Match Reports - Week 32

FC Chequers and Tackley fulfilled the final Witney & District fixture of the season with both promotion and relegation at stake. They left it until the last minute to clinch promotion to Division Two after Steve Foster hit home from the penalty spot in the dying moments to beat Tackley 3-2. The result saw Tackley finish second from bottom and relegated to Division Four.

There were two more cup finals decided in the week and a new name on each cup.

Junior Challenge Cup
“Brize lift the Junior Challenge Cup after Penalty Shoot-out win.”

Junior Challenge Cup returns to Brize after 26 year wait.

Brize Norton faced FC Chequers in the Junior Challenge Cup Final at Witney United’s Polythene UK Stadium last Tuesday night. FC Chequers had recently clinched promotion and only a few weeks earlier thrashed Brize in the league encounter and went into the match as favourites to win.

The Witney playing surface was in its usual fantastic state with plenty of grass on it, nice and flat, no divots and was nicely watered. Enough about the Bowls Club though. There was early controversy with physio Steve Marshall having to pay to get in, Gateman Billy Bircher ignoring Marshall's protests that he was a member of the backroom staff. And rightly so Billy!

Brize decided to stick with Rob Hook in centre midfield and Stu Read in defence and continued with Frizzell and Jewell up front who have been in fine form in recent weeks.

The first half finished 0-0 and wasn’t a great spectacle for the vast crowd anticipating great things. Chequers had fair more of the ball in the first half although only created a few minor chances which Squeak saved.

The second half was better and Brize came alive more as the game went on. With 10 minutes left of the 90 it looked like the game was heading to extra time goalless. Then Chequers had a free kick in the 83rd minute and hesitation in the Brize defence allowed the Chequers forward to pounce and score. With only 6 minutes left the Chequers supporters and players looked and sounded like they had won the game.

The supporters were still celebrating the goal when Brize kicked off and went straight up-field and scored through Rob Hook. Brize attacked straight from the kick off and Dan King's battle in the middle of the park allowed Rob Hook to run through and hit the ball into the far corner to delight of the outnumbered travelling supporters from Brize.

Extra time came and Chequers had an injured player who had gone off and come back on because they had used all their subs and had others feeling the strain and getting cramp. Things looked worse for them when they were reduced to 10 men after a high tackle on Dan Frizzell. Full credit to Chequers who didn’t look like they had 10 players and almost scored with a glorious one on one chance that Mark Hedges saved brilliantly.

Brize then created a fabulous opening themselves for substitute, Gezz Morgan who hesitated and allowed the Chequers keeper to gobble up the ball.

1-1 at Full time and Penalties now loomed. Mark Hedges has a great reputation for saving penalties.

Chequers took the first spot kick which Hedges saved low in the bottom left hand corner. A great start for Brize and the save greatly cheered by the Brize support but worryingly, Hedges looked injured as a result of the save.

Dan King took Brize's first kick and unleashed an unstoppable shot to give Brize a 1-0 lead.

Chequers next kick was saved again by Hedges, or so everyone thought. The referee adjudged that the keeper had moved off his line before the ball was struck and ordered a re-take. Full credit to the Chequers player who stepped back up and calmly scored to make it 1-1.

Gezz Morgan took the next kick and scored to make it 2-1.

Chequers then fired their next penalty over the bar to leave the score 2-1 and give Brize a big advantage. Matty Townsend, usually hitting the ball hard and true tried to side foot his kick and the Chequers keeper saved to leave the score 2-1 and give his team a chance to pull the score back level.

Hedges had other ideas and saved the resulting kick and leave Brize still in the driving seat. Dan Frizzell however had his kick saved and the score remained 2-1 to Brize with a penalty each left to take.

After 4 missed/saved penalties Chequers scored their last of the 5 and made it 2-2.

Captain, and regular penalty taker Richard Taylor was left to take the final kick and he scored to the delight of the Brize players and supporters. The Junior Challenge Cup was one again after a 26 year wait.

Simon Cook