Derwent 1sts overcame a resilient James 2nds side 3-0 in today’s pivotal College Cup encounter. James needed a win to leapfrog Derwent and claim 2nds place in Group D, which would have seen one of the pre-tournament favourites in Derwent dropping into the Plate. As it was Derwent came through unscathed, though the final score line did not reflect the difficulty of the task which faced Derwent on a hot afternoon at the JLD.
It was one of the more entertaining encounters of the competition so far, despite reaching half time at 0-0. Both sides created chances in the opening half an hour, but it was in the second period that Derwent pressed home their superiority, dominating for large periods and scoring three times in the final 15 minutes to assure their place in the final eight.
There was a fast start, both sides in turn stringing together a series of corners in the opening minutes. There was also end-to-end play. The first chance went to James, as Kirushanthan Sivagnanam’s in-swinging cross was claimed by Derwent keeper Frank Woodcock ahead of Sam Taylor. Derwent broke immediately, but the ball fell into the grasp of James keeper Andy Lake.
In the sixth minute there was more fast-paced action. Ameer Alhasan laid off to Malek Murison, but the James midfielder put his shot wide of the mark. From the resulting goal kick, Derwent went forward and Jamie Trant probably should have been given a penalty after being brought down, but the referee waved away the appeals.
Minutes later Derwent twice hit the woodwork. The first was courtesy of an Ollie Harrison header from a back post corner, which James then scrambled away, before another chance for Dan Atherton, whose shot scuffed onto the post. Harrison, in similar fashion to his earlier attempt, tried to bundle the resulting corner in at the back post, but couldn’t convert.
James had Callum Elliot to thank for keeping the scores level after 14 minutes. James had some nice interplay in midfield before being dispossessed. Joe Easter spread the ball wide to Atherton, whose cross was expertly flicked away by Elliot’s head, diverting it from the path of the onrushing David Kirk.
After this lightning start, the match settled down, with less fast-paced attacking to become more of a midfield battle. The final chance of the half went to Derwent again, Atherton’s low curler well saved by the diving Lake.
In the second period, Derwent started to show their greater quality. Easter was again the play-maker as he set up Trant, but the winger’s shot went into the side netting. James captain and centre back Matija Pisk then had two lucky escapes in quick succession. The first was a miscued clearance which looped over Lake but, thankfully for him, over the bar as well. The second was a misplaced back pass which David Kirk intercepted, but slid his shot past the post.
Then Lake was forced into a great double save to keep the scores level. The first was an Atherton shot, which Lake blocked but couldn’t hold on to. Alex D’Albertanson then swept in, but Lake was more than a match for his shot, saving it with his legs.
There was nothing Lake could do in the 38th minute as Tom Brandreth’s bullet free-kick from 40 yards was drilled against the bar. Lake made another good save two minutes later from Atherton’s close range shot, but the referee had already blown for offside.
The pressure was beginning to tell, however, and Derwent finally broke through with 15 minutes left on the clock thanks to a terrific solo goal from Sam Earle. Earle found space 25 yards out on the turn, and his shot got past the full-stretch Lake and into the net.
The breakthrough came as a relief for Derwent, while it was a blow to James who had defended so stoutly throughout and provided an attacking threat as well, particularly in the first half. And it was a case as floodgates opening as Derwent scored twice more.
The second had a degree of controversy about it. A high ball was flicked on by the head of Kirk, who appeared to be offside. Nothing was given, and Dan Atherton swooped in to slot the ball calmly past Lake for 2-0.
And then in the final minute a fabulous team goal rounded off a good afternoon for Derwent. Easter was the main man, showing brilliant vision to curl a cross-field ball into the path of substitute Ryan Gwinnett. Gwinnett took one touch to control, another to square the ball, and Kirk was loitering at the back post to tap into the empty net.
The full time whistle was blown and Derwent progress into the Cup. James put in an impressive performance which will prove their credentials to challenge for the Plate, while Derwent must surely be amongst the favourites for the Cup. Both teams could be proud of their efforts as they came off, in what was possible the most entertaining and highest quality game of the competition so far.