York Vision - Goalside by York Vision

YORK VISION

Tuesday June 12, 2012

www.yorkvision.co.uk/sport

Goodricke's Plate glory Penalty heroics put Greens in the semis

Game Zone

Page 6

Pages 3&6

Vision look ahead to all the big clashes

College Cup 2012

Goalside

COLLEGE CUP QUARTER-FINAL DERWENT 1STS 4-0 ALCUIN 1STS

STARS IN STRIPES

Sam Earle shines as Derwent ease into the semi-finals

2 <<<College Cup 2012>>>

Blues are victorious

James 1sts v

Confident play grants Derwent a comfortable victory as they secure a place in the semi-finals of the Cup DERWENT 1STS

Kirk (8), Farrell (40), Atherton (52), Earle (56)

ALCUIN 1STS

By JACK BRADSHAW DERWENT 1sts stormed into the College Cup semi-finals with a sensational 4-0 victory over Alcuin 1sts. Two years ago, these two sides faced each other in the College Cup final, which Alcuin won, but today it was Derwent's turn to taste victory. Their captain, David Kirk, began the rout with a poacher's goal in the eighth minute, and second half strikes from Jake Farrell, Dan Atherton and Sam Earle completed an excellent day's work for last year's finalists. Disappointingly, Alcuin never tested Seb Treasure in the Derwent goal and for large spells it was backs to the wall defending, as Derwent emphatically demonstrated their Cup credentials. In the first of the quarter finals, Derwent were boosted by the return of Dan Atherton, who had missed the previous two games. Derwent came out of the blocks the fastest and had their first chance after three minutes. Ollie Harrison delivered a searching corner from the right which glanced off Kirk's head and narrowly beyond the far post. The game was shaping into one of attack versus defence and Alcuin were at times struggling to break out of their own half, struggling to even muster a shot in the first period. Before long, Derwent's early siege on the Alcuin goal paid dividends. Earle fired a wayward effort which was heading wide of Marshall's right post, only for Kirk to stick out a leg and divert the ball past the wrong-footed 'keeper to hand his side a vital lead. It was the striker's fifth goal of the tournament and it could not have come at a better time as Derwent quickly settled into an ominous attacking rhythm. Earle and Tapper were controlling the game from central midfield, while Farrell and Atherton were chalking their boots offering lots of width. As Alcuin sent more men forward in search of an equaliser, Derwent almost doubled their lead with five minutes of the remaining first half. Dan Atherton slipped Kirk in behind the Alcuin defence, but he was closed down well by Marshall and his shot slithered just wide of the far post. As the half time whistle blew at 1-0, Derwent were perhaps unlucky not to be further ahead while Alcuin were fortunate to still be in the game. The second half began scrappily but Alcuin had a golden chance to equalise straight away. Charles Pickering received a clever pass from Josh Allen before chipping an inviting cross to Jacob Scholz, but the midfielder could not grow enough and glanced a header well wide. The warning sign was enough to kick Derwent into gear, and they did just that in majestic style.

Photo: VIvan Jayant

An attempted through ball by the ubiquitous Earle was only half cleared by Alcuin, allowing Jake Farrell to smash the sweetest of volleys beyond a fullystretched Marshall from 25 yards. The wondergoal came at a crucial time as Alcuin were beginning to get a foothold in the match, and their hopes of taking the game to penalties were severely dented. Derwent had two great chances to add to their tally; first when Kirk smacked the outside of the post with a speculative shot, before Harrison's dinked cross found Atherton who contrived to side-foot it wide with the goal gaping. As Alcuin threw bodies forward in search of an unlikely goal; Derwent's third eventually came with eight minutes to go. A quick counter-attack caught Alcuin out down their left - a problematic area for the whole match - and Farrell whipped in a terrific cross which was tapped in by Atherton at the far post. Even the Derwent Duck ran onto the pitch to join in with the celebrations and with the semis in sight, the Derwent faithful cheered every pass and blew their vuvuzelas with joy. Derwent rounded off the afternoon with a fourth when Atherton played a quick one-two with Kirk on the left, before delivering an inch-perfect cross from the by-line which was stroked into the net by Earle. After the match, captain Kirk told Vision: "A lot of people have doubted us recently, but after we got the early goal our quality shone through today. I don't see why we can't go far in the competition." A downcast Brad Wood said: "It's a disappointing way to go out, but we didn't have our strongest line-up as we were essentially missing the heart of our midfield."

