2nds take point in thriller against Wentworth 1sts to secure Cup place

HIGH: 2nds win final match to take chance to defend Plate title.

LOW: 2nds narrowly miss out on Cup place after strong challenge.

LOW: 1sts hammered 9-0 by a rampant Halifax 1sts side and fall into Vase.

LOW: 1sts unable to qualify for the Cup and drop into the Plate

LOW: 1sts unable to qualify for the Cup and drop into the Plate

STAT: Have leading goal scorer (Tom Clarke, 13) and assist maker (James Davies, 10)

STAT: Conceded most goals in the competition (68), including 22 in one week.

STAT: Most goal scorers in one match (eight) in 10-0 defeat of Langwith 3rds

STAT: 1sts are highest scoring team (16 goals) to miss out on place in the Cup.

PLAYER: Tom Clarke

PLAYER: Sam Woodall

PLAYER: Max Brewer

PLAYER: Greg Harrison

1STS A+

GRADES 2NDS A-

3RDS A

1STS E-

GRADES 2NDS C-

3RDS D

VANBRUGH WENTWORTH

1STS A

GRADES 2NDS A

3RDS B+

1STS C

GRADES 2NDS B

3RDS D-

6 <<<College Cup 2013>>>

Wentworth 1sts 7 - 2 Wentworth 2nds

MAGIC SEVEN! WENTWORTH’S TOP two sides served up nine goals in the opening quarterfinal of the College Plate as their 1sts side ran out 7-2 winners.

Dom Green and Dan Bawdon both grabbed braces, with Jasper Lipton, Greg Harrison and Iain Parker scoring for Wentworth 1sts. James Lomas and Dan Howdon grabbed the 2nds goals.

Wentworth 2nds, through to the plate after finishing third in Group A, started out the brighter side. Centre-forward Oleg Benesch hustled and bustled with his back to goal for long periods, seeking to bring the likes of Josh Mangham and Lomas forward from the five-man midfield.

It was their seniors that took the lead though, with the first real chance of the match. Harrison sent in an excellent low cross to the feet of Dom Green who volleyed at ‘keeper Dan Horsfall’s feet, before the ball landed perfectly for Jasper Lipton to slot home the rebound.

Eight minutes later though, Wentworth 2nds equalised. Josh Mangham, man-ofthe-match in his sides unlucky defeat at the hands of Alcuin 3rds last week, found himself some space wide on the left.

Skipping past two challenges he sent his cross into the box where it was met, decisively, by Benesch, whose flick on found the head of Lomas whose looping effort found the net.

Any hopes of an upset were shortlived though as Wentworth 1sts moved two goals clear, scoring both within three minutes of the half-time whistle.

The first came from Bawdon, who sent a curling shot from the edge of the area over the head of Horsfall and into the net to regain the lead - soon to be followed by a freak goal from Greg Harrison.

Harrison has already developed a reputation for the spectacular in this season’s competition, including scoring direct from a corner, and quite possibly bettered that to put his side 3-1 up.

From a good 35 yards out on the rightwing, his deep cross flew all over the place before finding its eventual destination in Horsfall’s top corner - an outcome that seemed to surprise even Harrison himself.

The second-half then resembled more of a procession, with the 1sts side going through the paces, despite the best attempts of their hard-working 2nds counter-parts.

Three minutes after the break, the 1sts had a penalty. Aakash Nasarpuri, who replaced Horsfall at half-time, brought down Lipton, and the referee pointed to the spot.

Green dispatched the penalty powerfully straight down the middle.

That was soon to be followed by a second for Green. This time a superb Rob Sellers ball over the top sent him one-on-one with Nasarpuri, and he delicately dinked the ball over the onrushing ‘keeper.

Green then turned provider, sending over an excellent cross to Parker who provided a deft touch to make it six. Green then repeated the trick, crossing for Bawdon to head, unmarked, against the bar.

The College League champions were looking more and more dangerous as the game went on, and finished their goalscoring with three minutes remaining.

This time it was Bawdon’s turn to grab his second, played through on goal before thrashing an excellent right-footed finish across Nasarpuri and into the bottom lefthand corner.

Substitute and manager Dan Howdon then grabbed a consolation for the seconds before they exited the competition, nodding home a rebound into an open goal to huge cheers from the touchline. Wentworth 1sts march on to the semi-finals.

