Report

As well documented over the last few weeks, today we arrived for the last ever game for Turf Moor.

Fittingly enough it was in the Senior Challenge Cup Final, (a competition we have never won in our six previous appearances), against Travellers United, who last weekend beat us for the league championship on goal difference.

With a decent crowd and mixed feelings of anticipation and some sadness we set about trying to win this competition one last time.

Over the season both teams have become familiar with each others strengths and weaknesses so we tried to change things around to gain the upper hand.

To obtain this we started with just Nkansah Asare up front with Steve Holliday and Floyd Nelson deployed to find space between their back and midfield banks of four. Behind them we played Travis Stewart, Paul Hughes, and Jason Stewart in a midfield three. Our back four was our usual recent line up of Asim Kashmiri, Ritchie Strickland, Ian Nelson, & Phil Hargreaves; Keeping goal as ever was Chris Stead.

For the first time in weeks we could boast a full complement of substitutes; Jaycee Gumbs, Greg Cummings, Josh Duberry, Niyazi Zihni, & Wayne Dowridge.

We started the better side and, as expected, their back four was left marking one player whilst Floyd and Steve found the space we had planned for as no one took the responsibility to push out and mark them.

As the half progressed we were seeing much more of the ball and creating decent chances, the only worry and eventual downfall was our failure to force their keeper into any kind of serious save.

Just before the break Travellers won their second corner, and, just as on our previous three appearances we conceded the first goal to a very good strike across goal and into the far corner.

Almost inevitably 1-0 to Travellers at the break.

Once again we walked off having been the better side yet losing because of our own inability to convert chances to goals.

As we sat in the changing rooms for the last half time talk, there was not much to improve on apart from our finishing, if we could come close in the second period to producing the quality of our first 45 performance but with a little more care in front of goal then this match was still there to be won.

There was defiantly a feeling around that we were not prepared to go out with anything other than a winners medal.

The second half started as the first had finished, us with the majority of possession, however, this time the chances were minimal.

As time progressed Travellers did what Travellers do best when in front, they started to sit their defence deeper, (although still 4 marking 1), and plonked their midfield four ten yards in front.

The space Steve and Floyd had been enjoying was beginning to disappear so it was time to change things around.

We'd talked about this situation and how we'd respond so we reverted back to 4-4-2 with Greg coming on for Jason and going straight up top with Nkansah. This meant Steve & Floyd dropping back into their more familiar midfield positions.

With Nkansah now having support we were able to get the ball into the area earlier and avoid passing through the now congested ranks of Travellers defenders.

This paid off within ten minutes as a good ball from Steve found Greg's well timed run into the smallest of space behind their back four. His touch was excellent to control and bring the ball into position to get his shot off across the goalkeeper. The recovering defender could do nothing more than help it into the net.

1-1 with ten minutes to go.

If there was to be a winner without extra time then it was only to be Turf Moor as Travellers retreated further and saw less and less of the ball. Add to this that their captain for the day was finally shown a red card for his umpteenth offence only compounded their problems.

Despite this the clock continued ticking down without the decisive goal until the 88th minute.

Ian played a good pass into Steve who was central to goal about 20 yards out but facing our end. His first touch was to flick the ball up to chest height whilst turning and volleying towards goal, leaving his close marker for dead.

His shot was so well struck that it whistled over their keeper dipping immediately behind him, striking the underside of the bar and bouncing into the net.

A goal good enough to win any competition!!

Steve took off to celebrate and was caught about the half way line by the entire team plus several others, all the frustration and joy was shown in the one moment, never in all these years have I seen us react to a goal so much.

We comfortably saw out the remaining few minutes to lift the Senior Challenge Cup for the first time, in our last match….. a perfect end.

Man of the match just about goes to Phil, but only just from 11 others.

My thanks go to all of the squad who have listened, learned, and produced, over the last few years, the best football this club has ever played. You've all been a credit to Turf Moor as well as yourselves and have won everything there is to win.

Well done.

So that's it, the end of 39 long and enjoyable years. There's still a couple of things left for us to enjoy, the tour in June and the final 'end of season & club party' in July, but that's the end of the serious football.

I'll leave the website up for a few months and add some photo's and stuff of interest.

From Eileen and myself a big thank you to everyone who's ever been involved with Turf Moor, I hope the good memories you have remain for a long, long time.

Turf Moor 1969 to 2008…….

Ken