Possession

DERWENT PLAYER RATINGS

63%

Seb Treasure - 6 Joe Boughtflower - 7 Tom Brandreth - 8 Andy Jeffreys - 7 Ollie Harrison - 7 Jake Farrell - 8 Jacob Tapper - 7 Sam Earle - 9 Dan Atherton - 8 Alex D'Albertanson - 7 David Kirk - 8

37%

Shots 13

Shots on Target 1

Fouls 5

3 Offsides

0 Corners

Photo: Tom Wooldridge

ALCUIN PLAYER RATINGS David Marshall - 5 Chris Houlgate - 5 Chris Boyd - 6 Brad Wood - 6 Joe Smith - 5 Paul Desousa - 6 Charles Pickering - 7 Jacob Scholz - 9 Josh Allen - 8 Alex Brown - 7 Will Taylor - 8

Photo: Oliver Todd

<<<College Cup 2012>>> 3

JAMES 1STS V HALIFAX 3RDS By ALEX FINNIS JAMES 1STS will fancy their chances of progressing to the Cup semifinals today as they gear up for their clash with the lowest ranked side to qualify for the knockout stages. Halifax 3rds are the only 3rd team left in the competition, having pipped Goodricke 2nds to 2nd place in Group 1 despite losing their last two games, and will go into the clash with the tournament favourites on a downward streak. Whilst this tie looks the easiest to predict, it therefore also provides the biggest opportunity for an upset. James stuttered in their final group game, both failing to win and score for the first time in the competition, as they played out a 0-0 draw with Vanbrugh 2nds, and the result may just have sown a few seeds of doubt in the minds of a group of players previously sky high on confidence. The men in black notched up a staggering 21 goals in their first four games, including a punishing 8-0 rout of Wentworth 2nds and a 6-0 demolition of Goodricke 3rds. It is no doubt that their star of the show, and the man who has taken the 2012 College Cup by storm, is striker Tom Clarke. Much maligned for his poor showing last season, the ex-Yeovil Town man has been in scintillating form so far, scoring nine goals in five games including two hat-tricks. At his best, any team will struggle to deal with him, and the likes of Smith and Arezoo will have to be outstanding at the back if Halifax are to keep him quiet and secure a shock progression to the semis. Halifax goalkeeper Shin Murata will also need to keep up the form that has helped propel his side into the knockout stages. Murata was man of the match in his side’s crucial 1-0 victory over James 3rds, and has been an important player for them throughout the competition. Halifax’s main issue will come in matching James for goals – they have never scored more than two so far this campaign, and have often relied upon late winners to chalk up their points. The main battle for them, then, is their defence against James’ formidable front three. If they can somehow subdue Clarke and co. then you never know, ‘Fax may just be able to pull off one of the biggest upsets in College Cup history. Prediction: James 1sts 3-0 Halifax 3rds. Players to watch: Tom Clarke (James 1sts) and Kieran Gennoy (Halifax 3rds).

Game Zone

Halifax 3rds

Vision's sports team look ahead to the week's big Cup quarterfinal clashes.

Photo: Oliver Todd

VANBRUGH 1STS V GOODRICKE 1STS By jack bradshaw THE UNBEATEN have fallen. Records came to an end. The underdogs triumphed. That is, Vanbrugh 1sts’ winning streak and run of clean sheets was halted by a superb Halifax 2nds performance on Friday, and they surprised everyone with their tenacity. It is a reminder that no team is invincible in this year’s competition, and anyone who thought Vanbrugh would waltz to an easy victory against Goodricke 1sts in three days' time needs to think again. The tie is set up very nicely indeed. All of a sudden, people are talking less about Va n b r u g h ' s impressive goalscoring record,they have found the back of the net a remarkable 21 times, - than their ability to bottle it in the big games. If Goodricke were watching Halifax 2nds on Friday, they should probably adopt their exact strategy from that match. Ben Stanier needs to be denied space to run at defenders, otherwise a defensive crisis will inevitably occur. Phil Taylor needs to be closed down quickly, otherwise he can pick a pass and dictate play from central midfield. In addition, Sam Astbury and company at the back will need to be on top form to deal with John Gill’s long throws. Crucially, when Goodricke do get the ball,