Photo: Oliver Todd

WONDER WOODALL LANGWITH 1STS brushed aside Vanbrugh 4ths in the opening encounter of the College Vase yesterday, Sam Woodall scoring four times in a 5-2 victory. The teams were more evenly matched than the scoreline suggests, but Langwith showed their extra quality where it counted in front of goal.

It was Vanbrugh who took a surprise lead after four minutes through Chris Mason, before Woodall levelled the scores shortly afterwards. Andy Hutt nearly made it two, but turned provider after 14 minutes as his ball over the top expertly found Woodall, who got the touch ahead of onrushing keeper Will Light.

Shortly before the half time whistle Langwith scored a third, and Woodall completed his hat trick. Captain Matt Jones had a shot well blocked by the Vanbrugh defence. The ball rebounded

to Woodall, who still had much to do but he nonchalantly flicked the ball with the outside of his boot and into the corner of the net.

The second period was more open as Langwith tried to turn on the style, and Vanbrugh pushed to get back into the game. Ten seconds in, Woodall was through on goal but placed wide. Two minutes later he made amends, though, powering past the last defender and hitting into the far corner of the goal for 4-1.

Langwith soon made it 5-1, a bouncing ball not dealt with by Vanbrugh, and Matt Morton swooped in, his well struck shot evading Light’s fingertips but going under the bar.

Vanbrugh did manage a consolation, once again from Mason. Jones bizarrely blasted the ball towards his own net, hitting keeper Kris Cheshire, with the rebound falling kindly for Mason to tap in.

They had numerous chances in the final ten minutes to add more, but to no avail.

Langwith 1sts 5 - 2 Vanbrugh 4ths

Photo: Oliver Todd

<<<College Cup 2013>>> 7

James 1sts vs James 3rds Tuesday, 2pm WOODMAN

FERRAO

GOODWIN

KREIENBAUM

EMBLETON

BLUMSON MANNERS

GILL

LAKE

DAVIES CLARKE WHITE ALHASAN

BRADLEY

O’DONOGHUE SPURLING BAINBRIDGE

MABE

JOPSON

STEEL

SCHOFIELD

BOEDT

Projected line-ups

THIS MATCH-UP pits two 1sts teams against one another – the only quarterfinal to do so. It is therefore arguably the most difficult to call. It is also one of the most intriguing, as much for the contrast in styles as the expected highquality of the contest.

Goodricke have had a strong run so far. They won four group games, including against rivals Alcuin 1sts which essentially cemented their Cup place. Their only slipup came against Halifax 2nds, who would have finished above them in Group C but for a two point deduction.

Goodricke can lay claim to being one of the more enjoyable teams to watch in college football. They play a very open and free-flowing style, particularly easy on the eye. This revolves around their creative forward players, most notably captain Joe Mann. This style of play means Goodricke tend to have little trouble overcoming lower rated and less disciplined sides.

However, it may not be so effective against the well-regimented Derwent defence, who have conceded only two goals so far, both in their only defeat, at the hands of

Vanbrugh 1sts. They have won every game since then, including a tough encounter with James 2nds last week. Keeper Frank Woodcock, who towers over even the tallest players in college football, did not play in the opening fixture and has not yet failed to keep a clean sheet. Credit must also go to the centre backs, Dave Belshaw and Tom Brandreth, who have impressed.

Goodricke’s defence has also been virtually impenetrable; Ed Henry’s goal for ‘Fax in that 1-0 triumph is the only time John Thompson has been beaten. But Derwent’s fast paced attacking style is certain to challenge that record. With centre forward David Kirk, flanked by wingers Jamie Trant and Dan Atherton and supported by creative midfielder Joe Easter, Derwent have a dearth of offensive talent.

With neither side showing much weakness yet in the competition, something has to give. The match is likely to be a midfield battle, with the likes of Sam Earle and Chris Osborne likely to play crucial roles. The contest for most effective attacking philosophy, between Goodricke’s fluid passing or Derwent’s quick wing play, will determine who prevails. Derwent will be favourites, but neither side will be expecting to taste defeat.

