The Tamworth and District Sunday League finally came to an end this week and DC UNITED would end their PREMIER DIVISION season on the end of a rather embarrassing 12-1 defeat to HURLEY UNITED who have struggled all season for any consistent form since promotion last year but this result enabled Hurley to finish just above the bottom two after a tough first season in the top division whilst DC United finished a creditable third placed ..... AUSTREY RANGERS won the DIVISION 1 title in true style , absolutely thumping a poor DRAYTON MANOR team 10-2 in the final game of the season . Austrey went into this game knowing only a win would see them crowned champions and right from the off they went goal crazy as Simieon SMITH scored another FOUR goals with top goal scorer Jamie NEWBOLD getting his hatrick . SHUTT then added another and RODGERS also chipped in with a goal , the other being an own goal . Austrey have been pushed all the way by Two Gates for the league and cup but it was Austrey who completed a glorious double to crown a fine season ...... DIVISION 3 and after last weeks heroics of turning a cup final defeat against Glacticos into a smash grab win in the last five minutes FAZELEY TOWN must of been hoping to follow up that great cup upset by finishing their league campaign with a win as they met BIRCHMOOR UNITED . Birchmoor though had other ideas and they found their early season form that saw them go a large part of the season unbeaten in the league but then go into free fall when promotion looked promising . Birchmoor goals from TURNER with two and ELLIS gave Birchmoor a comfortable 3-0 half time lead . Both teams made changes second half and goals were flying in all over the place and the final score was 9-3 to Birchmoor who rounded off a slightly disappointing season by their own standards in quite some style . Birchmoor goals came from TURNER with four ( giving him FORTY NINE for the season ) ELLIS with a hatrick and goals a piece for ROOKER and WOOD ..... DIVISION 4 was wrapped up with runners up MEASHAM rattling eleven without reply past GLASCOTE SWIFTS to finish their season with an 11-0 win ..... MIDLAND UNITY ended their season with a 7-0 loss to ST JOHNS who finished third enjoying a good first season at open age football ..... The end of the Tamworth and District Sunday Football League came down to the FINAL of the biggest cup competition of the lot , the ELLISION ROSE BOWL which is the leagues own version of the F.A Cup and fittingly enough it was the top two teams who finished first and second in the Premier Division that would fight it out for the honours . Champions elect WOOD END SPORTS have enjoyed a quite remarkable season and last week they wrapped up the title for the first time in their history , to go along with two other cup final appearances of which both have been won so their trophy cabinet would of been bulging at the seams and surely they had no room for anymore silverware !! A win for Wood End in the Ellision Rose Bowl would of been just the icing on the cake for a season they have dominated from start to finish but in their way was a tough test for which they knew they needed their ‘A ‘ game for one last time this season . Runners up in the league to Wood End were , WHITE LION LINK who themselves have enjoyed a great season and this too was their third cup final of the season , the previous two saw one win and one defeat the defeat coming from todays opponents Wood End Sports so revenge would of been on White Lions minds after losing the previous final in the dying minutes of the match with not much to separate them . On paper and on their day both sides can really turn on the style which is the reason they are the two best sides in the Tamworth Sunday League so a promising game of football was on the cards at New Mill Lane to end the season and bring the curtains down . Wood End Sports kicked off the game like they meant business and straight from off were knocking the ball around with panache and White Lion looked half asleep and Wood End sensing the Lions nerves took full advantage of this and saw an early effort inside the first five minutes flash just wide but that wasn’t before an even earlier scare when the Wood End keeper had to burst off his line and be aware to a threatening through ball that saw a brave challenge clear the danger to saftey . That was the sign of what was to come for White Lion as Wood End laid siege on their goal constantly peppering it and after only five minutes Dale FARLEY netted to ease his sides nerves if they had any . Now leading Wood End continued in the same vein as White Lion stuttered to get started with their usual free flowing football which had deserted them and when in possession it was either long hopeful nothing balls up front which were mopped up easily by the Wood End defence or stray passes that were easily gobbled up by the far hungrier