LVS Hassocks raised money for Sport Relief on Friday 23rd March with the inaugural Students Vs Staff Charity Cup match which took place at the school. The students were delighted to win an entertaining game 4-3 and lift the coveted silverware. Perhaps more importantly, they claimed the bragging rights too.
The atmosphere surrounding the game was a mix of excitement and tension. Neither side could bare the thought of losing to opponents who would undoubtedly be ridiculously bad winners. This anxiety was evident during the opening stages of the match, as neither side settled into any rhythm. Chances in the first half were few and far between. LVS Staff arguably created the clearer openings. However, Joe Bedding was on fine form in the LVS Hassocks FC goal. His reaction saves thwarted some frustrated staff members and allowed his side to maintain parity with their fierce rivals. A match of this magnitude would just not be right without controversy, and that controversy surfaced towards the end of the half. A great move down the LVS Staff left, saw a ball played through to Lynne Fever. The attacking midfielder struck her shot powerfully into the bottom corner of the net. Jubilous scenes ensued with Fever clearly delighted with her feat. The celebrations were cut short however, when the players noticed that the linesman had raised his flag. To the relief of the LVS Hassocks players, the referee confirmed the offside decision and the score remained 0-0. Action replays proved inconclusive (probably because there were none) and the pundits were left to wonder. Kynan Kirlew-Wright almost rubbed salt into the LVS Staff wound. Waltzing through the defence, before rounding the keeper. Just as he prepared to celebrate in his Mario Balotelli-esque fashion, a defender poked the ball away from his toe, preventing a certain goal. The whistle blew for half time with the match evenly poised.
The second half continued to be a spirited contest as both sides adopted a more attacking approach to the game. Passions were running high as challenges were becoming slightly more physical. One incident led to a yellow card. Ronnie Mamoamy was adjudged to have fouled a student. When she took issue with the decision the referee booked her for dissent. The message was sent out, and any such shenanigans were nipped in the bud as a result. Shortly after that incident LVS Hassocks took the lead. Good work by Louis Smith allowed Kynan Kirlew-Wright to collect the ball and then unleash an unstoppable shot into the back of the net. Kirlew-Wright almost doubled the students advantage when he went through on goal. Sarah "The Boss" Sherwood showed great bravery to get in the way of the shot, keeping the staff in the match. That let off prompted a fast response by the staff. Clive Chapman smashed them level with an accurate left footed drive from the edge of the area. The rocked students then fell behind when Tom Alexander latched onto a through ball and found the net with a low shot. The students came back fighting, and their determination was rewarded when they earned a penalty. Ben Raven was tripped just inside the box by Clive Chapman. Lee Tarron stepped up, and confidently struck the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. All square and heading for the final whistle. The game heated up as both sides threw caution to the wind, and went gung-ho. A moment of magic by Pip Tomsett looked set to break student hearts, as her neat turn and finish gave the staff a 3-2 lead with just minutes left. The students didn't give up and their tenacity reaped results as they grabbed an equaliser. A delightful pass by William Dunne allowed Kynan Kirlew-Wright to stride forward towards goal. He showed great composure to tuck the ball into the net and give his side the impetus. Both sides poured forward in search of glory, leaving gaps at the back. The students capitalised with a swift counter attack that led to another penalty. Lee Tarron was brought down by David Jones, and with no hesitation the referee pointed to the spot. Jones received a yellow card as Billy Tommey stepped forward to take the kick. The whole game came down to this one moment. One kick separated the students from a historical moment on their quest for greatness. The nervous fans could hardly watch. In fact every individual within what seemed a one thousand mile radius experienced clammy hands and an increased heart rate. Everyone that is....... except Billy Tommey. He was calmness personified as he sensationally smashed the ball into the roof of the net with an incredible penalty which won the students the match. The final whistle blew shortly afterwards, and the presentation of the Charity Cup followed among a carnival atmosphere.
The man of the match award was given to Josh Baker who had defended diligently throughout the match. He was pleased with the award, but chose to speak about the whole team performance when he spoke with the media after the match. Baker, "It was nice that I won the award, but I think the whole side played well today. We could have lost the game, but we didn't give up and in the end we got our hands on the cup and that feels great." Reporters were also keen to hear from Lynne Fever after the game, clearly hoping for some comments to add fuel to the controversy surrounding the disallowed goal. Fever obliged, "It was a goal, it wasn't offside. It was my first ever goal and it was taken away from me." It is unclear at this stage whether the FA will charge her for bringing the game into disrepute after those comments. One thing that is clear though, is that turning the game around right at its conclusion showed fantastic character from the students, and they fully deserved their victory. The 4-3 win can now give them confidence ahead of a crucial 6 a side tournament which takes place on 23rd April. The school can also take great pride as they raised over £260 for Sport Relief. Students sold Sport Relief wristbands, went the extra mile to win the football match, and other LVS Hassocks students walked the extra mile to raise money for such a worthy cause.
