Game 13

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18/01/25 – Junior Cup Quarter-Final

AFC 1 – 3 TRENT VINEYARD FC

After the best part of a month off over the festive period, Attenborough were thrown straight into the intensity of a quarter-final match against opposition from the league above and fell short in a frustrating afternoon at The Strand.

Freezing temperatures had seen last week’s planned reappearance and preparation match for this big clash called off and it is testament to the efforts of the ground staff that the pitch was fit to play at all. However, that lack of an outing certainly caught the inexperienced home side out up against canny visitors. While Trent Vineyard had struggled in their league campaign so far this season, they proved robust opposition in a first half of few chances, the best of which undoubtedly came when Lewis Caine was felled in the penalty area after some quick feet drew a late tackle, on this occasion, however, the skipper was wide of the mark from the spot and the sides went in level at the break.



Effort certainly wasn’t lacking from Attenborough but quality on a heavy pitch was in short supply and shortly after the interval Graham Mee’s men were up against it when Christopher Hudson fired a firm shot into the roof of the net.

The Blues rang the changes and the substitutes did provide some impetus, both Colm Keegan-O’Kane and Ollie Mee getting stuck in and wanting to get on the ball, while Brad Greatorex added some composure to the passing, though just as the home side threatened to gain some momentum they were caught on the counter attack with Fin Haywood unable to clear  far enough having charged down a long through ball, the rebound falling for Charlie Hampton to precisely lob into the unguarded net and make it 0-2.

Attenborough didn’t give in and a few minutes later Will Humphriss poked in from a corner to set up a grandstand finish with ten minutes remaining to try and force penalties. Unfortunately, Trent Vineyard had too much know-how and managed the game expertly in the closing stages, the ball hardly in play and certainly not enough fluency to the game for us to ever really threaten an equaliser, though George Pursglove did find himself in the clear but was unable to steer his shot inside the post.

Frustration got the better of things for Attenborough in the 90th minute and a sloppy free kick was given away on the edge of the area. Up stepped substitute Caio Brisola Ribeiro to curl in and deservedly put Trent Vineyard through to the semi-final.

This was Attenborough’s first defeat of the season and we return to league action on February 1st with a trip to Red Sea FC, while still having the Development Cup to contest, so there’s still lots to be excited for over the next few months.

haywood; j smith, humphriss (80’), r caine; savage, luke smith; pearson, l caine ©, cuesta-sarris; louis smith, pursglove

subs; billson, o mee, keegan-o’kane, greatorex, fendick



                                                   


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