they must break quickly, just like Halifax did. Vanbrugh often like to make the pitch big, which they struggled to do on Friday as Rory Sharkey limped off. He loves to run at the full back and whip crosses in, so Vanbrugh will be desperate that he returns to action soon. If he does, Dave Bullock will need to be on his toes for the entire 60 minutes. However, as we have seen, this Vanbrugh defence is far from impregnable. I’m not entirely convinced by Max Brewer at centre back, as he was ruthlessly bullied by Hamish Denham on Friday. But Goodricke's problem is they don’t have a big, imposing striker who could capitalise on this. Instead, they have several small, skilful players such as Joe Mann and Sam Lewis, who try to trick their way through a defence rather than a more direct route of crashing through it. For this reason, I still think Vanbrugh are strong favourites to progress to the semi-finals. They will probably make some changes in defence, both in training and in team selection, which should provide the platform for their deadly strike force to tear Goodricke apart.. Goodricke will get chances I’m sure and might nick a goal on the counter-attack, but eventually I think Vanbrugh’s quality will see them through. Prediction: Vanbrugh Goodricke 1sts Players to watch: Rory Sharkey (Vanbrugh); Joe Mann (Goodricke).

1sts

3-1

HALIFAX 1STS V HALIFAX 2NDS By oscar pearson IN WHAT is bound to be an absorbing contest, the quality of finishing will play a key role in determining the outcome of Halifax 1sts vs Halifax 2nds. Halifax 1sts topped Group 3, advancing after a solid 2-1 victory over Vanbrugh 3rds on the last day. They recovered from an early blip in the campaign to emerge through Group 3 as group winners. Star performances from Matt Mawdesley and Johnny Sim have been instrumental in their success, continuing the trend we have seen in the Autumn and Spring terms. Halifax 2nds, runners up in Group 4, secured their qualification after a last-gasp Connor Meckin effort edged a 3-2 victory over table toppers Vanbrugh 1sts, in a thrilling finale to the College Cup group stages. They too lost just one of their five matches, and results such as their 7-0 thrashing of Derwent 3rds should give their upcoming opponents something to fear. Halifax 1sts have so often been able to camp in their opponents’ third, thanks to their wealth of talent, especially in midfield. Ash Daly has been a passing metronome, while skipper Jack Beadle seems to have recovered from his achilles injury. His return is a welcome boost for the freshers who will need experienced heads around to guide them through the competition. The 2nds, meanwhile, will want to exploit the flanks and so many times we have seen teams unable to cope with their crosses from out wide and movement in the box. Luke Stevenson in particular is the midfield road-runner who can cause any defence problems on his day. Arguably their strongest area is up front, as goalscorers Conor Meckin and Jake Mundy have been in excellent form. The 1sts will certainly have their eyes on the semifinals already, as on paper the first team are always more talented individuals, yet both sides will know a lot about each other; their tactics and tendencies. In what is sure to be a close, fiery and eagerly anticipated encounter, Halifax 2nds will feel no pressure and that key factor could contribute to an unexpected result. In the knockout stages it is always unpredictable, and Halifax 2nds will certainly not be a walkover. Prediction: Halifax 1sts to win on penalties after a 2-2 draw in normal time. Players to Watch: Matt Mawdesley (Halifax 1sts); Connor Meckin (Halifax 2nds)

