On a cloudy, cold
and overcast evening we visited De La Salle for our penultimate league fixture.
Dion, Tom and a returning Ben started on
the bench for us this evening. This was
to be a game of two halves and the first half was dominated by the home team.
Rarely has a team been able to out play and restrict us to no chances on goal
in a half but this evening DLS managed it.
We were under the cosh after 2mins when a DLS forward was unlucky not to
score when he dragged a good effort wide. Their first corner came on 3mins and again one
of the DLS players was unlucky not to score when he headed the ball just over
the bar. So we could have been two down
after 5mins. A few minutes later Conor
denied DLS when he saved a point blank effort from a corner. DLS finally managed to get their deserved
breakthrough when a free kick from 35 yards out was driven into the box to find
the DLS No 11 free and he headed the ball home to make it 1-0 DLS.
Ladybridge only
forced one corner in the half and this was cleared well by the DLS defence. DLS should have added a further goal before
half time but Conor again made a crucial save in the last minute when he saved
a goal bound effort from 10 yards.
HT De La Salle 1-0
Ladybridge.
DLS started the
half by forcing a corner within a minute of the restart but the Ladybridge
defence managed to clear this well. Our
first offensive move of the game came shortly after when Dion was unlucky not
to get on the end of a good pass by James Y but the DLS keeper was switched on
to the danger and managed to intercept the ball before Dion reached it. Cole was the architect of our first goal when
he powerfully ran down the left wing and his accurate pass to James Y was finished
well by him with a low shot to the left of the DLS keeper to make it 1-1.
This goal seemed
to kick start our lads and Cal found himself in an advanced position shortly
after the goal and he picked out Cole in the box but his shot just went wide of
the left hand post. Our second goal
started with Dion's mazy run across the DLS defensive line and his sublime pass
to Cole was finished off well by our left wing wizard to make it 2-1
Ladybridge.
Our lead didn't
last long though as DLS hit back almost immediately when a defensive lapse at
the back handed the ball to the DLS forward who made no mistake and made it
2-2.
With about 10mins
to go Ladybridge would score the last goal of the game and Cole was on hand to
literally slice through 3 or 4 defenders challenges to deliver a great ball
into the box where Josh gratefully received the ball and he duly smashed home
his shot to make it 3-2 Ladybridge.
Full Time De La
Salle 2-3 Ladybridge.
DLS tonight made
us fight right until the last minute to gain this vital win. They should have been 2 or 3 up at half time
and out of sight. They didn't manage to
kill us off and I'm sure they're still scratching their heads wondering why
they lost this game. Their players
played as though they were going for the league, not us, and a similar
performance in the 2nd half to the one they produced in the 1st would have
given them the win that it would have merited.
Ladybridge scraped
past a determined and impressive side this evening. When the chips were down at half time and only
one team looked likely to win this game they went out in the second and turned
this game around completely to produce the vital win we needed to secure the
League.
Well done lads
from all your supporters and coaches. Tonight's 2nd half performance was one
that we will remember for a long time. Winning
Cups is always special but it is the League that defines a team’s season and
you have managed to secure this with a game to go which is a superb
achievement.
Next up is our
final league match of the season away at Stalybridge Celtic Blues on Thursday
evening.
Gordon
