Wiltshire Sunday Cup - 2009/2010

The Final - Sunday 18 April 2010

Wiltshire Sunday Cup Report by Mr. M Schneider - Publications Secretary

Super sub Lye clinches Sunday Cup success for the Centre

WILTSHIRE SUNDAY CUP FINAL: Robson Taylor, Chippenham Sunday League side Corsham Centre lifted the Wiltshire Sunday Cup for a third time in five seasons when they beat defending champions Greyhound from the Swindon Sunday League 2-1 at Wootton Bassett FC on a sun drenched Sunday morning.

For the past few seasons these two sides had dominated the Sunday cup so this was a long overdue final showdown between two of Wiltshire’s finest and at times it lived up to the pre match expectations but it never really reached the levels of football which was expected of the sides but a lot of that was down to the playing surface at Rylands Road which made it hard for both teams to play their best football.

Corsham Centre made the livelier start but it was Greyhound who went closest to breaking the deadlock when Richard Sanders snap shot flew wide of the target on five minutes. Almost immediately at the other end Centre’s Ross Lye lift a good chance over the bar.

On 12 minutes the Centre had another good chance, this time Craig Gingell headed over a pin point free kick from Matthew Ralph and three minutes later Dan King should have done better with a chance from close range.

Another opportunity went begging for the Centre in the 19th minute when Liam Ralph found Simon Gray with a good cross but Gray’s shot flashed past the upright with keeper Kurtis Sharkey well beaten.

Shortly after Greyhound’s Dave Gee saw his hopeful shot fail to test keeper Nick Gingell and from the clearance up field the Centre thought they should have had a penalty when Simon Gray and Kevin Tate tangled with each other but their appeals were rightly waved away by referee Kevin Purbrick.

In the 27th minute the Centre were once again wasteful in front of goal when Kevin Hodgkinson was left unmarked but failed to get his free header on target.

Corsham Centre finally got the goal their efforts and first half dominance deserved on 32 minutes when Ross Lye squared the ball to Simon Gray who placed his shot perfectly into the bottom corner of the Greyhound net for 1-0.

Tempers threatened to boil over on 34 minutes when a rash challenge by Greyhound’s David Slatterly on Matthew Ralph almost sparked a brawl but Slatterly received a yellow card for the foul with the Centre’s keeper Nick Gingell lucky not to receive one after needlessly running 45 yards to get involved.

Once things had settled down and the game got underway again Greyhound’s Steve Robertson should have equalised but fired over from six yards with only the keeper to beat.

In the 41st minutes an off the ball incident led to another flare up which resulted in Greyhound’s Lewis Page and the Centre’s keeper Nick Gingell going into the referee’s book.

The first half drew to a close with the Centre’s Ross Lye’s testing Greyhound’s keeper Sharkey with a long ranger effort which he was equal to.

The second half saw Greyhound fly out the traps and when the Centre failed to defend a free kick the ball fell to Richard Sanders who headed home on 48 minutes to bring the scored level.

The Centre immediately went up the other end with Gray and Ross Lye combining well before the latter saw he effort well saved by keeper Sharkey.

On 54 minutes the Centre’s Neurin Jones should have given his team the lead but he flashed a glorious chance from six yards wide of the goal with only the keeper to beat. Soon after a fine double save from keeper Sharkey saw him deny Gray his second goal of the game.

The Centre almost pressed the self destruct button in the 62nd minute, woeful defending saw them give the ball away t oSteve Robertson who fired a shot inches wide of the target and five minutes later the same player beat the Centre’s offside trap but saw his shot sail inches past the post when it looked to be heading in.

At the other end keeper Sharkey was called into action twice denying Simon Gray with his feet in the space of a minute and on the counter attack Greyhound’s Richard Sanders had a header scrambled away by a combining of keeper and defence who just managed to clear their lines.

On 72 minutes Corsham Centre made their first change bringing Ben Thomson on for Hodgkinson and he was soon involved setting up Ross Lye who crossed to Craig Gingell who should really have done better with his effort.

With 10 minutes remaining Dave Gee headed home a David Slatterly cross to put Greyhound in front but their celebrations were cut short as the goal was ruled out for offside.

With both teams going for a winner the game flowed from end to end with neither team really threatening to find it, with time running out the Centre made one final throw of the dice by bringing on James Lye for Adie Webb and it proved to be decisive with the game now in added time Ben Thomson swung over a corner and James Lye rose to head home what proved to be the winner.

Joy for Corsham Centre at the final whistle but heartache for Greyhound for whom it was a cruel way to lose the game which they looked out of in the first half but came back into the game in the second half as they took the game to the Centre.

Over the 90 minutes the Chippenham League side probably just edge the contest as no doubt had the better chances to have killed the game off before they got their late winner but Greyhound definitely made a game of it and should be proud of themselves as they played a big part in making the final as entertaining as it was.

John Gingell a North Wilts Councilor on the Wiltshire County FA presented mementoes of the final to both teams followed by the Wiltshire Sunday Cup to winning captain Matthew Ralph.

 

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