When
Amsterdamage met
Wafty Crankers
it was three successive goal-less halves for the
‘home' team on the fixture list when the referee
blew the whistle for the break. At 0-0, Wafty
Crankers would need to be a second half team again
as they were in their previous game against the
Bartley Greeners. A second half team is exactly
what they were as they found their route to goal
through the familiar source of James Rowland.
The goal was enough to earn another three points
for the Wafty Crankers and they sat pretty at
the top of Group B. Amsterdamage were proving
solid but needed to add some firepower in their
final group game to make the Cup.
Next
up was Bartley Greeners versus SDZ so an automatic
three points to the Greeners which put them in
second place before Wafty
Crankers took to the field again in their
final group game against Wilhelmus.
The Wafty Crankers became the only team in the
competition to secure a 100% group record as they
condemned Wilhelmus to a place in the Plate with
a 3-1 win. Goals from Mark Rowland, James Rowland
and a well taken finish from Michael Phillips
outgunned the solitary strike from the Dutch team's
Ben Waites. Wilhelmus would then claim their three
walkover points before the Group B finale of Amsterdamage
versus Bartley Greeners.
|
This
was arguably one of the best games in the group
phase of the 2009 Amsterdam Fives. Amsterdamage
claimed the goal they craved as Peter Lovell opened
their account. It was to keep the two teams level
at the break, 1-1, due to Andy Ross's strike for
Bartley Greeners.
James Whitehead put Amsterdamage 2-1 up in the
second half and at that stage they looked on course
for their first win and a place in the Cup as
one of the best 3 rd placed teams. With time running
out Amsterdamage were looking good for the win
but the ball then broke, in the dying embers of
the game, to Simon Laidley who hit a sweet right
foot strike into the back of the net from distance
to earn a 2-2 draw with the last kick of the game.
The goal was to be a hammer blow to Amsterdamage
who would now find themselves, along with Wilhelmus,
in the Plate.
Wafty
Crankers and Bartley Greeners ensured safe passage
to the Cup competition.
|
