Shawdale 2 (8) v (7) 2 OL United FC

A Thriller Cup Ride…. At Heyside (After Penalties)

One of the golden rules in entertainment and showbiz, is always to leave an audience on the edge of their seats and not give away the plot until the very end. Like the events on Sunday, there is always a hero and a villain.

Well, that was exactly the script in this suspenseful game.

Games don't come any closer to this in such a miss match game at Heyside. I'm still racking my brains to why it ended this way. I've never witnessed such a one sided game, that resulted in a draw at full time then going to penalties.

Nevertheless, it made for an interesting and exhilarating clash. Shawdale were far the more superior team. With having 80% of the possession and shots off the richter scale.

Then you couldn't have written the ending.With the United keeper the hero through much of the ninety minutes,making five top class saves throughout the match. Four in the last three minutes, keeping the home side at bay and frustrated. But becoming the villain in the penalty shoot out, right at the death.

So this is how the thriller unfolded….

From the kick off the home side were on the attack and in control, Holmes spreading the ball around the pitch with pinpoint precision.

This along with Barnes causing endless problems to the visitors defence on the right flank for the first twenty five minutes.

Shawdale's defence and keeper were redundant for much of the opening period, due to the home side's prouesse and offensive domination.

Then on twenty five minutes, Durrant unlocked the visitors defence, as he beat his man on the right flank and crossed a great ball, for Ireland to meet at the back post for the opening score. From there in, it looked as if the home side were going to run riot. Which they did until the fortieth minute, when the referee awarded a penalty to the visitors for a suspect hand ball in the area, which they converted.

Then as if someone hit a light switch five minutes later, and the unthinkable happened,the home side went 2-1 down to the dismay of players and fans.

A high ball was sent into the area, wasn't cleared, and left a free header for an against the run of play lead to the dubalation of the traveling fans.

Was this going to be the big upset of the round, the biblical fabel of David and Goliath? Well...it looked that way, time after time, attacks came to nothing,and time was running out. United with almost all their men behind the ball, trying to cope with Shawdales superiority. Durrant did put the ball in the net on fifty six minutes but was alleged to be offside, but was onside, by a country mile.

Morrow was like an jackin a box all over the field, trying to break through a determined defence. On the right, on the left, centre midfield. Then a second of magic by Dawson who made a great run down the right, beat his man, then found Durrant in space in the box, to guide the ball past the keeper.

Thereafter was nothing short of the Alamo, Zulu Dawn, Assault On Precinct 13. Wave after wave of Shawdale attacks. Only the visitors keeper preventing the home side taking the lead.

With four minutes to go, Durrant had two chances brilliantly saved, Wylie had his shot palmed away and Holmes hit a screamer of a free kick that was acrobatically tipped round the post. Then just before the end of the game, coach Wylie made a tactical change,bringing 'The Rock' from centre midfield into the goals.Which at the end of the day, was going to be the difference between the two sides.

The referee blew his whistle for the end of the game. It was now which team was going to hold their nerve the best.

It was now a lottery.

So the final twist in this saga. After 13 great penalties on the bounce and the score 7-6, the visitors keeper, who had saved his side time after time in the game, had the penalty to level it at 7-7 but this time Ireland was the hero again, guessing the right way, to palm the ball round the post for a deserved victory for the home side and booked their place in the semi final against Failsworth Fc.

Alas it was heartbreak for the visitors, who came so close to an upset.

The after match analysis showed the gap between the two leagues That's taking nothing away from United, as they never gave up the challis.They are a young side and will learn from this experience.

Post match Wylie said.. "There are and have been great tactical geniuses in the game,Ferguson, Klopp, Pep, Jose and now me…"

Wylie's thoughts are now on next week's massive game against arch rivals and Premier Champions Crown Fc.

A question for you…

"Has there ever been a player who has scored a goal and then saved the winning penalty in the same game?"...."Thomas The Rock" has.