BRNESC STUNNED COLLEGIATE WITH 2 GOALS IN THE LAST 5 MINUTES TO RECORD A 2 1 WIN IN AND HADA TIGHT COMPETETIVE CONTEST AT MELLING ROAD
BRNESC NEW LOOK TEAM,WITH 5 NEW PLAYERS STARTING ,WERE QUICK TO SETTLE AND PLAY WAS END TO END AS COLLEGIATE ALSOSTARTED WELL,BRNESC DEFENCE HAD TO BE SHARP AS COLLIGIATEMOVED THE BALL AROUND WELL AND LAUNCHED A FEW ATTACKS WHICH WERE REPULSED BY THE ALERT DEFENDERS THE FIRST MEANINGFUL MOVE BY BRNESC WAS A FINE BALL FROM THE LEFT BY RITCHIE CAMPBELL WHICH JUST EVADED THE ONRUSHING PAUL FINNAN.
IN THE 10 MINUTE ANTON MCDONNEL WAS PLAYED IN DOWN THE RIGHT FLANK BY JOE ASPINALLAND HIS CROSS WAS SCRAMBLED AWAY BY THE COLLEGIATE DEFENCE.PAUL FINNAN THEN HAD A SHOT FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX COMFORTABLY SAVED BY THE KEEPER,
COLLEGIATE WERE WEKLL IN THE GAME AND THE MIDFIELD AND DEFENCE OF BRNESC HAD TO BE AT THEIR SHARPEST TO PREVENT ANY GOALSCORING OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE TWO CENTRE BACKS CHRIS BELL AND TONY MCDERMOTT OUTSTANDING,
JOE STEVENS THEN LAID IN RITCHIE CAMPBELL WHO SHOT FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX NARROWLY WIDE WITH THE KEEPER WELL BEATEN,TONY MCDERMOOT THEN PRODUCED A FINE BLOCKING TACKLE ON THE EDGE OF THE BOX TO PREVENT THE FORWARD BREAKING INTO THE AREA BRNESC BROKE AND A SUPER PASS FROM DANNY KEARNEY WAS CHESTED DOWN BY PAUL FINNAN BUT THE BALL BROKE AWAY FROM HIM INTO THE ARMS OF THE KEEPER.
IN THE 45TH MINUTE A LONG RANGE STRIKE FROM COLLEGIATE WHISTLED A COUPLE OF INCHES OVER THE BAR MUCH TO THE RELIEF OF JOE MCNALLY,IT HAD BEEN A GOOD COMPETETIVE AFFAIR WITH BOTH TEAMS HAVING THEIR MOMENTS 0 0 AT THE BREAK,
2 MINUTES AFTER THE RESTART JOE MCNALLY MADE A MAGNIFICENT SAVE TO PREVENT COLLEGIATE TAKING THE LEAD WHEN THE NO 7 TWISTED AND TURNED IN THE BOX PAST 4 DEFENDERS AND JUST WHEN IT SEEMED HE MUST SCORE JOE PRODUCED A STUNNING SAVE TO KEEP THE SCORES LEVEL A CANDIDATE FOR SAVE OF THE SEASON!!
AT THE OTHER END SHOT DANIEL KEARNEY HEADED JUST WIDE FROM A CORNER AND THEN HIT ANOTHER FINE EFFORT JUST OVER THE BAR.BRNESC WERE HITTING THEIR STRIDE AND PAUL FINNAN VOLLEYED OVER FROM A CORNER,
DANIEL KEARNEY THE HIT THE BAR WITH KEEPER WELL BEATEN,BRNESC WERE TURNING THE SCREW BUT COLLEGIATE WERE TESTING THE BACK FOUR AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY BUT THEIR MOVES BROKE ASUNDER AGAINST THE STEADFAST DEFENCE.
