On a warm but blustery afternoon the Strollers 60+ squad took the long drive up the length of Lincolnshire to take part in the 2022 Grimsby Tournament.
A very late withdrawal by Sleaford caused a reformat of the competition, resulting in the lads playing in a 5 team group, one of three in total. The winners of each group would play in the Cup, 2nd place in the Shield, 3rd place in the Plate and 4th/5th place in the Bowl.
Group Games:
Strollers 2-1 Leeds (Jez H, Steve A)
A strong start by the Strollers saw us take the first game against a good Leeds side. Jez H opened the scoring with a well placed shot from distance, Then came the first of a number of penalties against the Strollers, as we fell foul of the local rule of 5 infringements resulting in a penalty to the opposition. This would happen on three occasions during the tournament, an element where we can improve. Bill W made an excellent save of the penalty but in the scramble to clear the rebound, we infringed in the keeper area and another penalty was awarded. This one was dispatched to draw the teams level.
The Strollers soon found their rhythm again though and with a smart side stepped, Steve A slotted the winner home.
Strollers 2-0 Droylsden (Steve A x 2)
The Droylsden team were largely unknown to us and we were not sure what to expect, but with Taff L starting his first 60 plus game since being injured in April 2019, the lads put up a solid performance and on the few occasions where Droylsden broke through, Bill W was at his best.
Steve A scored both goals, the first latching on to a Droylsden defensive error and the second a well taken solid shot tucked into the corner. With two wins the Strollers were joint top with Grimsby Corinthians at this stage.
Strollers 0-2 Grimsby Corinthians
This was a potential group decider and was a tight affair. The Strollers struggled to create clear cut chances though and on one attack, the Grimsby defence won the ball and broke quickly, leaving Bill H facing two Grimsby attackers alone. So the North Lincolnshire team struck first blood.
The lads tried to force their way back into the game but some over eager play resulted in another penalty against us for 5 team offences. Grimsby dispatched the penalty to go into an unassailable two goal lead.
Strollers 1-1 Wakefield (Steve A)
Wakefield proved to be tough opponents in our next game but a swift free kick taken by Jez H provided space for Steve A to strike the ball home for an early lead. After this, the game was fairly even with the Strollers just edging it, but a harsh last minute decision from the referee cost us the 3 points. With the ball flying across the area, Jez H went to clear it and realised he was very close to the area. He withdrew his foot before making contact with ball or the ground, but a penalty was given as the referee decided he had broken the line of the area. A tad harsh from a Stamford opinion.
With both the teams locked together in second place on 7 points, this meant Wakefield just pipped up for runners up by 1 goal. However, this did not make any difference as we both qualified for the Shield as we were the best placed 3rd place team.
Shield Competition:
Semi-Final
Strollers 2-1 Retro Rovers (Steve A, Taff L)
Our semi final in the Shield pitched us up against Retro Rovers, who themselves had finished runners up in their group. The Strollers took the game to the opposition and moved into an early lead with another well taken goal from Steve A, his 5th on the day. We continued to push and were well in control of the game, increasing the lead when Steve A laid on a ball for Taff L to smash into the top left corner of the goal.
Retro Rovers got back into the game with a couple of controversial decisions from the referee. The first when Taff L was adjudged to have tackled a player from behind, a very marginal decision, but a crucial one, as this was the team's fifth offence, so a penalty as awarded.
Bill W made another great save from the spot kick, the penalty taker latched onto the rebound and stepped into our area as he tucked it home. With all the Strollers claiming for the infringement, the referee stopped the game and decided to re-take the penalty as he had not blown his whistle. Thankfully there were no further incidents after this and eased our way into the final.
Final
Strollers 0-2 Wakefield
The final brought us up against Wakefield for the second time and it proved to be another tight game.
Wakefield went ahead early with an excellent run from one of their players and a neat finish.
Our lads upped their tempo after this and battled hard to get back in the game, and indeed the lions share of the rest of the game was played with Strollers on the attack.
As the game moved to its conclusion, the Strollers pushed a little too hard, once again leaving Bill H with a 2 on 1 scenario, and we were punished by the Wakefield forward, wrapping up the game for them with just a minute or so left on the clock.
Overall our lads did the club proud and we were all a little disappointed to lose the final, but it was a well organised tournament and an enjoyable day in the North of the county.
A special mention for Bill W, who not only made some great saves, but also had to face a total of 6 penalties over the six games.
A huge thank you from the club to all the players that made the trip.
Squad:
Bill Whittle, Steve Adcock, Taff Lovesey (Capt), Jez Norris, Bill Heath, Jez Hammant, John Phythian & Phil Hall
Comentários