Shaw Lane Aquaforce 2 v Handsworth Parramore 1 - Sheff & Hallam Senior Cup Semi Final

Thursday 14th April 2016

Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup Semi Final

at Shaw Lane, Barnsley

Shaw Lane Aquaforce (2) 2

Adam Priestly 19 (pen), Peter Davidson 43

Handsworth Parramore (0) 1

Kieran Wells 87

Admission £5. Programme 50p. 

Attendance 147

Shaw Lane Aquaforce:

Tom Morgan, Gary Stohrer, Luke O'Brien, Steve Istead (C), Oscar Radford, Matt Dempsey, Jonathan Wafula, Reece Hands, Marcus Edwards, Alex Davidson, Adam Priestley

Subs 12) Matt Thornhill 14) Rhys Meynell

Handsworth Parramore:

Andrew Sneath, Billy Wright, Richard Tootle, Colin Marrison, Will Eades, Gareth Griffiths, Ryan Lee, 

Stephen Warne (Simon Harrison 54), Jon Froggatt (Harry Groombridge 73), Alex Rippon, Danny Buttle

Unused subs - 15) Luke Fletcher 16) Tyler Bates

There is a  strong rumour circulating that Shaw Lane Aquaforce will probably be called Barnsley Town FC next season, unless they decide upon something else suitable in the mean time, due to a Northern Premier League ruling about teams not having benefactor company names in their official club title.
Alas, these kind of things seem to be set in stone, even if the FA and Football League can sanction names like the Budweiser FA Cup, the Barclays Premier League, the SkyBet Football League, the Carling Cup... and even the Evo-Stik League, among others, for purposes of bagging some extra finance for their own competitions #JustSaying

In their infinite wisdom the powers that be had also insisted that title chasing 'Aquaforce' had to fit this game in just twenty four hours after they had played Goole AFC on the same pitch, in a league fixture that finished 3-3, after the Ducks had been leading 3-1.
However, they still managed to put out a fairly strong looking side tonight, while the visitors included a good mix of first team players and lads from their all conquering Under 19 set up, who coped admirably against a host team who are currently sitting in second place in the Evo-Stik First Division South.

The Ambers are in the midst of a fixtures backlog themselves too, that sees them playing four games in the space of six days, including a League Cup tie v Cleethorpes Town this coming Monday, which is of course a repeat of last season's epic final, which will be the Owls third visit to the Windsor Food Service Stadium this season, having already made the journey in both the NCEL Premier League and FA Vase.

Handsworth have a well earned reputation for never giving up on even the most well hidden of lost causes... late comebacks and overturning the odds have become something of a speciality for this never say die team.
Alas, as they went into the break two goals down to another go ahead and progressive side, they had left themselves just that fraction too much to do after the interval, to claw their way back into the game and claim a place in the Bramall Lane showpiece final, against the Evo-Stik Premier League's form club: Frickley Athletic, who had several interested parties in attendance tonight running the rule over both of their potential opponents... but they gave it a bloody good go.
The opening ten minutes saw both sides battling to make an opening, without creating any actual clear cut chances, while the defences looked solid at either end, including the youngsters from Handsworth who have been repaying the faith that Michael Godber and Mark Ward have been showing in them of late.

Matt Dempsey clattered into the back of Alex Rippon as he strode towards the Shaw Lane goal. The audible 'twock!' of the home side's centre defenders studs against the back of Rippon's boot and the fact that he went to ground when he was in a good position to open the scoring, kind of suggest that the referee had missed a stonewall penalty offence as the Ducks cleared their lines and the game went on, while Rippon picked himself up and visibly struggled for the next twenty minutes or so as he tried to run his knock off. Might I be so pertinent as to suggest that he hadn't kicked his bloody self, had he Mr Akers?
But sometimes one just has to accept that the match officials can be unsighted and don't see every single thing in and around crowded goalmouths and sometimes **it happens!
Ryan Lee pumped a free kick towards the Aquaforce area, but Craig Elliott's side cleared their lines and tried to mount a counter attack, that was nipped in the bud by a timely interception from Will Eades.
Billy Wright broke down the right wing and crossed towards Rippon and Jon Froggatt, but Tom Morgan charged off his line and caught the ball before either of them could do any damage.

That's a cracking smile 'our John'

Within moments Wright was back again and this time he delivered a perfect cross for Jon Froggatt who nodded the ball past the post from close range.

"He's not good enough for this level" boomed somebody with a thick Barnsley accent, which was met with a barely decipherable response of: "Aye-lad, dem thotty-five t'goals he's got s'far, 'int exactly gonna t'back up yon wods o'wisdom t'night smart-arse, so shurrup... tha knows!"
At which point Jud Casper threw a strop and stomped off home to murder their Billy's pet Kestrel, happen. Much to Ivy Tilsley's consternation.

Reece Hands slipped a great measured through ball into the Ambers area for Marcus Edwards to run onto, but in spite of three Parramore defenders playing him onside, the assistants flag went up and the visitors could breathe a sigh of relief.

