Reserves win the Fisher Sheild
25 Jun 2010

Old Boars came within a whisker of forcing extra time and hoping for the all important deciding goal to pull-off an unprecedented quadruple of titles. But a goal during the closing minutes by Halstead’s Rob Simpson brought despair amongst the Boars players.

This was reflected after conceding the goal when first Tom Mitchell was yellow-carded and then Freddie Akehurst was red-carded by referee Paul Beadle for dissent. An unfortunate ending to an otherwise highly competitive but fairly contested tie.

The Boars had not been at their best and perhaps somewhat leg weary after playing through a backlog of fixtures in recent weeks. On a bitterly cold May evening (Wednesday 12) the Greatness Park pitch was hard and bumpy and not conducive to constructive football.

Halstead United Reserves put up a rugged performance making life difficult for the Boars with searching long passes and often ballooning the ball in the air thus making it difficult for the Boars to get the ball on the ground and play to their strength.

The strike force of Richard ‘Dixie’ Cook and Tom Cobb were kept fairly quiet particularly the former who had relatively few chances. Skipper Neil Radburn played for Halstead United in the Smiths League Senior Cup final against Eynsford on Easter Monday 2008 when snow fell on Raleys Field, was prominent in midfield while striker Pete Smith also excelled.

Club stalwart Paul King who has made a number of comebacks over a period of seasons lined up at the start but was ultimately forced out of the affray suffering from a recurrence of a foot injury.

A competitive opening to the 40th Fisher Shield final, Halstead were winners in season 1971-72, saw Cook strike a long range shot which cleared keeper Craig Open’s crossbar. Halstead were awarded a free kick but this was headed clear by the tall figure of Tom Mitchell. Cobb then blasted over but it was Halstead who eventually broke the deadlock on sixteen minutes and somewhat against the run of play. The ball was struck and deflected from one side of the box to the other with the Boars unable to clear finally dropping to Radburn who blasted the ball into the net.

Cook was put through on the left flank and his angled shot was deflected by the finger tips of Open for a corner. Akehurst took the flag kick which floated high into the packed penalty area where the keeper caught the ball cleanly. Halstead rained a series of high balls into the area which were dealt with competently by the Boars defence particularly Mitchell.

Fred Lee dispossessed an opponent’s defender but shot straight at Ben Cobb who had narrowed the angle. On the half hour Boars were awarded another corner again on the left. Akehurst’s corner was aimed at the near post where a misunderstanding between a defender and the goalkeeper led to the ball creeping inside the upright.

From a good position Cook fired over the bar, Radburn shot wide as the play swung from end to end. Halstead used the flanks well but invariably the full backs held the upper hand.

Boars almost forged ahead on the stroke of half time when Akehurst got on the end of a cross to head the ball goalwards but Open stretching his frame to the right was just able to palm the ball away.

At the start of the second period an excellent move down the right featuring Adam Fulcher and a diagonal cross to Smith ended with the striker heading powerfully over the crossbar with keeper Cobb watching anxiously. Striker Cobb at last got free from his marker through the middle but was ruled offside. Smith then attacked powerfully down the right and struck a shot at Cobb who saved the ball at the second attempt.

Lee was adjudged to have handled the ball and momentarily had a confrontation with the referee. In an effort to arrest the advantage away from their opponents Halstead stepped up the pace and an element of nastiness began to creep into their play.

Steve Rogers and substitute Will Burns built a promising move linking well which led to a free kick. Will Jacks took the free kick but Mitchell was on hand to head clear. Cook set up Cobb and his left foot shot was saved by the keeper diving to his right for a corner. From the flag kick Open caught the ball almost under the cross bar.

Cook opened up the Halstead defence by running across the eighteen yard line but as he went to shoot the ball bobbled awkwardly and it went wide of the target. Smith then had a forceful attack down the left but the ball went into touch. Burns took a long throw in which caused panic amongst the opponent’s defenders but the ball was eventually cleared.

As the minutes ticked by and extra time beckoned another long throw by Burns, this time on the other side of the pitch again caused problems inside the area and from close range Simpson stabbed the ball passed the helpless Cobb and into the net. There was little time left but sufficient for referee Mr. Beadle to take the appropriate action

Reserves Fantasy Point Update
21 Sep 2009

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TOTAL
59 PETE SMITH
46 WILL BURNS
45 ADAM FULCHER
43 RION PALMER
42 TIM BERWICK
33 PAUL KING
32 LARRY TALMADGE
30 NEIL RADBURN
29 MAX SUSTINS
29 KEVIN BRETT
27 JACK MCERLAIN
26 SIMON LYNCH
24 CRAIG OPEN
24 FRED LEE
23 KEITH WELLING
22 TERRY HALLIDAY
22 STEVIE ROGERS
18 WILL JAQUES
12 CHRIS JOHAL
10 JEFF COLE
9 MO WALLIS
9 FRED DILLON
8 TONY HALLIDAY
5 MICHAEL STERLING
3 TOM HANDLEY
3 DAN WALES
2 GRANT JUDGES
2 MICHAEL DEBENHAM
2 JOSEPH WILLIAMS
2 MARK DUNGATE
2 STEVE LEY
2 RICHARD MARTIN
1 RYAN HOGSETT
1 KEVIN COLE
1 DAVE POWELL
0 KEV DUNGATE
0 KENNY JONES
0 LEWIS HARRADINE