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Photos: Tom Wooldridge
Vanbrugh strolled into the College Cup semi-finals with a routine win over a disappointing Goodricke.
A brace from Phil Taylor and a fine strike from Ben Stanier ensured James Wilson’s side now face last year’s runners up, Derwent 1sts, next week.
After a scrappy first half, which ended goalless, it appeared as though the game was drifting towards extra time.
But Taylor’s strike early in the second half gave Vanbrugh momentum, and they put the Greens to the sword in comfortable fashion.
Before the match, question marks loomed over Vanbrugh’s potential in the Cup, following their shock 3-2 defeat to Halifax 2nds last week, but they silenced their critics today despite the absence of the instrumental John Gill.
In the early stages, however, Goodricke were the more enterprising. Sam Lewis’ inswinging free kick from the left somehow evaded a clutch of players in the penalty area, as the ball bounced just wide of Wilson’s left post.
As expected, Vanbrugh gradually came into the game and Elliot Ross should have done better when played in by Rory Sharkey, but his low shot was saved brilliantly by the feet of Ed Foster.
Foster had to be alert moments later to parry Stanier’s stinging volley, and an indecisive Goodricke defence were let off when Chris Wignall’s long free kick was bundled just wide by a gaggle of Vanbrugh players at the back post.
Seconds before the interval, Vanbrugh had Max Brewer to thank for a heroic goal line clearance to keep the scores goalless.
Matt Thomas’ wicked cross from the left somehow missed Joe Mann in the middle but the alert Brewer expected the unexpected and headed the ball away to safety.
Vanbrugh made a change at half time, bringing on the lively Parish for a subdued Ross, who was suffering from a facial injury picked up after an awkward fall.
The team in red and blue finally found the breakthrough their play deserved as Taylor bagged his sixth goal of the tournament.
The midfielder’s initial header from a long Chris Wignall free kick was blocked straight to his feet by Foster, and Taylor reacted quickest to slam in the rebound.
Goodricke will be disappointed with their marking to concede so much space to a player of Taylor’s quality, and paid the price.
Taylor nearly bagged his second after being found by a perfectly-weighted Stanier pass, but another excellent Foster save denied him.
At the other end, Goodricke struggled to test Wilson as Rob Young’s swivel and shot was blocked by Ziggy Heath, before Astbury headed miles over from an inviting Lewis corner.
More Foster heroics kept the score down at 1-0, as he brilliantly tipped Sharkey’s low shot from the left around the post.
However, he had no chance with Vanbrugh’s second of the afternoon.
Tom Parish intelligently held up play and laid the ball off to Stanier, who swept a delightful volley with the outside of his left foot into the top corner.
With just a couple of minutes left, Vanbrugh sealed the win as Sharkey, collecting Heath’s pass, shot across the ‘keeper but Taylor tapped in the rebound from point blank range.
Goodricke almost scored a consolation goal as Mann’s sensational volley from distance clipped the outside of the post, but Wilson was still yet to make a meaningful save.
Afterwards, Goodricke captain Matt Thomas claimed: “I think 3-0 is a flattering scoreline for them; we should have got a free kick for a push in the build-up to the first goal. But I think we’ve done well as a whole in the tournament.”
Meanwhile, James Wilson said: “It was a tight first half, but we upped it in the second”. On the date with Derwent 1sts, Wilson explained: “It should be a good game; we beat them in the autumn term, so they will be looking for revenge.”
Vision MOTM: Ed Foster