Saturday 5 September 2009

Garforth Town 2 - Leeds Met Carnegie 1

11-7-09

New look Town strolled to a victory over the tax dodgers of Leeds Metropolitan University, on a sunny summer’s day at the Genix. Prodigal son Milton Turner drove home a low finish in the first half, and old fox Andy Hayward taught his whippersnapper opponents that age isn’t everything by claiming the match-winning goal from distance… six yards distance.

An initial feeling out process began, and lasted a full fifteen minutes before the home side started to thread balls through both in the air and on the ground. On twenty minutes, full back Milton burst forward into an inviting expanse of space on the right channel, exchanged a short one-two and ran on to score, driving the ball across the goal and home, low to the left. Uno–Cero.

The play was broken up in the interregnum between goals – niggly challenges and misplaced passes replaced free flowing football, topped off by a Garforth debutant attacker being accidentally kicked in the face. But, que sera…

Garforth’s attacks somewhat lost their fizz and spark – one such play involving Mark Piper and Duncan Williams saw several players manoeuvring to shoot, unable to get off a clear shot at goal. Perhaps credit should be given to the student defence. But not here.

Carnegie staked a claim when their full back powered a driven shot just over the top right corner from outside the area, and soon after regained parity with an excellent goal. darted up the right flank and cut inside, leaving the yellows for dead, and slid the ball inside for the easiest of tap in conversions. Uno-Uno, and deserved.

The whistle blew to end a fairly contested and clean first half, with both sides level.

That would change only minutes into the second period; new boy A.Wordsfold volleyed a clearance from a cross back into the Carnegie box, into the path of Andy Hayward. The former professional proved that coffin dodgers can beat tax dodgers any day of the week, hooking the ball back over his shoulder to earn a lead for his side. Dos-Uno.

Dominic Blair – back despite rumours of a switch to Blackburn Rovers – almost doubled the one goal lead with an effort from the right wing after a lay off. As the ensuing goal kick took place, the sun came out in force, as it should in July anyway, giving one player an immediately noticeable tan.

Blair almost set up Williams with a curled free kick, as the youngster headed just wide. The same Williams almost scored ten minutes later, when he avoided the offside trap as Hayward slid him through. Sadly, his own slide rule effort slid wide.

The game ended, a game with no controversy, ugly or hilarious scenes, no outward aggression, no tempers flared, no awful decisions and no penalties awarded. I must have come to the wrong ground this aft…

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