4 <<<College Cup 2012>>>

James 1sts shine on path to quarterfinals whilst Alcuin fail to inspire By DAVE WASHINGTON THE 60 group games have been contested, 60 battles fought, each with their own twists and turns. There have been shocks and surprises along the way, as the crowds at the JLD have been entertained by the skill on display. Each game has its own story, the moments of glory and joy, as well as the times of disappointment and despair. Every emotion has been touched, from pure jubilation to heartbreak and dismay. The excitement has engulfed the sporting atmosphere at the University; exams have been put aside as players and fans alike turn out to represent their college. Now only eight teams remain, eight goliaths, each with their eyes firmly set on lifting the trophy, each dreaming of holding the precious cup. Only three more matches stand between them and glory, their chance to write their name in history, the opportunity to bring pride and honour to their beloved college. For these eight, the first part of their journey has been navigated, but the story of the tournament as a whole has only just begun. Group 1 saw a major contender and a surprise package advance through to the quarter finals, as Derwent 1sts were joined by Halifax 3rds in the main draw. Both teams held off stiff competition from Goodricke 2nds who progressed through to the Plate competition alongside Wentworth 1sts. Derwent's campaign started off with two narrow but effective 1-0 wins. On paper, Wentworth 1sts seemed their biggest rivals, but were defeated by Halifax 3rds and Langwith 2nds. Halifax, meanwhile, enjoyed a perfect start, recording two wins to top the group, by distinction of goals scored. In the next set of games, Derwent 1sts produced an emphatic display, putting five past James 3rds whilst Halifax maintained their 100% record with a battling 2-1 victory over Langwith. But then the form book was dramatically chucked out of the window. Firstly Halifax’s unbeaten run was ended by Goodricke 2nds, before Wentworth defeated a star-studded Derwent 1sts side 3-1. James 3rds also recorded their first victory with an enterprising performance to defeat Langwith 2nds. Monday Week 7 saw Wentworth play out a 1-1 draw with James 3rds, securing their plate qualification. Goodricke 2nds were then held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Langwith 2nds, knowing that a win would have guaranteed second place. The previous result meant that both Derwent 1sts and Halifax 3rds were guaranteed qualification. Nevertheless there was still much to play for, as the winner would avoid a quarter-final clash with James 1sts. One of Derwent’s most consistent performers, Alex D’Albertanson, put in a top notch performance to help his side to a 2-0 victory.

Group 2 eventually saw James 1sts and Alcuin 1sts progress to the quarter-finals, but there were hitches along the way. Meanwhile, Vanbrugh 2nds and Wentworth 2nds grabbed positions in the Plate at the expense of Goodricke 3rds and Halifax 4ths. In the first round of matches, James came out on top in the heavyweight clash, running out 3-1 winners over Alcuin. James went on to notch three more victories, the highlights being an 8-0 annihilation of Wentworth 2nds and a survived scare against Halifax 4ths in a game which saw Tom Clarke bail his side out with a sublime hat-trick. Alcuin improved, with wins over Halifax and Goodricke, whilst Vanbrugh 2nds remained in contention with consecutive wins. In Week 6 they succumbed 1-0 in a key encounter to Alcuin, which all but sealed the fate of the group. In another twist, James were then deducted two points for failing to supply an referee. The final round of matches pitted Alcuin against Wentworth, knowing that a point would secure their progress, and a win would give them a chance of surpassing James. As it was, Wentworth performed admirably to hold Alcuin to a goalless draw, the first of the tournament, before James also drew an unexpected blank against Vanbrugh 2nds. The final group game had nothing riding on it, but ended on a high for Halifax 4ths as they thumped Goodricke 3rds 3-0. James eventually topped the group, thanks largely to the goal-scoring exploits of Clarke and James Davies, and will play Halifax 3rds in the quarter-finals. Group 3, the so-called 'Group of Death', saw Halifax 1sts come top of the pile on goal difference, closely followed by Goodricke 1sts. Both teams recorded four wins, Halifax recovering from an opening day defeat to James 2nds by winning four consecutive games. Goodricke's only defeat was to Halifax, the reward being a quarter-final date against Vanbrugh 1sts. Vanbrugh 3rds, James 2nds and Derwent 3rds all provided formidable opposition to the top two teams in the group. Derwent were hindered by a points deduction early on for not supplying a referee, while James never really replicated their form against Halifax, leaving Vanbrugh, who had been very solid defensively, to pose the greatest challenge to the top two. The group remained wide open going into the final set of matches, with four teams in contention. Halifax's contest against Vanbrugh 3rds proved crucial, and victory for the former sealed the fate of the group, whilst Goodricke required a second half comeback against James 2nds to secure their progress. Vanbrugh advanced through to the plate competition, along with James 2nds, at the expense of Derwent and the winless Alcuin 3rds, who both exit the competition. The final group saw Vanbrugh 1sts

The Stor 199 goals scored over the course of the group stages

3.32 average number of goals scored per game

the biggest winning margin, achieved by both James and Vanbrugh 1sts

impressively qualify, despite a final day defeat against Halifax 2nds. The Halifax teams have been incredibly successful, with Halifax 2nds making it three 'Fax sides in the quarter-finals, setting up a clash with their own 1st team. Again, this group was hotly contested, with Langwith 1sts displaying the everimproving prowess of York's smallest college by pushing the top two hard, before eventually having to settle for Plate qualification alongside Derwent 3rds. Vanbrugh’s success was built largely on their solid defensive structure, as they began with four clean sheets, all of which led to wins. Halifax displayed great form during the group stages, with their highlight being a 7-0 demolition of Derwent 3rds. However, their progress was thwarted by Langwith 1sts, who stunned a strong

Tom Clarke (above) is the tournament top scorer with nine goals in five games, including two hat-tricks.

