SOLDIERS SAVAGE GUNS DOWN BRAVE ATHLETIC

 Derbyshire FA Junior Cup Final North

SHIREBROOK SOLDIERS FC 2 TINTWHISTLE ATHLETIC RESERVES FC 1

Att: 206

The Derbyshire FA Junior Cup North Final was held at Staveley Miners Welfare FC, a ground Id not visited for around 15 years and with Shirebrook Soldiers FC reaching the Final, I went as the Nottinghamshire Senior League Representative. Their opponents Tintwhistle Athletic Reserves ply their trade in the Manchester League and it is a village just outside of Glossop that Ive been through many a time, when going up to my daughters in Preston and the M62 is blocked, so diverted through snake pass and on to the M67.

The game kicked off and Athletic were awarded a penalty after just 48 seconds, up stepped Alexander Elliott who saw his shot hit the post and rebounded to another player who struck a shot goalbound but was stopped by the Soldiers keeper and cleared to safety.

Four minutes in to the game,  Shirebrook had their first chance when a ball down the centre saw ROBBIE SAVAGE beat his defender and drew the keeper before lifting it over his head in to a empty net to give his side the lead.

Soldiers had a few more chances and needed that second goal, as Tintwhistle looked dangerous going forward. The half time whistle went and it was off for hospitality for a nice cuppa.

Shirebrook came out and had a few shots saved but at 1-0 it looked as this game was far from over and in the 61st minute, Tintwhistle wee awarded another penalty to which BRANDON WOOD slotted away down the middle of the goal.

This seemed to spur Athletic's hopes as they were playing the better football and pushing more players up front whilst Soldiers played with a lone striker and played on the counter attack. Like any final, the game had its fair amount of tackles going in and the match referee did well producing yellow cards when he needed to.

As the 90 minutes was up and it began to spot with rain, a ball out to the right hand side found ROBBIE SAVAGE who beat his defender and curled the ball in to the far corner of the net for the winning goal and creating history in the Nottinghamshire Senior League club to win a Derbyshire FA Trophy

All credit go to Tintwhistle Athletic Reserves and all the best to them in their upcoming cup final in May

I only took a few photos last night from my phone but sadly they have come out very well.

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