Trowell knock Sports out of the Cup

U16's Notts Cup

Trowell Blue 5 Hucknall Sports 1

6/12/14

After having beaten Keyworth comprehensively in the previous round Sports entertained Trowell Blue from Division One in the 3rd round of the Notts Youth League Division One cup. Knowing that the Quarter Final had paired the winners against Second Division leaders Basford should have provided all the incentive that Sports needed to try their hardest for the victory. However, come match day a severe frost threaten the game even going ahead but after a last minute switch to Sports home ground of Goosedale and even then a change from the cottage pitch to pitch 4 the match finally started.

Despite a dreadful pre-match warm-up session from Sports everything looked set for a victory in the opening exchanges and Ellis Evans put Hucknall into the lead after a great move that was started by Matt Leivers in the left-back position. But instead of driving on and seizing a wonderful opportunity to progress in the competition Sports let Trowell back into the game. All the flowing football from Hucknall dried up and instead the players were looking for something to happen instead of taking charge of making things happen instead. Almost inevitably Trowell got themselves back into the match when Sports defenders failed to clear the danger and at half time the game was evenly balanced at 1-1

Half-Time: Trowell Blue 1 Hucknall Sports 1

Sports entered the second half with instructions to play THEIR game which is based on pass and move but in truth all movement was in short supply. All too often possession of the the ball was lost and Trowell continued to threaten. Sloppy defending presented two easy chances for the Blues to surge into the lead and they didn't need to be asked twice. 3-1 soon became 4-1 when Matt Leivers tackle was rightly adjudge to be a foul and Trowell smashed home the resultant penalty. Hucknall carried a little more threat when Davies returned to his normal midfield role but the goal to get Sports back into the game just wouldn't come and final misery arrived in a fifth for Trowell.

Full-Time: Trowell Blue 5 Hucknall Sports 1

Well this was truly disappointing and belied the recent good form that Sports had been showing. We have proven that we can beat the top teams in this league but today Trowell wanted this victory more than Sports an in the end that's what saw them through.

The warning signs were there in the warm-up when a lack of discipline meant some boys started the game looking totally disinterested. We can all make excuses that we lost our Skipper and midfield dynamo. But that should not have caused a problem when having 16 players to chose from. The opposition had a bare 11 boys and were missing both Jacobson and Clarke up front!

Given other Cup results it now appears that the route to the semi final is Trowell's for the taking and with Dunkirk losing to Spiders it really is anyone's cup - but not Sports.

Let's hope that the 'real' Hucknall Sports turn up in the New Year.