Halifax side, to leave the group wide open going into the final set of matches. At the other end of the group, Alcuin 2nds and Wentworth 3rds were struggling, as neither had won any games before their meeting in the last round of matches. As it was, Wentworth prevailed to add to Alcuin’s woes, and leave them with the wooden spoon of the group. Langwith 1sts still harboured hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Cup, but that depended on Vanbrugh defeating Halifax. As it was Vanbrugh didn’t hold up their side of the bargain, as Halifax 2nds sealed a thrilling 3-2 victory. Both teams progressed into the quarters at the expense of Langwith, who ended their campaign on a high with a 2-0 win over Derwent 3rds and will now be one of the favourites for the Plate.

<<<College Cup 2012>>> 5

ry of the Groups 9

-17

Goodricke 3rds let in 17 goals over the course of the group stages without scoring once themselves. By contrast, James 1sts have conceded just twice and scored 21 times, whilst Vanbrugh 1sts had recorded four consecutive clean sheets before their defeat to Halifax 2nds in their last fixture.

Tom Clarke James 1sts (5 games)

Jon Garness Derwent 2nds (4 games)

Jake Mundy Halifax 2nds (4 games)

James Davies James 1sts (5 games)

Phil Taylor Vanbrugh 1sts (5 games)

18 13

Top Scorers

Goals Scored per College: Alcuin (3 teams)

Derwent (3 teams)

Halifax (4 teams)

Goodricke (3 teams)

36 James (3 teams)

Langwith (2 teams)

GROUP 1

Vanbrugh (3 teams)

Wentworth (3 teams)

GROUP 2

GROUP 3

GROUP 4

Team

Pts

Team

Pts

Team

Pts

Team

Pts

Derwent 1

James 1

+19

11*

Halifax 1

Vanbrugh 1

+18

Halifax 3

-1

Alcuin 1

Goodricke 1

Halifax 2

+13

Goodricke 2

Vanbrugh 2

Vanbrugh 3

Langwith 1

Wentworth 1

Wentworth 2

-5

James 2

-1

Derwent 3

-9

Langwith 2

-2

Halifax 4

-2

Derwent 2

Wentworth 3

-17

James 3

-6

Goodricke 3

-17

Alcuin 3

-18

Alcuin 2

-9

*deducted 2 points Top Scorers: James MacDonald, Langwith 2nds - 4 Dan Bawdon, Wentworth 1sts - 4 David Kirk, Derwent 1sts - 4

Top Scorers: Tom Clarke, James 1sts - 9 James Davies, James 1sts - 5 Graham Kimber, Alcuin 1sts - 2

Top Scorers: Jon Garness, Derwent 2nds - 5 Matt Mawdesley, Halifax 1sts - 3 Joe Mann, Goodricke 1sts - 3

Top Scorers: Phil Taylor, Vanbrugh 1sts - 5 Jake Mundy, Halifax 2nds - 5 Jon Gill, Vanbrugh 1sts - 4

6 <<<College Cup 2012>>>

Cook handles the heat BNOCS

Battle of the

Some well known faces around campus answer the question on everybody's lips: who's going to win the 2012 College Cup?

WENTWORTH 2NDS Murray (35)

(Wentworth win 4-2 on pens)

GOODRICKE 2NDS

Young (13) NAME: Kallum Taylor ROLE AT YORK: YUSU Presidentelect WINNER: James 1sts or Halifax 1sts WHY? It takes a brave man to bet against either James 1sts or ‘Fax 1sts. It’s impossible to completely write anyone off, though, as anything can happen on the JLD. NAME: James Croydon ROLE AT YORK: Student Activities Officer WINNER: Halifax 1sts WHY? They had a shaky start and haven't been playing as well as last year so far, but I fancy them to come good in the knockout stages. They've always got a goal in them which bodes well. NAME: Luke Sandford ROLE AT YORK: Ex-Union Chair WINNER: James 1sts

