THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION COUNTY YOUTH CUP 3RD Round
SATURDAY 23rd JANUARY 2010, 2 PM Kick Off
Keepmoat Stadium 2, Home of Doncaster Rovers
Match Report by Allan Clough
With all our local sides being knocked out of the FA Cup proper this weekend, fortunately there was success at the Keepmoat Stadium with the Sheffield & Hallamshire FA representative boys U18s team flying the flag for South Yorkshire in The FA County Youth Challenge Cup beating Worcestershire CFA in the Third Round.
This third round tie had suffered at the hand of the recent bad weather having to be postponed twice. The Keepmoat Stadium 2 pitch had recovered well enough to finally allow the game to go ahead on FA Cup weekend.
As hoped with a cup fixture such as this the game started brightly with both teams exhibiting attacking football from the offset. As play switching from end to end both teams creating a number of early chances.
On 10 minutes, only a last ditch tackle by Gray kept Sheffield & Hallamshire FA in the game as Woodhouse broke away and had the goal area at his mercy. Minutes later at the other end Flower headed a chance off the line when Simon attempted to lob keeper Adams as he raced off his goal line.
Sheffield & Hallamshire FA should have broken the deadlock when Delano Stewart-Jones was tripped in the penalty area. From the resulting penalty Warburton basted the ball wide of goal.
The Sheffield & Hallamshire FA defence were then lucky to scramble the ball away as it bobbed about in the penalty area as Worcestershire pressed for the opening goal just before half time. But the Sheffield & Hallamshire defence held firm and went in all square at half time 0 - 0.
The second half started as the first with play switching from end to end with chances being created by both teams but not turned into goals by the over eager forwards.
Mansfield hit the post with a shot from outside the penalty area as the home defence fail to clear the ball from a corner kick properly. This pressure eventually paid off with Worcestershire CFA opening the score sheet, taking the lead on 65 minutes when Woodhouse raced onto a through ball by Carter, Sheffield & Hallamshire FA keeper Ball came out as Woodhouse slid the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Chasing the game Sheffield & Hallamshire FA responded positively throwing everything at the Worcestershire defence eventually seeing a reward 4 minute from the end of normal time when Hanniy poked in the equalizer from close range following a goalmouth scramble.
Worcestershire could have sealed an away victory 2 minutes later after a free kick was floated into the Sheffield & Hallamshire FA area, which Carter connected with only to head it over from close range.
This was the last action from both teams in normal time, with 90 minutes arriving with the score at 1 a piece signaling the need for extra time.
Both teams’ looked to grab the winner throughout extra time but Sheffield & Hallamshire FA edged this cup encounter clinching the deciding goal with just 4 minutes remaining.
The ball was lobbed back into the Worcestershire penalty area with Stewart-Jones being the first to react and headed the ball into the net. Only a great diving save by Whithcome in the Worcestershire goal prevented Stewart-Jones increasing the home sides lead a minute later. Sheffield & Hallamshire FA managed to hold on and win the game.
Sheffield & Hallamshire FA face local rivals West Riding CFA in the 4th Round of The FA Youth County Cup next Saturday (30th January) at the Keepmoat Stadium 2, 2 p.m. Kick Off
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