Vanbrugh 1sts vs Halifax 2nds Friday, 2pm RIX

BREWER WILSON GRAHAM

WIGNALL

SHARKEY

MECKIN

LEWIS

TAYLOR

AREZOO

DENHAM GROUT

McGUINNESS

ROSS

BARWICK

RAGAN

HOWARTH COLLINS

GILL

O’DWYER

McCOY

Projected line-ups

BULL

LAST YEAR, the Cup quarter-finals involved a battle of the Halifax sides, as Halifax 1sts overcame their second team counterparts. This year two James sides have been pitted together, as the indomitable force of James 1sts have been drawn against their 3rd team, who produced some excellent performances to clamber out of a tight group.

Progressing any further than the quarter-finals stage for the 3rds looks unlikely, as James 1sts appear to be one of the teams to beat this year. With Tom Clarke and James Davies in superb form the side have maintained their 100% record through the group stages, netting 30 times in the process, whilst only conceding once. Like last year Clarke has been the standout player of the tournament, bagging three hat tricks and a record 13 goals already.

Curtailing the threat of Clarke and Davies will be the greatest challenge for James 3rds, whilst in the form of Josh Spurling and Freddie Ferrao the 1sts have other match-winners in their ranks. At the other end of the pitch Ralph Gill and Matt

Bainbridge have also been in sterling form, and the 3rds will be hoping that Pete Mabe and Will Goodwin continue the form which saw them unlock Wentworth 2nds’ defence.

The 3rds have only tasted defeat once, against an impressive Halifax 1sts side, and their success has been built on the resilience and workmanlike effort of the side, traits epitomised by the efforts of Jordan Steel and Will Manners at the heart of the defence. The duo are likely to be severely tested against the 1sts, whilst keeper Andy Lake will have to be at his very best, if the 3rds are to have any hope of progressing through to the semi-finals.

James 1sts haven’t been truly tested in the Cup so far with five straight-forward victories. The 3rds have had a much tougher run, having to work very hard to reach this stage. They are certain to be up for the upset, though the smart money would say this will not be the testing fixture the 1sts have been waiting for.

The College Cup can be unpredictable, but in this David vs Goliath encounter, a comfortable win for James 1sts looks to be on the cards. But if the 3rds can nick an early goal, or frustrate the likes of Clarke and Davies, then you never know; funnier things have happened in football…

Goodricke 1sts vs Derwent 1sts Thursday, 2pm MANN

WARD

DUNK

GILLBANKS

THOMPSON PARKER

BRADLEY

ALLY HARRIS

TRANT

D’ALBERTANSON BELSHAW KIRK EASTER

OSBORNE

GORRINGE

WHITTALL

EARLE ATHERTON

WOODCOCK BRANDRETH

HARRISON

Projected line-ups

IN A reverse of yesterday’s quarterfinal, Vanbrugh 1sts continue their defence of the College Cup they won last year, this time against the dangerous Halifax 2nds.

On paper this could be the best of the quarter-final matches. The teams have won nine of their ten fixtures so far; only Halifax’s 1-1 draw to Alcuin 1sts has seen points dropped by this pair.

Vanbrugh could fairly be termed as having done ‘just enough’ so far in the group stages. With the exception of their 10-0 win over a hapless Langwith 3rds side, they have scored exactly two goals in each game, whilst centre back Max Brewer is their leading scorer with four goals.

The more attacking players will have to step up for Vanbrugh against a Halifax defence, which has leaked only two goals so far - one a wonder goal by Tom Chadwick for Alcuin - and looked increasingly difficult to break down.

Key players such as Elliot Ross and, in particular, the usually dominant Phil Taylor have yet to fire on all cylinders for Vanbrugh. An upturn in form for Taylor could

be the difference between disappointment for Vanbrugh and a successful defence of their trophy.

On the other side of the ball, though, Vanbrugh have been impressive. They have yet to let the ball enter their net; their only goal conceded, against Derwent 1sts, was controversially given despite not crossing the line.

But while no single player has stood out for Vanbrugh going forward so far, the same cannot be said for Halifax. Connor McCoy has been in strong goal-scoring form, at times challenging Tom Clarke for the title of leading scorer.

‘Fax would have topped Group C but for a two point deduction for failing to provide a referee. That set up a contest with Vanbrugh, one they may prefer over facing Derwent 1sts, as would have been their fate for topping the group.

