Scarborough under 11's (3) v Sheffield Boys under 11's (3).
George Pindar College,Eastfield,Scarborough.
Saturday 1st November. Ko 11pm.
After the arduous journey north and even with back to back victories behind them, Sheffield were slow to master the difficult conditions against a competitive and tenacious Scarborough side. Kicking against a gusty breeze Sheffield found it difficult to establish the slick passing game which had proved so successful in their last match and as such soon found themselves one nil down.
Failing to clear their lines five minutes in, the ball fell to Scarborough player on the edge of the area and with time to pick his spot, found the roof of the net with an excellent strike.
Sheffield failed to heed this early set back and against a Scarborough side quick to the tackle and quick to close space, the Sheffield midfield were unable to establish any kind of decent possession. The writing was therefore clearly on the wall after 8mins when Scarborough struck again. After several near misses a low shot from ten yards out was excellently saved by the Sheffield keeper Smith, only to find the ball unluckily falling to a Scarborough forward who finished clinically from 6 yards out.
This second goal finally kick started a lacklustre Sheffield side and with a buoyed up Scarborough outfit 2 nil up, a tough battle royale developed in the middle of the park. Unfortunately with Sheffield at last gaining a tenacious foot hold in the game , a Scarborough break after 12 mins resulted in an excellent cross from the right being deftly steered into the Sheffield net for a third goal for the home side.
At this point the Sheffield management, in order to bolster a beleaguered Sheffield defence,decided to switch from an attacking 5 across the middle to a more conventional 4-4-2. The change soon resulted in a period of Sheffield pressure with Oxley nearly pulling a goal back on the stroke of half time.
3-0 to Scarborough at half time, it was certainly a time for a beleaguered Sheffield to show some character.
With the elements in their favour in the second half, Sheffield started to gain some momentum and the swift passing game soon started to etch some clear chances. With pace down the flanks especially from Adebajo and Bywater , the central midfield trio Oxley , Archer and Storey-Scott soon started to make good possession count and started to steer intelligent passes in and behind the Scarborough defence.
With good chances falling for Storey-Scott, Bywater and Adebajo Sheffield started to take control but without success. Ably marshalled at the back by Wallace and Bamforth, the Sheffield side continued to attack in numbers and with only around 6 minutes to go ,the pressure finally paid dividends when a corner from the right was bundled in by Storey-Scott, after his shot richoted off the underside of the crossbar.
With a Scarborough side obviously weakening from wave after wave of Sheffield attacks, could the impossible happen?
With Sheffield biting into tackles on the half way line, the ball fell to Lyons, whose precise through ball sent Adebajo clear. One on one with the keeper the Sheffield forward deftly rounded him only to be cynically fouled.
The resulting penalty was clinically despatched by Barlow.
3-2 down with only minutes left, Sheffield poured forward searching for an equaliser and unbelievably after a strong run from Oxley into the Scarborough box, the Scarborough central defender lost his discipline and barged the tenacious Sheffield midfielder over. The referee had no choice but to give a second penalty in less than a minute to Sheffield side.
This time Oxley placed the ball on the spot himself and with a calmness that belies his age dispatched the equalising penalty with a cool aplomb.
Obviously with only a minute left plus injury time, a resplendent Sheffield side poured forward for the winner but a wounded Scarborough side were certainly not down and out, so an exciting last minute resulted in chances at both ends.
Finally the referee called an end to an excellent contest with honours even. A terrific contest with no quarter given by either side maintained Sheffield's unbeaten record but not without frayed management nerves.
Report filed by
Jamie Bywater (and his Dad)