F.C. Lions of Wycombe played out their final 90 minutes of the season in "holiday mode" as they were resoundly beaten by league runners up AFC Liberal.
The Lions started the game the better of the two sides... before a cross was allowed in from the Lions left, to the back post, where the Liberal attacker done extremely well to first control the ball, turn, and then curl an exquisite effort beyond Stevens in the 6th minute.
The Lions replied no less than 40 seconds later however, when a deep Stevens goal kick was won by Jordan, on the edge of the Liberal box, Jordan managed to get goalside of his man before laying the ball across goal for striker John Tilbury to hammer home first time, left footed, high into the top left hand corner. 1-1
Having now re-established themselves in the game, the Lions conceded their 10th penalty of the season, 4 minutes later, when young Farquharson was adjudged to have felled Tisdall in the box. Michael Butcher cooly dispatched the resulting spot-kick. 10 minutes in and a goal fest looked on the cards.
The Lions kept battling after 30 minutes, goal number three came when Scott West allowed the Liberal right winger too much time to pick out Butcher arriving unmarked in the middle of the area. 3-1.
Ben Phippen then missed a carbon copy of his attempt the previous week, when wrong footing several defenders in the box, only to pull his shot wide of the post with the goal at his mercy.
Tilbury also fluffing his lines when shooting over the bar when well placed, and then Jake Sherwin almost seeing his cross drop in under the bar, following a superb run.
It was left to midfielder Dale Why to finally show a bit of composure in the opposition area, and he brought the Lions back into the game after receiving a Scott Sharples pass, taking a touch and curling the ball into the far right hand corner of the net from 15 yards. The goal was Why's first of the season, and no doubt would've buoyed a player, who had ended the season in terrific form. Sharples claimed his 16th assist of the season in this move, underlining his importance as the creative force in the Lions midfield.
Michael Butcher restored Liberal's 2 goal cushion 5 minutes before half time when heading home unmarked at the near post following a corner, via the underside of the bar before adding his hat-trick goal moments later.
Half time 2-5.
Despite rallying half time words from manager Carter and positional changes between Farquharson and Jocelyn and Phippen and Sherwin, the Lions failed to grasp a foothold in the game, and looking like a side who wanted the season to be over.
Liberal switched midfielder Tisdall to the opposite flank, and he proceeded to give Scott West his most harrowing 45 minutes of the season.
One change did work though, and defender Simon Thomas followed his instructions to man mark Butcher, and nullify the ageing strikers contribution to the game in the second period, and did this extremely effectively.
Two further Liberal goals ended the game as any sort of feasible contest around the 70th minute mark
The Lions then went 4-3-3 as they sought to add one final goal to their season's tally and Phippen thought he had it, seizing on a neat Tilbury lay off inside the box and hammering a venomous shot at goal which was beaten away at point blank range by the Liberal number one.
The heavens then opened and proceded to wash away all of the Lions remaining interest in the game as the clock ticked down.
For AFC Liberal, their season continues, until May 11th as they battle with Old Oak FC for the runners up spot and automatic promotion from the league.
For the Lions, the holiday season begins now, ahead of a return to business and pre-season training in June. See more
