U19 Football Team Crowned County Cup Winners
- Details
- Created: Monday, 09 March 2015 11:51
- Written by christine
U19 Football Team Crowned County Cup Winners!
The Post 16 football team won the County Cup on Saturday 7th March, beating Robert Smyth Academy 2-1. Groby qualified for the final following a 13-2 victory over John Cleveland College, but were expecting a tougher battle in the final and that is exactly what they got.
A nervy opening 10 minutes saw both teams trying to get a foothold in the game, but Groby grew with confidence as the first half progressed. A succession of corners nearly brought an opener with Jordan Waite flashing a header wide of the post and Alex Kent forcing the goalkeeper into a routine save. Charlie Young and Ben Gilbert were controlling the midfield battle and Groby were making inroads down the channels with Josh Woolman, Tom McGlinchey, Joe Norton and Alex Kent to the fore. It was from one of these attacks that Alex Kent created the opener. Picking the ball up on the halfway line, he outpaced the defence and created a one-on-one opportunity. He took the ball around the goal keeper where captain McGlinchey was on hand to side foot into an empty net and put Groby into a 1-0 lead. Groby continued to press forwards while remaining solid at the back. Joe Swain and Jordan Waite marshalled the back four superbly, supported by Kyle Morrish and Sagar Pandya, and Kieren Fox made some important reaction saves.
Groby extended their lead when a cross was half cleared to Norton who went down inside the penalty area following a high foot. Swain stepped up and calmly sent the goal keeper the wrong way from the spot. McGlinchey forced the goalkeeper into a good save directly from a free kick and Norton has another penalty shout waved away as the first half drew to a close. 2-0 to Groby and an excellent first half performance.
Robert Smyth exerted pressure on the Groby defence throughout the second half, but Groby always looked dangerous in attack. Kent led the line well, doing his best to hold up the ball and chase down through balls and were carried long in the strong wind. However, he was guilty of taking too much time on the ball rather than shooting and with Groby pushing men forwards Robert Smyth launched an attack. Their dangerous number 11, who was well marked by both Morrish and Pandya in the first half, forced Fox into a good save and when Pandya failed to clear, the Robert Smythe striker struck the ball high into the net to bring them back into the game. Robert Smyth then threw everything forward searching for an equaliser. A series of long throw ins and corners were cleared and Tom Mathews was brought into the action to shore up the midfield. Groby managed to hold on to the narrow lead and secure cup victory for the first time in 10 years.
A fantastic performance that capped an excellent season. Well done to all involved!