WHY? They are consistently high performing, and I don't think their draw against Vanbrugh amounts to much given they had already qualified at that point. NAME: Darren Webb ROLE AT YORK: Ex-URY Station Manager WINNER: James 1sts WHY? Having the top two goal scorers in Clarke and Davies is a definite positive, and alongside a dedicated defence, this is a recipe for success! NAME: Brian Cantor ROLE AT YORK: Vice Chancellor of the University WINNER: Too Close to Call WHY? Our colleges have considerable sporting prowess but such are the uncertainties of sport, predicting the winner of such a hard-fought competition is always notoriously difficult so I won’t even try.

By ALEX FINNIS THE ABILITY to handle the pressure from the penalty spot proved the difference between the two sides as Wentworth 2nds secured a place in the semi-finals of the College Plate at the expense of Goodricke 2nds. Lachlan Murray, Rich Rhodes, Nick Townson and Matt Beacham all converted their spot kicks whilst Jon Cook saved from fellow goalkeeper Tom Neill to send Wentworth through in a game which Goodricke will rue missed opportunities, having been narrowly the better side in normal time. Goodricke had taken the lead early in the first half through Rob Young, who went on to miss the opening spot-kick of the shoot-out. However, Wentworth equalised after 35 minutes when Lachlan Murray capitalised on a mistake in the Goodricke defence to steal through the middle and fire home, and the men in purple held on to take the game to the penalties which saw them into the semi-finals. The prize of a semi-final spot was evident in the game’s opening phases, as both sides seemed anxious to supply the killer ball, but to no effect. Wentworth’s Matt Beacham had a bouncing effort tipped over the bar before Young opened the scoring. Fabian Ashurst latched onto a loose ball following a mistake in the Wentworth defence and played the ball square to Young inside the area. The Goodricke striker drilled his shot past Cook into the bottom left corner to put his side 1-0 up. The goal settled Goodricke and the men in green moved into the ascendancy. Ashurst wasted a chance when he skied his shot following some good work from

Photo: Oliver Todd

Joe Mann down the left before some great defence work from Kosunalp made sure Goodricke's lead stayed at just one. The Wentworth centre-back cleared a powerful Cottenham half-volley off the line before also blocking from Mann. Goodricke's performance strengthened as the half drew on. The Wentworth defence was often flustered by Alex Hurd's long throws and Joe Mann's fizzing balls from the left but Goodricke were not clinical enough in the box and could only take the narrowest of leads into half-time. Goodricke were made to pay five minutes into the second half. Sam Astbury had almost doubled their lead with a headed effort only for Kosunalp to again be on hand to block before Wentworth stole an equaliser. A long throw from Rich Rhodes caused a mix up between the Goodricke centrebacks and Lachlan Murray squeezed in between them, surviving shouts of handball, before firing his effort high into the net past the helpless Neill to make it 1-1. Just as Goodricke's goal had propelled them into the ascendancy in the first half, so Wentworth's did in the second. The postgraduates enjoyed a prolonged period of

comfort before Goodricke launched a late desperate attempt to regain their lead. Young, Mann and Hurd all missed the target with efforts before Astbury came closest of all in the dying minutes, his downward header from Joe Mann's corner bouncing just over the bar. Once again, Goodricke were left to regret missed chances and this was only compounded when Young sent the first spot kick wide. By contrast, Wentworth's penalty takers were the depiction of cool. Murray, Rhodes and Townson all dispatched confident efforts before Wentworth 'keeper Jon Cook saved low to his right from Neill, leaving Beacham with the chance to win it. The winger made no mistake, slotting his side into the quarter-finals to the delight of Manager Dan Howdon. “Everyone is shattered after that,” he said. “To get seven points in the groups and to beat one of the best 2nds sides in the tournament when we are fat and postgraduates is a fantastic achievement. We think we can go on and win this.” Wentworth 2nds will now face either Langwith 1sts or James 2nds in the semifinals next week.

back, letting in less than a goal a game. Their For Derwent, Joe Eyles is going to have to continue his good goalscoring form from the group stage to ensure his team's progression. Vision's tip is for a Vanbrugh victory in a close encounter. The match on Friday between Langwith 1sts and James 2nds promises to be the most entertaining of the lot. Langwith have the

pride of their college to fight for, as they are the only remaining team from their college in the competition, whilst James 2nds will be aiming for the same glory that their impressive first team has achieved. Both are strong sides who will fancy their chances of reaching the final. Vision predicts Langwith to prevail in a thriller, and the winner to go on to lift the plate.

