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Tuesday 9th April 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Venue -
Harborough Town FC - 19:30 KO |
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| Report:
Drama, controversy,
a lead that changed hands three times and the obligatory blood, sweat
and tears marked the final of the Duston Garage Division Three Cup Final
between Corby Albion Vikings and Corby United. The Vikings path to the
final was arguably the tougher of the two, beginning with a derby
against Hellenic Fisher, facing resurgent Wilbarston in the
quarter-finals and then eliminating runaway league leaders Borough
Alliance to seal the final place. The run is all the more remarkable
given that they only conceded once in the competition so far to
Wilbarston. For Corby United, reaching the final was a milestone of a
different kind. At the end of the 2011-12 season the existing first team
walked away with the Reserves taking their berth this time out. Despite
initially struggling the side proved their worth by reaching the final.
Despite the chilly
night at Bowdens Park, there was plenty of decent play on the field to
keep those in attendance entertained. Based on league position and form,
the Vikings began as favourites for the trophy although their opponents
did not play like a team languishing at the wrong end of the table and
looked sharp too. Ultimately it was the Vikings who struck first after
19 minutes. An attempted lob was blocked and cleared away for a corner.
The ball was swung in and Callum King rose highest to thump home a
header from 15 yards. Despite
conceding, United were not deterred and continued to pass the ball
around. A nasty yet completely accidental collision saw the game stopped
for several minutes with a United player coming off worse and needing
stitches, while tape and bandages accounted for the Danesholme
recipient. Both sides exchanged full-on challenges and free-kicks but
neither could find a breakthrough until the stroke of half-time. A
booming ball over the top found Matthew Garscadden free outside the
area. A superb thigh trap –
that would go viral and have kids attempting to imitate it in the
playground if it found its way onto YouTube – brought the ball into his
control. One bounce later and he lifted the ball over the head of the
advancing Viking’s keeper and into the net.
Four minutes after
the restart United went ahead through skipper Pete Davis. A squared ball
form the left came across the face of the six yard box and Davis
stretched out a leg on the ground to tap home. From then on it was
almost all United, who with a buoyed sense of purpose and confidence
threatened to run away with the tie, but were only denied by an equally
confident display from Peter Reilly in the Vikings net.
Nine minutes from
time it was the Vikings turn to score an equaliser. Callum King received
the ball in space and hit an angled side-footed strike that was all but
unstoppable, and in the context of the game as a whole, not entirely
undeserved.
Into extra time and
the rigours of the match began to take their toll on all involved. Slack
defending allowed Callum King to receive the ball inside the left hand
angle of the penalty area, before he was flattened by a defender who
going over the top of him attempting to win the header. The referee
spotted the foul, yet indicated it was outside the area, and awarded the
Vikings a free-kick. Alex Dickson stepped up to take the kick, and
curled it home through a gap in the wall, turning any protests about a
penalty into shouts of celebration as the Vikings held on to lift the
Division Four Cup. |
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![]() Match Officials: Sam Brough, Garry Roche, James Wetherall (Referee) & Stuart Ashfield |
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![]() Chairman Michael Owen presenting Man of Match bottle of bubbly to Corby Danesholme Albion Vikings Callum King |
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| Corby Danesholme Albion Vikings with their trophies | ||
NFA Area Cup Final
Corby Redstar Res
Stanion QP Vikings Res
Corby Town FC 24th April
NTFA Gorrell Barnes
NTFA NBC Cup
Duston Garage
Premier Division
Ringstead Rangers
Moulton
Sixfields 7th May
Duston Garage
Division One
Earls Barton United
Corby Everards
Sileby Rangers FC 25th April
Rothenberger Tools
Division Two
Wilby 2
Daventry Comms 2
Dav Comms won 2-0 on pens
Sileby Rangers FC 18th April
Duston Garage
Division Three
Npton Exiles 2
FC Higham 0
Bugbrooke 4th April
Duston Garage
Division Four
Corby United 2
Corby Albion Vikings 3 AET
Harborough Town 9th April
Duston Garage
Reserve Premier
Harpole 3
ON Chenecks 'A' 0
Sileby Rangers FC 11th April
Duston Garage
Reserve Division One
Bugbrooke St Michaels 'A'
Cogenhoe United FC 16th April
Duston Garage
Reserve Division
Two
Wollaston Victoria
1
Corby Redstar 0








