Leamore Boys vs. Wyrley Juniors

Result: Leamore Boys 3 - Wyrley Juniors 4

Golden goal puts Wyrley through

Team

Subs

Back To Top

Match Report

This was the second game in as many weeks between these two sides with Wyrley shading a close league game seven days before at Rosemary Road.

This cup game had barely started before Wyrley found themselves a goal up when on 2 minutes, Adam Nicholls' curling corner found its way into the net with the Leamore keeper unable to clear. Aaron Allcock in the Leamore goal then atoned for his misjudgement 5 minutes later with a brave block at the feet of Matthew Anstey.

Wyrley continued to create chances but didn't show sufficient composure in front of goal with first Shaun Nicholls getting on the end of a low cross from Matthew Anstey on the right; then Edward Marrocco snatching at a chance after Shaun Nicholls had won the ball in the air from a retaken Simon Casserley free kick; and then Matthew Grendon miscueing a strike on goal.

Their inability to put further daylight between themselves and their opponents saw Wyrley become increasingly jittery as Leamore began to exert an increasing influence on the game. Leamore went close on 20 minutes when a flowing move ended with a shot over the bar.

Wyrley responded with a shot over the bar of their own from Matthew Anstey after he got on the end of an excellent through ball from Simon Casserley.

The number of Wyrley's chances had started to dwindle and it was no surprise when Leamore scored an equaliser on 28 minutes, but a second Leamore goal within a minute of the first left Wyrley reeling.

To their credit, and just as they had done against Jubilee earlier in the season, Wyrley refused to panic or blame each other in the face of this setback but set about remedying the situation in a workmanlike fashion.

On 33 minutes, Wyrley responded with an equalising goal of their own from Shaun Nicholls with a shot into the roof of the net from close range after good work by Richard Bullock on the right and good advantage played by the referee earlier in the move after Matthew Anstey had been tripped.

Then just before half-time Matthew Anstey himself scored the fifth goal of the half and Wyrley's third when he reacted quickest to shoot high into the net from close range after the Leamore keeper dropped the ball when he was clattered by one of his own defenders going up for a cross from Richard Bullock.

Half-time: Leamore 2 - Wyrley 3

Following the goal fest at the end of the first half in which 4 goals were scored inside 15 minutes, the second half was a more tranquil affair with both defences showing a good deal more composure than in the first period.

As he had in the first half, Aaron Allcock pulled off another valiant save at the feet of Matthew Anstey on 43 minutes.

And as had happened a week before, the two sides largely cancelled each other out with Wyrley's central defensive partnership of Jason Dennerley and Todd Wootton looking comfortable with the Leamore attack having to content themselves with long-range efforts. For their part, Leamore too kept Wyrley's chances to a minimum.

Matthew Grendon shot just just wide on 46 minutes; Richard Bullock put a lob just over from an Adam Nicholls' corner ten minutes later; then from another corner, Jason Dennerley fired in a goalbound rocket of shot from the edge of the box which was diverted over the bar by the Leamore keeper.

As the half wore on, Wyrley became increasingly cautious as they sought to maintain their single goal advantage until the end of normal time thereby avoiding the necessity for extra time. However, unlike the previous week, when Leamore had been thwarted by a combination of some dogged defending and the crossbar, Wyrley's defences were breached on 75 minutes when the Leamore managed to get behind the Wyrley back line and through on goal to put the game into extra time.

Full-time: Leamore 3 - Wyrley 3

Wyrley started the first period of extra time the livelier of the two teams when an early chance fell to Jaffa Mayer.

Nick Russell in the Wyrley goal did well to hold onto a stinging drive from a Leamore free-kick on 85 minutes.

It remained all square until one minute before the end of the first period of extra-time when another well-taken Adam Nicholls corner found Simon Casserley on the edge of the box who showed splendid improvisation when he fired the ball with his knee low and hard into the Leamore net to score the decisive golden goal and win Wyrley the tie.

This was a vintage team performance with all the classic ingredients. Wyrley had first gained the lead; then lost it; regained it, only to lose it again, before winning with - albeit by definition - the last kick of the game with the four Wyrley goals coming from four different players.

After extra time: Leamore 3 - Wyrley 4

Back To Top

Match Stats

Goals

Man of the Match

Other Information

Back To Top