Game Zone: The Plate By Will Barnes

THE JOURNEY is not over for the teams that finished third and fourth in their groups, as they have been given the opportunity to compete in the College Plate. With nine goals scored and nine conceded, it appears Wentworth's attack is just as good (or as bad) as their defence. Tom Redhead has stood out for them, his two goals in four games from midfield being invaluable in their progression. In contrast, Vanbrugh's numbers are rather less spectacular with their stingy defence only conceding an average of one goal per game. With no one to rely on to score, they have had to count upon players from every position to chip in with goals. If they want to advance, one of their strikers is going to have to step up. A lot of responsibility may have to fall on the shoulders of star man Adam Lewis. Having shipped four times as many goals as they've scored, Derwent 3rds are underdogs in their match up against Vanbrugh 3rds on Thursday. Though not exactly free scoring themselves, Vanbrugh have managed to keep things tight at the

Photo: Vivan Jayant

<<<College Cup 2012>>> 7

Team of the Groups DAVID MARSHALL Alcuin 1sts Position: GK Appearances: 5 Clean Sheets: 3 Goals: 0 Marshall has been the star performer in Alcuin's side to date, keeping three clean sheets to help his side progress through the groups. Against Vanbrugh 2nds and Goodricke 3rds, he made a series of stunning stops, securing victories.

CHRIS WIGNALL

TOM BRANDRETH

SAM ASTBURY

ZIGGY HEATH

Vanbrugh 1sts Position: RB Appearances: 5 Clean Sheets: 4 Goals: 0

Derwent 1sts Position: CB Appearances: 5 Clean Sheets: 4 Goals: 2

Goodricke 1sts Position: CB Appearances: 5 Clean Sheets: 3 Goals: 1

Vanbrugh 1sts Position: LB Appearances: 5 Clean Sheets: 4 Goals: 1

The Vanbrugh right back has been in excellent form, contributing to their solid backline. By making constant forays down the right wing, and soundly distributing play, Wignall has added an attacking dimension to his game.

Brandreth has been a rock at the heart of the Derwent defence, dominating the aerial battles. His form has been key to Derwent's success, and he has contributed at the other end, scoring twice, and posing a major threat from set pieces.

Phenomenal in the air, hard working and a physical presence, Astbury has been an instrumental at the back for Goodricke. His presence has been crucial in securing his side's passage through to the quarter-finals.

A centre back by trade, Heath's form has been so phenomenal, it's impossible to leave him out of our dream team. A tower in the air, and formidable on the deck, Heath's defending and leadership has been first class throughout.

JAMES DAVIES

PHIL TAYLOR

JONNY MCGUINESS

ALEX D'ALBERTANSON

James 1sts Position: RM Appearances: 5 Goals: 5

Vanbrugh 1sts Position: CM Appearances: 5 Goals: 5

Halifax 4ths Position: CM Appearances: 5 Goals: 1

Derwent 1sts Position: LM Appearances: 5 Goals: 3

Five goals in five games has been a fine reward for such a central creative force of James 1sts' team. Not only has he scored a multitude of goals, but his overall play has been of great value, making him a nightmare to play against.

The linchpin of the Vanbrugh midfield, Taylor has been one of the key protagonists in his side's success. A consistent performer, defensively he's been solid, and when going forward he has both created chances and scored valuable goals.

McGuiness has been a key player for Halifax 4ths, being awarded Man of the Match three times, and combining passing prowess with hard working industry. In the lowest ranked team in the competition, he has been the shining light.

D'Albertanson has been one of Derwent's star performers, fundamental to their play, he's created numerous chances to go with the goals he has scored. Hard working and energetic, his efforts can't be faulted and would be valuable in any side.

JAMES MACDONALD

TOM CLARKE

Langwith 2nds Position: ST Appearances: 5 Goals: 4

James 1sts Position: ST Appearances: 5 Goals: 9

MacDonald has been the standout performer for Langwith 2nds. He has fired in four goals, including an important winner against Wentworth 1sts, yet his team still failed to progress out of the groups.

