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2006-2007 Season of the National Christian Cup
Quarter Final and Semi Final Reports
Verite Media 2007 National Christian Cup Quarter Final Reports
The
Quarter-Finals, interestingly, contained only 1 Team that had reached this stage
before! This means, of course, that we now have 4 new Semi Finalists!! The NCC
has become very open over the years. There were 4 Teams from the North /
Midlands and 4 from the South / Wales in the Quarter-Finals giving an even
Southern / Northern split, which still remains with an all Northern and all
Southern Semi-Finals! This means of course that it will be a North vs South
Final!! Doncaster Evangelical FC, from the Yorkshire Churches League will have
to travel across the Pennines to play MEOLS FC, Liverpool, from the Merseyside
Churches League. The other Semi sees a first time entry, Rhondda Royals FC,
South Wales make the journey up to Hertfordshire to play St Albans Romans, from
the Herts/Beds Churches League.
Croxley Baptist (Watford) 1-3 MEOLS FC (Liverpool) (After Extra Time)
MEOLS
FC, Liverpool, made the longest journey of the day and went through, with a good
win in the end, against Croxley Baptist FC, Watford, after extra time was
needed. MEOLS put Croxley under early pressure, but the Watford side got back
in the game to make it a much more tight affair and led at half time with a goal
from the penalty spot, after a somewhat dubious decision!! Croxley defended
their lead resolutely with their goalkeeper making some outstanding saves.
However the MEOLS pressure finally paid off and, following a string of corners,
a Croxley defender turned the ball into his own net to take the tie into extra
time! It continued to be very tight until MEOLS scored a well taken header in
the second half of extra time from a breakaway and then a Croxley player made a
clumsy challenge to give MEOLS a penalty of their own, from which they scored,
to seal the win. This was a highly competitive game but played in the true
spirit of the National Christian Cup.
St Albans Romans 1-1 St Johns Bowling Eagles (Bradford) (St Albans Romans won
4-3 on penalties)
Having knocked out 2 of the pre-tournament favourites, Genesis
FC, Loughborough and holders Kings Sports, Herts, St Johns Bowling Eagles,
Bradford, brimming with confidence, had become one of the new favourites and
looked to progress to the Semis, on another visit to Hertfordshire. However, in
a very tight game against St Albans Romans, a game of two well matched sides,
they eventually succumbed on penalties after a hard fought 1-1 draw. It was
Romans who made the first breakthrough on 20 minutes with a well taken counter
attack effort after a quick throw from their keeper. After being initially
stunned, St Johns were able to put together a fine passing move, which saw them
equalise before half time. Both teams missed great opportunities in the second
half with Romans hitting the post and the best chance falling to St Johns with
almost the last kick of extra time but the ball was blazed over from 6 yards
out. So to the dreaded penalties where the St Albans keeper proved the hero of
the day by saving 2 kicks and even scoring one himself, as his side won the
shootout, 4-3.
Rhondda Royals (South Wales) 1-0 Potter Street Baptist (Harlow)
A single goal
was all that separated Rhondda Royals, South Wales and Potter Street Baptist,
Harlow, the Welsh side winning through to the Semis having only played 8 games
in the history of their Club!! The decisive moment came just 5 minutes from time
when the prolific Jarad Williams (presently top of the NCC sharpshooters list!)
picked up a clearance and drove through on goal before shooting low past the PSB
keeper. However it was the Harlow side that dominated the early stages, with the
Rhondda defence having to cope with the pace and power of their forwards. Indeed
Potter Street could consider themselves unlucky. Firstly they hit the bar with
the ball coming down on or over the goal line and for the second round running,
there was a case for the introduction of goal line technology!! In this instance
the Ref waved play on, although both sides admitted afterwards that it was
probably the wrong decision! Secondly, in the final minute, they had a shot that
hit the inside of a post only for the ball to roll agonisingly along the goal
line with no-one on hand to tap in. Well done Rhondda for a backs to the wall
performance of grit and character but also a fair bit of fortune!!
Doncaster Evangelical Church 4-3 Mansfield AFC
In another close encounter, it
was Doncaster Evangelical Church who edged out Mansfield AFC, 4-3. This was a
fantastic game of Cup Football, played in good spirit and with the lead changing
hands throughout the game, it could really have gone either way. It was
Mansfield who edged ahead on 12 minutes with a header from a corner but DEC
equalised shortly afterwards with a cool finish from 18 yards and then took the
lead early in the second half as an attempted clearance by the Mansfield keeper
was charged down. Following a spell of intense pressure Mansfield again headed
in from a corner to level at 2-2. With 10 minutes to go, DEC again edged in
front, with a header from a set piece and finally looked to have wrapped the
game up at 4-2 with a firm shot from 12 yards. However, Mansfield refused to
give in and ensured a grandstand finish when a great, low drive from 20 yards,
hit the bottom corner to make it 4-3, but DEC just held on to reach the semis.
Exciting stuff!!
Verite Media 2007 National Christian Cup Semi Final Reports
The game between MEOLS FC, Wirral and Doncaster
Evangelical Church was an extremely close encounter, played at a fierce
pace but in which defences dominated and chances were few and far
between. The best chance fell to MEOLS in extra time but the DEC keeper
produced a fine save. However not even extra time could separate the
teams and with the tie ending 0-0, the outcome was decided on
penalties. The shoot out was just as close although altogether more
exciting! Indeed with DEC having missed an earlier kick, MEOLS could
have won the tie with their last penalty but the DEC keeper saved
magnificently at the foot of the post to take it to sudden death! The
DEC keeper again was the hero by scoring the next penalty himself
before pushing the next MEOLS effort onto the post. A tense way to win
a semi-final but overall an excellent spirited game that was a credit
to the competition.
Both St Albans Romans and Rhondda Royals,
South Wales were reaching the Semis for the first time and the early
stages showed some pre-match nerves, not helped by the difficult
conditions with a sloping pitch and a bitterly cold, strong wind.
Rhondda began playing down the slope with the wind at their backs and
had St Albans penned back for long periods, so it was no surprise when
after 20 minutes their young striker managed to evade his marker and
cooly slot home. However St Albans hung on and managed to equalise on
the stroke of half time with a shot from the edge of the box when a
corner was only half cleared. In the second half and with the
conditions in their favour, Romans began to apply pressure and scored
following a good move down the left. It stayed that way until the
closing minutes when, with Rhondda having to gamble and throw men
forward, St Albans were able to break away and score twice more, a long
range effort and a tap in to leave the final score 4-1 and a place in
the National Christian Cup Final!