Y'see, when all is said and done, these kind of things really do balance each other out after all.

Jonathan Wafula delivered a dangerous ball into the mix from out on the right and as the Parras tried clearing the danger, the referee spotted an infringement and blew up for a penalty... from which Adam Priestly put Shaw Lane ahead with their first shot on target of the night.

Handsworth were nearly straight back on level terms, when Eades got them moving with a lengthy pass to Froggatt, who laid it off to Buttle and continued his run for the pacey winger to pick him out with a precision cross, which he rolled into the path of Rippon, who was unlucky to see his first time shot fly inches over the bar.
Steve Warne was making a real fist of linking up play between the Ambers defence and forwards, in his pivotal role, that often gets overlooked, meaning that he seldom gets the credit he deserves.

The home side knew that they needed at least another goal, to be on the safe side and the visitors defence were on the back foot and soaking up a sustained spell of pressure for a while... and in the middle of it all, 'Archie' Sneath tipped the ball away from under his bar and was then forced to run from his line and claim the ball at the feet of Edwards as Shaw Lane knocked the loose ball back into the danger zone.
Having survived a scare or two, the Ambers (Reds) countered and as Rippon, Froggatt and Buttle caused chaos in the home sides defence, there was another loud call for a penalty, but once again, Aquaforce were lucky that the 'alleged' perpetration had occurred just inside the referee's apparent blind spot (AKA the home sides penalty area) again.
"Bloody hell! I hope this referee isn't driving home, his eyes are painted on!", called out somebody who has absolutely no official attachment to either team whatsoever (allegedly).

Buttle delivered another pinpoint corner, from which Froggatt looked odds on to score but his header was cleared off the line.
Wafula broke forward at pace, but Eades kept up with him (no mean feat) and intercepted the ball, before rolling a pass back for Sneath to launch a clearance high into the chilly Barnsley night sky.
With half time fast approaching, the Ducks claimed a second goal when their penalty taker Priestley, nudged an excellent pass into the path of Peter Davidson who had time his sprinted run to perfection and wasn't going to miss from that range.
Traditionally, just before half time is cited as a psychologically perfect time to go two goals in front... but either way, it was a blow for the visitors, who had spurned several good chances, while Shaw Lane, although having created a good few chances themselves, had scored with the only two efforts they had kept on target throughout the opening half.
HT: Home 2 v Away 0

It was good to see Richard 'Toots' Tootle back in a Parramore shirt again tonight and he made a big contribution to the game,  pushing forward out on the left wing from his full back berth.
The referee punished 'Aquaforce' when he ruled that Morgan had handled the ball from a back pass.
Never let it be said that I'm biased with my match coverage, because even though I wanted to see the Ambers get through to the final against one of my favourite teams in the known universe, if they had scored from this free-kick it would've been a travesty of justice, as whatever the very valid debating points of several other tenuous decisions made by the officials tonight might be, the awarding of a free-kick was completely wrong with this one.
Buttle rolled the ball to Tootle who fizzed a shot over the bar from close range. Maybe he was merely concerned that he was about to benefit from an unfair advantage and his sporting fair-play ethics got the better of him.

Handsworth had to switch things round if they were going to get back into this game and all three substitutes had obviously been briefed to keep the tempo high in the Saw Lane half.
While the home side packed their defence out to keep Parramore at bay, Godber's side were always going to be vulnerable to counter attacks, so he had to get the balance right.
And sure enough, Wafula used his pace to good effect and the Ambers had a massive let off, when he lobbed a shot against the upright.
You could tell it just wasn't going to be Handsworth's night, when Simon Harrison picked out Froggatt inside a crowded goalmouth with a deft free kick, but the prolific striker headed over.
Priestley tried to put the game to bed, but saw his stinging shot deflected wide, before Sneath was tested by Hands, but held on well to his shot.
Kieran Wells and Harry Groombridge were frustrated as Shaw Lane closed ranks and blocked shots from both of them, Morgan did well to change his footing and make a save as a shot from Groombridge hit Rippon and changed direction.

With three minutes of the ninety remaining, Handsworth were chucking everything they had at their Evo-Stik League opponents, Rippon flicked the ball on to Wells in the area and the 'Giner-Ninja' set up a grandstand finish by firmly planting the ball past Morgan to make it 2-1.

Sadly for the 'comeback kings' tonight's late, late show, didn't have a final twist to it, where they could force the game into extra time... and 'Barnsley Town' held on for a narrow win.

In the final analysis, Aquaforce had been clinical in front of goal when it mattered, whereas Handsworth hadn't put several gilt edged chances away... and despite finishing the game in the ascendancy with a flurry of activity deep inside in the home side's territory, the Shaw Lane defence had shown why they are holding their own at a higher level of football these days.

FT: Shaw Lane Aquaforce 2 v Handsworth Parramore 1