The former Yeovil Town trainee has been in phenomenal form, firing in nine goals during the group stages. Top scorer in the competition, he has assure his side's progress through to the quarter finals.

8 <<<College Cup 2012>>>

Flower Power Jack Bradshaw quizzes college cup organiser Joe Boughtflower

This year the draw was heavily advertised. Also we’ve moved it to the week after Roses, because last year Derwent 1sts played on Friday, Roses on the Sunday and then a game on Monday. Also, the key is to book the astroturf early; I booked in February! It just helps to book three games in a row; in my first year sometimes games were at 2pm, 4pm and 6pm. Is there an actual cup?

How have you found being organiser of the College Cup? It’s been relatively easy. People do ask me stupid questions, but it’s part of the job, it’s not a big deal. I was the only captain from last year who was here, so I was the only person who understood what they were doing. I've enjoyed it, apart from docking my own college two points, but it had to be done! What have you done differently this year? The key has been to get more interest.

Derwent 1sts 4 Alcuin 1sts

Goodricke 1sts Vanbrugh 1sts

Goodricke 2nds 1 Wentworth 2nds 1P James 2nds Langwith 1sts

There is an actual College Cup but I think it’s been lost! There are rumours that Charlotte Winter is going to buy us a new one, so there might actually be a physical cup at the final. We just need a special guest to hand the trophy over. What has been your favourite match of the College Cup so far? The one where Langwith 2nds beat Wentworth 1sts 3-2 was actually the most exciting game I’ve seen at College Cup this year. The biggest names weren't involved, but it was completely open, it was the best game! Who do you think will ultimately win the tournament? If you look through the history of the past two years, the best team in the group stages did go on to win. The best team last year was Halifax, and before them, Alcuin, and both times they won. Looking at that, you would

have to say James but I think on the day any one of Halifax, James, Derwent and Vanbrugh can beat each other.

Who is the best player you have played with and against during your three years in the College Cup?

How do you stop Tom Clarke?

I played with a boy called Chris Barnett in my first year and he was the best uni 1sts player, a central midfielder, and he was really good. He single-handedly got us to the final; we had no one great in midfield although we had a good defence. Against... Probably Dom Green for Wentworth. His knowledge and touch is a lot better than everybody else at this University, especially on how to play on the JLD.

For the lesser teams, you’ve got to focus on him, but for the better defences I think you need to stick to what you’ve done throughout the year; if you start changing then your whole shape will go. For example, against Wentworth we [Derwent 1sts] changed our defence around and it didn’t work! If you keep winning your individual battles and he doesn’t score a wondergoal, that’s the best you can do. Why haven’t Derwent 1sts clicked yet? I think a lot of our freshers don’t know how to play on the astro, but by the knockouts they might get it; they now know you can’t play certain balls you can play on grass. Also, I think because all the teams have sat so deep against us that has encouraged us to play on the front foot; we usually score goals by hitting teams on the counter-attack. Which team has surprised you most? Langwith 1sts have surprised me after their performance against Halifax 2nds, who are a very good side. A lot of people write off Langwith to not get through the group stages. I think the astro and the pitch size helps; apart from James 1sts and Vanbrugh 1sts, no other teams are winning 7-0 or 8-0. The gap between the 1sts and the 3rds has narrowed a bit.

COLLEGE CUP Derwent 1sts

SEMI-FINAL FINAL

FINAL SEMI-FINAL

SEMI-FINAL

COLLEGE PLATE Wentworth 2nds FINAL SEMI-FINAL

SEMI-FINAL FINAL SEMI-FINAL

Why is the College Cup unique? The College Cup is probably one of the best events sporting-wise at any university. We have a seven week period, three games per day with good crowds for most games. And the crowds will get a lot bigger now the exams are over; at last year’s final, Derwent had about 200 people down there, it’s incredible. I don’t think any other university could match that. What do you make of moving the College Cup to Hes East's new 3G pitches? I personally think it’s too far away from the student areas where the second and third years live. Also the fact that the JLD is the home of football! Most colleges are still based here but maybe in 10 years time when more colleges have moved to Heslington East, then there will be a good reason to move it. But I reckon it will get moved there in the next two years, I genuinely do.

Halifax 1sts Halifax 2nds James 1sts Halifax 3rds

Vanbrugh 3rds Derwent 2nds Wentworth 1sts Vanbrugh 2nds