Vanbrugh have not set the competition alight so far, and will have to up their game to overcome Halifax. While on paper, one would expect a 2nds team to be beaten, in reality nothing is so certain, and Halifax have shown they have the ability to compete and defeat 1sts teams. The match should be a classic, epitomising the mantra of ‘saving the best till last.’

8 <<<College Cup 2013>>>

Man in the Middle

Dave Washington speaks to star referee Joe Lawton

BY FAR the most contentious issues of the College Cup 2013 have centred around officiating, be it the failure of teams to provide referees, controversial decisions such as Derwent 1sts ‘phantom goal’ against Vanbrugh 1sts, when a goal was awarded despite the ball clearly not crossing the line, or lacklustre refereeing displays by unenthusiastic officials. None of these faults can be attributed to Halifax’s Joe Lawton, arguably the leading referee at the University, who took the chance to speak to Vision about the issues revolving around refereeing in the College Cup. Four teams have been deducted points this year for failing to provide referees, and for Derwent 3rds the deduction prevented them from progressing to the Cup quarterfinals. On the matter, Joe said: “I think the system of points deductions works. I don’t see any other way of enforcing the rules, and it should be a big enough deterrent.

People have been discussing it, but no-one seems to have come up with a viable alternative.

“I’ve seen the lists of referees and its all there, so teams don’t really have an excuse.

I don’t think captains mean not to supply a referee, it’s just a mistake. The number of refs turning up is ok, it’s whether they’re enthusiastic to do it. Often it’s just a captain who is only there so their team doesn’t get deducted points.”

Halifax 1sts Vanbrugh 2nds Vanbrugh 1sts Halifax 2nds Wentworth 2nds Wentworth 1sts James 2nds Vanbrugh 3rds Langwith 1sts Vanbrugh 4ths Goodricke 2nds Halifax 4ths

Indeed there have been numerous complaints about the standard of refereeing this year, with many officials appearing uninterested and adopting a lacklustre approach to the role. Joe added: “There’s often not a lot going on in terms of decision making. In reality though, the standard’s never going to be great when you’ve got largely non-qualified referees.”

Another problematic area has been the offside ruling, as the absence of linesmen adds to the challenging task for referees.

“It’s almost impossible,” said the second year Halifax student. “If you have a linesman, you can concentrate on the ball and don’t have to worry about someone straying offside 50 yards behind you. If you haven’t then you have to think in a different way, and ask is he going to pass it there, and change your positioning.”

The experience that Joe has garnered over the past years has allowed him to deal with such situations, but for inexperienced referees this added dimension can prove challenging. “If you sound and look like you know what you’re doing, you’re confident and appear 100% sure on decisions, then you’re going to get a lot more leeway,” advised Joe. “If all the players want a goalkick or a corner then give it, don’t make controversy out of nowhere. Give the decision that is easiest to sell.”

Referees can often be easy targets for abuse, and Joe told me: “If a player makes

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a mistake then it’s quite funny, but if a referee makes an error it can cost a goal, and people aren’t so forgiving. I’m going to get some decisions wrong, but I just smile, get on with it and show that it’s not bothering me. Most people realise that we’re doing our best and can only give what we see, so I can cope with a bit of moaning.”

The College Cup tends to be a more relaxed engagement for Joe in terms of his officiating duties, and he remarked that in comparison to other assignments, “It’s a bit more light-hearted and fun, and in general is not as serious. You don’t get much dissent, or at least I haven’t had much from players, and the fans enjoy it and it’s a big end of year event for everyone.”

When I asked Joe how he believes that the standards of officiating could be improved, he responded: “Get paid. That could raise standards, because if you get paid, then you’re going to want to keep doing it.

But you’re only going to get another game if you do well, and therefore there’s an incentive for referees to be more enthusiastic and take a bit of pride. The problem is it’s rather difficult to pay 60 games at ten pounds a go.”

Sadly that seems unlikely to happen, so we’re going to have to put up with controversy, drama and plenty of moaning from bewildered players and fans. Thankfully though, in the form of Joe Lawton, we have one referee who knows what he is doing.

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James 1sts James 3rds Goodricke 1sts Derwent 1sts Derwent 2nds Derwent 3rds Alcuin 1sts Halifax 3rds Alcuin 3rds Derwent 5ths Langwith 2nds James 4ths