RITCHIE CAMPBELL THEN PLAYED IN PAUL FINNAN BUT THE KEEPER WAS ALERT AND PLUCKED THE BALL OFF HIS TOES,CHRIS FAGAN WAS INCHES AWAY WITH A FINE FREE KICK
BRNESC MADE THEIR FIRST CHANGE IN THE 65 MINUTE NICK CLARKE REPLACING THE INJURED JOE STEVENS,HE IMMEDIATELY MADE A BARNSTORMING RUN DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK ONLY TO BE STOPPED AT THE EDGE OF THE BOX,CHRIS FAGAN WAS JUST WIDE FROM A FREE KICK
JUST WHEN IT SEEMED BRNESC WERE GOING TO OPEN THE SCORING COLLEGIATE MADE IT 0 1 FROM THE PENALTY SPOT AFTER JOE MCNALLY HAD PULLED OF TWO SAVES YOUNG ANTON MCDONNEL LUNGED IN AND CAUGHT THE COLLEGIATE FORWARD WHO DULY CONVERTED THE KICK.WITH 15 TO GO BRNESC BROUGHT ON DAVID WHITNEY FOR THE TIRING RITCHIE CAMPBELL ANFD WENT TO 3 UP FRONT DANIEL KEARNEY WIDE AND PAUL FINNAN AND DAVID WHITNEY THROUGH THE MIDDLE IT ALMOST PAID DIVIDENDS AS A SNAP SHOT FROM DANIEL KEARNEY WAS SAVED BY THE KEEPER,WITH SEVEN TO GO BRNESC BROUGHT ON JOE PARLE AS THEY WENT FOR PACE TO CHANGE THE GAME AND THEY STARTED TO STRETCH THE TIRING DEFENCE,
FROM ONE SPEEDY ATTACK PAUL FINNAN WAS BROUGHT DOWN ON THE EDGE OF THE BOX AND AFTER GETTING THE REFS PERMISSION TO TAKE IT QUICKLY ,HE DONE JUST THAT AND THE BALL ROLLED INTO THE FAR CORNER WITH THE COLLEGIATE DEFENCE NONPLUSSED CUE PANDEMONIUM AS BRNESC CELEBRATED PAUL FINNANS QUICK THINKING AND COLLEGIATE WERE VOCIFEROUS IN THEIR PROTESTS WHICH WERE WAVED AWAY BY THE OFFICIAL.
BRNESC SCENTED BLOOD ANDD TORE INTO COLLEGIATE SEEKING THE WINNER AND WITH A MINUTE ON THE CLOCK JOE PARLE MADE A TRADEMARK TWISTING TURBO CHARGED RUN FROM THE HALFWAY LINE LEAVING DEFENDERS IN HIS WAKE A DESPERATE TACKLE KNOCKED THE BALL AWAY FROM HIM ONLY INTO THE PATH OF DAVAD WHITNEY WHO IN TURN FOUND PAUL FINNAN IN THE BOX 10 YDS FROM THE GOALLINE HE WENT PAST THE KEEPER WHO BROUGHT HIM DOWN WITH A DESPERATE LATE DIVING LUNGE
THE KEEPER WAS LAST MAN AND ALL WAITED FOR THE RED CARD BUT THE COLOUR WAS YELLOW NOBODY WANTS TO SEE PEOPLE SENT OFF BUT RULES ARE RULES AND I CAST MY MIND BACK TWO SEASOND AGO ,AGAINST OLD XAVS ,THE KEEPER SHOULD HAVE GOT RED HE GOT A YELLOW SAVED THE PENALTY WAS THEIR MAN OF THE MATCH WITH A STRING OF SAVES ,THEY BEAT US IN THAT GAME!!
JOE PARLE CONVERTED WITH HIS USUAL APLOMB TO STUN COLLEGIATE AND BEFORE WE COULD RESTART THE GAME THE REF BLEW FOR FOR FULL TIME 2 1 BRNESC.IT WAS A TIGHT COMPETITVE GAME MAYBE A DRAW WOULD HAVE BEEN A FAIR RESULT BUT THE ATTACKING CHANGES MADE AND THE EXTRA PACE OFF THE BENCH ,BOLD DECISIONS DESERVED THE 3 POINTS AND SOMETIMES YOU GET YOUR JUST REWARDS AND THIS WAS ONE OF THEM.
MAN OF THE MATCH WAS A DIFFICULT DECISION THE FRONT TWO DANNY AND FINN PLAYED WELL AGAIN ALL PACE AND AGRESSION.THE TWO CENTRE BACKS TONY AND CHRIS WERE THE ROCKS AT THE BACK UPON WHICH ATTACK AFTER ATTACK BROKE ASUNDER AND JOE MCNALLY MADE ONE STUPENDUOS STOP EARLY IN THE SECOND HALF TO PREVENT COLLEGIATE OPENING THE SCORE AND TWO TREMENDUOS SAVES PRIOR TO THE PENALTY,BUT AFTER MUCH THOUGHT ITS CHRIS BELL,FOR 90 MINUTES HE PUT HIS BODY ON THE LINE FOR THE TEAM,BLOCK AFTER BLOCK ,INTERCEPTION AFTER INTERCEPTION ,DEFENSIVE PLAY OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY EDGED HIM AHEAD OF THE OTHER FINR CANDIDATES WELL DONE CHRIS!!
