Oddly enough, it'd been 11 hours since
Patrick Lauber had scored. I hadn't noticed - he's become too valuable in our setup.
We need 5 points over the last 3 games to clinch the title. Two wins and a loss is a lot better than two wins and a tie.
Good Train
DLC Chris Black
$3.14k profit
1st vs Austrey Rangers (8th)
G: Ash Malhotra
D: James Kay/Phil Lindley/Anthony Newton/Brian Close
M: Andy Catley/Joe Ward
AM: Patrick Lauber/Tom Schofield/Billy Akrigg
ST: Brian Haule
36 - Team is playing nervy, and it's showing.
0-1
42 -
Ward to
Lauber, followed by a cross to
Haule's head, and things are knotted up.
1-1
I tell the team they're doing well and to keep going out there, and we'll win. That's kinda not true, but hopefully that calms the players down.
51 - Brilliant ball for
Lauber by
Haule, and I'm thinking the score is on, but he suddenly stops and centers to
Schofield. Left foot shot completely fakes out the keeper!
2-1
55 -
Rowbotham in uninterested
Ward.
88 -
Close up to MC to replace exhausted
Catley;
Bertram at DR.
We get the win, but I find it awfully shady that the refs allowed them the last shot in both halves and only blew the whistle after the opponents got their free shot.
Polesworth draws for the second straight game, while
Rostance Edwards picks up a 1-0 win.
The draw by Polesworth and our win means we've clinched promotion!!!!!
A Level 10 team is sniffing around
Phil Lindley, and came to the game to watch him specifically. He posted a great game, too, with a 7.1. Not good for keeping our 33 year old captain.
But for now, let's luxuriate in this:
I rule!
1st @Polesworth (3rd)
G: Ash Malhotra
D: James Kay/Anthony Newton/Tom Rowbotham/Mark Bertram
M: Joe Ward/Brian Close/Phil Lindley
AM: Tom Schofield
ST: Brian Haule/Patrick Lauber
Poles worth still has a promotion place to play for the next couple games. Meanwhile, we can clinch the championship with a win or with a Rostance Edwards tie or loss.
26 - Gorgeous pass by
Lauber for
Haule, but our top striker has to hold up on the right side of the pitch. Instead, he commences a circle of passes to
Close and
Ward, the last sending it to the box where
Lauber sinks it!
1-0
35 -
Haule's hurt, so
Wigglesworth comes in.
I stress again at the half the importance of winning, and it gets me a couple negatives. Oops.
46 -
Schofield chips a header to
Wigglesworth, who doesn't look a newbie at all in delivering a perfect ball to
Lauber for the second goal.
2-0
57 - Absolutely jaw-dropping defense by
Close and
Newton to recover blown coverage and prevent a goal that even a 1 Finishing player should have made.
69 - Now
Close is hurt, so
Schofield drops back to MC and
Loughlin comes in at AMC.
8.8 for
Patrick Lauber and 7.4 for
James Kay. Wonderful performance by the squad in what most hyped as the biggest game of the season.
Rostance Edwards tied to make this result immaterial, but it's sill awesome to clinch a championship.
Phil Lindley continues to attract attention from higher level teams looking for a strong, naturally fit veteran leader who has shown he can successfully captain a team.
We'll be without
Brian Close and
Brian Haule for the season finale. Not that it matters. We were going to play a young lineup anyway.
Time to start thinking about next year. I don't know if I should be trying to bring these guys back on amateur contracts, or wait to see if the board decides to make us semi-pro.