Wood End team . It all seemed to easy and Wood End just couldn’t believe how sloppy White Lion were being and duly punished them again as they doubled their lead on ten minutes when a brilliant team move saw five or six passes down the right side that ended with RATHBONE adding the finishing touches to the move and it was 2-0 and seemingly the floodgates were open !! White Lion huffed and puffed but looked a sorry second best all over the pitch and 2-0 could and should of been 5 or 6-0 by the half hour mark of the game with countless chances going a miss and it was seemingly plain sailing for Wood End . With a strike force of Taylor , Rathbone , Yonwin and Farley alls you could expect would be goals goals goals for Wood End and they certainly were giving the White Lion backline a torrid time . Slowly but surely White Lion came into the game during the last ten minutes of the half and this was due to an enforced Wood End substitution that saw their general on the battlefield Hamilton forced off with a thigh strain and without him at the spine of the team Wood End began to wobble . White Lion managed to create some opportunities that could of changed the game before the break . Sam Parker was left all alone some ten yards out when a free kick was sent over and evaded everyone but it even surprised Parker himself who rushed his effort and a reflex stab at the ball fell luckily into the Wood End keepers arms and the chance was gone . Parker then made the Wood End keeper really earn his money as a great run saw him turn two defenders inside out and rifle a low shot across the keeper Meads who made a brilliant finger tip save to tip it round the post . Wood End were looking to see the half out now it seemed and White Lion pressed and a Dan Hales effort went just inches over the bar and fouls were being conceded deep in their own half as Wood End looked to be panicking but the free kicks were wasted for White Lion . Wood End were lucky to go in at the break with still eleven men on the pitch as a break away run from White Lions Remi Williams saw him race clean through with two Wood End defenders hot on his heels and just as he reached the edge of the area bearing down on goal he was bundled over from behind and a red card looked imminent but the two officials on the near side spoke briefly for a moment and a free kick was awarded on the edge of the area and amazingly NO CARD !! Wood End had just used their ‘’ get out of jail free card ‘’ as the free kick was a poor one and wasted once again . After a rather wobbly opening thirty five minutes White Lion actually finished the half looking the more likely to score but were still 2-0 down and Wood End were well worth their lead . The second half saw a shift in the power as White Lion began as they finished the first half and pressed Wood End back and it was now under pressure that Wood End began with long balls and stray passes themselves as they were getting over run as White Lion created and wasted plenty of chances , but half way through the second half Sam PARKER scored the goal of the game after a blistering White Lion move saw him take the ball on the edge of the box and with a crowded area he curled in a peach of an effort that nestled into the top corner giving the keeper no chance of saving and White Lion were deservedly back in the game . Tails up White Lion continued to press and Wood End were looking worried now and another White Lion goal looked to be on the cards as White Lion opened up their opponents several times as they chased the equaliser , but in chasing that all important goal they were always susceptible to a counter attack and what an injustice it was when against the run of the play Wood End restored their two goal cushion when pure grit and determination saw Dale FARLEY evade two or three heavy challenges to only just stay on his feet along the outside of the area and from twelve yards out his shot took a tiny deflection off a last ditch tackle and spooned up over the keeper and bounced into the net . Take nothing away from the goal though it was some good team work that created the chance then some great individual skill that saw the ball hit the back of the net . With fifteen minutes to go now the game become very open as White Lion with nothing to lose attacked at every opportunity whilst Wood End now buzzing again also looked good on the ball and the last fifteen minutes was played out in an entertaining end to end cup final free for all , but with nothing between the two sides for the last part of the game the final whistle went and Wood End quite rightly so celebrated in style their 3-1 victory to finish the season on a high whilst White Lion were left to rue what could of been had they turned up for kick off and not given Wood End an early two goal lead ....
Posted on: Wed, 28 May 2014 15:16:14 +0000
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