Touch of Class

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Photos: Zoe Bennell

Jamie Trant’s spectacular volley further aided Derwent’s title assault and left Halifax devastated on the 22 acres, as they finally succumbed to a 3-2 defeat on Sunday.

Ryan Gwinnett put Derwent ahead before Trant rifled home to double his side’s lead. Garo Heath reduced the deficit for Halifax after the break from a tight angle.

Trant grabbed his second – and his side’s third – ten minutes from time to secure the victory, although another Heath strike late on made for a nervy ending.

Derwent were forced to line up without many of those who performed excellently in last week’s 10-0 demolition of Alcuin, but began brightly. Jonny Sim was forced into a number of solid stops and the commanding Dave Belshaw was creating openings early on.

Halifax’s Connor McCoy eased into the game and proved dangerous down the left wing, yet it was Derwent who struck first. A perfectly-weighted ball over the top left Ryan Gwinnett in acres of space to tap home a terrific driven cross.

And ‘Fax failed to deal with an in-swinging corner minutes later, as the ball hit Belshaw and dropped at the edge of the penalty area. Trant, in front of his father who watched from the sideline, let leash a left-foot volley which screamed into Sim’s top corner to make it 2-0.

Derwent fully deserved the half time lead but began the second period sloppily. Fresher Tom Sherbourne, playing out of his natural position at centre-back, was forced to make a goal-saving block as Halifax pressed for a way back into the encounter.

They found one when Garo Heath converted a whipped-in cross at an angle, and things looked positive for Halifax when Derwent’s Mashahi Nozaki failed to restore his side’s two goal advantage, missing when it looked easier to score.

Connor Meckin, who scored in Halifax’s 2013 College Cup triumph, was surprisingly quiet but ‘fax deserved a leveller with McCoy and Matt Seed sharp, fast and alert on the pitch.

It wasn’t to be, however, when Nozaki’s delicate cross was guided home by Jamie Trant’s left boot to put Derwent 3-1 ahead. Johnny Sim, though excellent throughout the contest, was unable to keep out Trant’s second flawless strike of the afternoon, as Derwent extended their lead to a near-on unassailable margin.

Despite a very late individual goal from Garo Heath, who weaved through a messy defence before slotting under the goalkeeper, Derwent were able to hold on, and claim another victory to benefit their chances of claiming this term’s title.