12th April 2008 - East Peckham Juniors 2 - 0 Dowgate
Starting Lineup
Nichols |
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Tom Revell |
Meager |
Ryder |
Tony Revell |
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Matthews |
Jennings |
Scott |
Willett (1) |
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Howell (1) |
Hayes |
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Substitutes Used
Rob Vince > Liam Jennings, Jason Lardner > Dean Hayes
Report
Juniors entered the game against Dowgate knowing that if they won and fellow East Peckham team AFC Valour could get at least a point against Hawkenbury III then Juniors would be crowned Division 2 Champions.
In awful conditions, both sets of players were drenched before the end of the warm up and knew it would be hard work to get any kind of flowing football going.
Juniors went into the game practically unchanged, with the only change being Matthews in for Vince with Juniors looking towards their cup semi final.
Dowgate began the game the better of the two sides, and were moving the ball around incredibly well considering the conditions. However, they were lucky the get away with a number of terrible challenges in the early exchanges, one such challenge leaving Jennings unable to continue, with the captain making way for Rob Vince, a straight swap in the centre of the park.
Dowgate remained strong on the ball and their pressure almost paid when a defensive error sent the ball across the face of the Juniors goal, but the Dowgate striker snatched at his first time shot, skewing it well wide of the target. Juniors began to up the tempo, and had a number of attacks that came to nothing, before the Dowgate striker broke free one on one before being denied by Nichols, however the striker was eventually given offside.
Around the 30th minute, Ryder sprayed a long ball forward towards the strikers, and the conditions cost Dowgate as the ball slipped from the keeper’s grasp, and Jordan Willett gathered the loose ball before finishing very well from a tight angle in strong winds.
Juniors went in at the break 1 – 0 up, and with AFC Valour leading Hawkenbury III 2 – 1 on the adjacent pitch the title was within reach.
Juniors came out much stronger in the second half, and Willett impressed with his pace down the left hand side and Matthews showing the team what he has to offer on the right hand side of the pitch. Lardner replaced Hayes upfront and began linking up well with Howell.
The pressure almost led to a second goal for Juniors when Howell laid the ball into the path of Willett, who was only denied his second goal of the day when the Dowgate keeper pulled off a very good stop.
Dowgate’s attacks in the second half were sporadic, and the Juniors back line held firm. Juniors had the majority of the possession without a final product, until the 70th minute. With Valour leading 4 – 1 by this stage, the 16 year old Brett Howell wrapped up the league title for Juniors, Callum Matthews played a fine ball into the box which was controlled well by Howell before he cheekily chipped the keeper from close range.
Juniors had the two goal cushion that they needed, and as they began to take their foot off the gas they were almost punished, as Dowgate hit the bar from a corner, and then with the last action of the game, another Dowgate corner led to a scramble of the Juniors box before Nichols eventually blocked a goal bound effort.
The final whistle was blown, with Valour already having beaten Hawkenbury III 4 – 2 Juniors knew that their hard work all season had paid off as the point difference at the top of the table became insurmountable. EPFC!