Round 21 of the 5aside league – Wednesday 13th March 2019.
On the last night of the season we had 3 big games…. A wooden spoon decider, a title decider and a game between two teams in mid table obscurity!
In the 8pm games we had a Garstang team that had been improving as the season had gone on, but hadn’t quite been able to get any points on the board. They were taking on Ingleton, who had also had some close games recently, but just hadn’t been able to build on the 3 points they got earlier in the season against Garstang in a 4 – 3 win. It was Garstang who took the lead thanks to a first time volley from Nathan Devany. Ingleton managed to pull a goal back from Ryan Whalley but Garstang were having the better of the early exchanges and Ben Taylor scored a brace to take a 3 – 1 lead. Heading towards half time and Ingleton seemed to go through the gears pulling the game back to 4 – 4. Second half was very tight with neither team doing quite enough to win it. The game ended 6 – 6 which was a fair result for both teams. Ben Taylor ended up with 4 for Garstang and Nathan Devany got a brace. Ingleton had Josh Capstick to thank with a hat trick, which included a screamer right into the top corner. Dave Easterby also got onto the scoresheet for Ingleton.
In the other 8pm game there was an extremely close encounter between Carnforth and Lune Valley Utd. Carnforth took the lead and then doubled it through Damien Kitching. Carnforth seemed in control of the game, but Lune Valley kept pressing and were eventually rewarded with a penalty, which Sam Dennis coolly finished. Into the second half and Dean Hogarth turned his man and slotted past the keeper, to give Carnforth a 3 – 1 lead. Both teams were defending well and not giving too much away. It was another 8 minutes before another goal was scored and it was Lune Valley who found it through Isaac Dennis. Nearly as soon as he had pulled a goal back, Carnforth pulled away again as Dean scored his second and Carnforth’s fourth. With just 5 minutes left James Sutton found some space and a great finish, to leave the game on a knife-edge. Carnforth had to see out the last few minutes and just and so managed it, to finish the season with more wins, than losses.
At 9pm Will Marsden came to speak to the teams. Will talked about how most big football matches hinge on key moments. In the Carabao Cup Final between Manchester City and Chelsea the moment that is probably best remembered this year, was when Chelsea’s keeper, Kepa, refused to be substituted just before the penalty shootout. He defied his manager’s wishes and had the consequences for that over the next few weeks, as he was dropped for the next game and was fined by the club. Will said that in life we often act like Kepa did towards his manager Sarri, when we ignore God and live life our own way. We don’t want to come under His authority, even though He knows what is best for us. In the final, the substitution that Sarri wanted to make was to bring on Caballero for Kepa. Caballero had a great record of saving penalties against some of the worlds best players and had even won the Carabao cup 2 years earlier, with Man City, as he saved penalties in a shootout. He may have been the perfect substitution… We will never know! God provided the perfect substitute for us, when Jesus came to earth and took the punishment that we deserve as He hung on the cross.
In the last game we had the league decider. Roeburndale Rascals had lead the way nearly all season, but needed a point against Crown Lane to be champions. If they lost, then the championship was Crown Lane’s!
Both teams started the game tentatively. It was Roeburndale who got the breakthrough after 6 minutes as Joel Law fired low and hard into the bottom corner. The Rascals were getting more of the ball and were lively in midfield. Crown Lane were next to score against the run of play as Sam Hogarth pounced on a mistake to bring things level. Roeburndale were still playing the better football but again Crown Lane were next to get an opening. Sam moved the ball quickly to his right and smashed a shot at the Roeburndale goal, only for Matt Dawson to dive and tip it onto the crossbar and out. Minutes later and Roenburndale were ahead again as that man, Joel Law again came into the attack and finished off a good move. Both teams kept working the ball round, but neither could find another goal before half time. Into the second and Roebundale seemed to be controlling the game with very few chances coming for anyone. With about 8 minutes of the second half gone a lovely ball was played up to Keith Townley for Crown Lane and he met it with a fantastic header. The Crown Lane lads thought they had the equalizer, only for Matt Dawson again to claw it round the post for a corner. As time kept going, both teams started to go long with Luke Parkinson (in goal for Crown Lane) playing the ball up to their furthest man forward and Matt Dawson often playing it up to Will Huddleston, who was looking to lay the ball off for a midfielder to get a shot off. With about 6 minutes left Crown Lane got the equalizer as Martin went down the right wing and managed to squeeze his shot into the Rascals goal. The Rascals didn’t panic as they were still on for the title and they managed to hold on with everybody doing their job, right to the end. Final score was 2 – 2 which wasn’t enough for Crown Lane. Congratulations to Roeburndale Rascals on their first 5aside league win. With an average age of about 20, it could be the first of many!
Results:
Ingleton 6 – 6 Garstang
Lune Valley 3 – 4 Carnforth
Roeburndale Rascals 2 – 2 Crown Lane
