DESBOROUGH TOWN 1-3 PETERBOROUGH SPORTS: MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

No Waterworks At Desborough For Champions Peterborough Sports…

Desborough Town 1-3 Peterborough Sports

Sports finally overcame their hosts Desborough Town to earn the right to be crowned Champions of the UCL Premier Division, after winning Division 1 last season too. Their good natured receipt of a fine trophy after their 1-3 victory was applauded by their defeated opponents, who remained nearby during the presentation: an admirable decision by Town, or Ar Tarn as they have been known, as well as ‘The Buckets’ (due to the waterworks) and ‘Dirty Desborough’ (due to poor sanitation in the town at one time).

"LET'S TOSS..."

"IF WE DON'T WIN TODAY, YOU'RE BUYING THE BEER TONIGHT...
IF WE WIN, YOU CAN BUY THE BEER TONIGHT..." 

OLLY ADMIRES THE WRECKED DESBOROUGH DUGOUT...

An early Desborough goal by speedy striker John Dean had been cancelled out by a low effort from visiting midfielder Dan Lawlor but in a fairly competitive second period, Sports’ right-back Olly Medwynter’s contribution proved to be quite unique. Due to the recent good weather, the ground was quite hard and caused the ball to bounce rather high on occasions, so that three of Medwynter’s long throws caused home ‘keeper Chris Jones real problems. One struck the crossbar, Jones tipped another over the bar, resulting in Medwynter scoring from the ensuing corner and his final sling saw Jones struggling to reach the ball at all and Peterborough striker Avelino Vieira plundered a game settling goal. 

JOHN DEAN: A SPEEDY CHARACTER...

The hosts certainly threatened now and again in the second-half, mainly on the break it has to be said and in Dean they had an impish danger man, although guest goalie Lewis Moat defended his goal like it was a motte and bailey castle to be fair and he rushed from goal three times to kick the ball clear from the rampaging forward. Sports were stronger and deserved their victory but some of their fans were often heard complaining about their set-pieces (NOT the throws, obviously!) which allowed Jones to leap and catch inaccurate deliveries on a number of occasions. 

LOOKS ODD BUT THE BALL REALLY WAS HEADED...

I SENSE A SOLID CHALLENGE HERE...

There was tension from the start, for Desborough were keen to prove that in fourth place they were going to be no pushovers for the champions elect and an early Will Arnold shot was blocked by the alert Sports midfielder Josh Sanders. However, after a Vieira cross was deflected and looped for Jones to catch, Dean streaked away centrally and shot low past the advancing Moat into the bottom left corner of the net and Sports looked stunned. 

GOAL FOR TOWN...

DEAN'S PACE WAS THE FACTOR...

The response from the guests wasn’t long in arriving though and Lawlor and Vieira combined to offer an angled shot to tall left-attacker Josh Moreman whose hard shot found the net at the near post, possibly off Vieira, who was the guy flagged offside maybe… Lawlor took a right-side corner shortly afterwards and the towering header achieved by Sanders forced Chris Jones to dive low and left to turn the ball aside to strong Peterborough defender Mark Jones and he rapped an 8 yard shot against the foot of the right upright. Two forceful, galloping runs by Sports left-back Dave Cobb were stopped by foul tackles from Dirty Desborough (just kidding…) and from one of those subsequent free-kicks, Mark Jones headed off target.

CHRIS JONES IS RELIEVED THAT SPORTS' GOAL IS DISALLOWED...

LEWIS WEBB SINGS TO A COLLEAGUE...

DESBOROUGH FACE A CORNER...

A knocking down of Jones at the other end was not construed as a foul by home forward Lee Rowbotham, who could well have left the guests with a deeper moat to ford, but his square pass to the crowded Dean saw the striker tee up right-flanker Louis Martin who lifted a good chance well over the visitors’ goal-frame. After home defender Leo Adams had been cautioned, the league leaders snatched a vital equaliser and it stemmed from a clearance by Liam Boath towards Martin who was dispossessed by Lawlor and the Sports midfielder moved forward before shooting low from 22 yards and the effort beat Chris Jones into the bottom left corner of the net.

"WHO? ME? WHAT? WHY?"

MOAT HACKS CLEAR...

...SO DOES JONES...

1-1...

THE SPORTS PLAYERS ADD UP THE GOALS ON THEIR FINGERS...

ANOTHER GOAL NEEDED THOUGH...

Much of the half had been littered with untidiness resulting from the hard pitch, the bouncing ball, the glaring sunlight and in truth, a reluctance to get the ball down on the turf and pass it. Consequently there had been a lot of heading but there was the feeling that if Peterborough settled down, Vieira might prove a factor in the outcome and if Dan Bannister, whose skills were obvious, and Jordan Macleod could get on the ball more, the hosts could become more stretched. 

WEBB TELLS HIS MATES THAT IF THE TEAM TAKES THE LEAD, HE'S GONNA WALK ABOUT IN HIS RED KNICKERS...

VIEIRA (5) WILL ADD THE ICING TO THE PROMOTION CAKE LATER IN THE GAME...

After the interval however it was Dean, pulling wide right who delivered one centre too short, then another too long, as the hosts made a determined effort to take the game to Sports. Then Medwynter threw his first dangerous delivery into the home penalty-box and when the ball bounced upwards like a gymnast from a trampette, ‘keeper Chris Jones looked perplexed as the ball rebounded to safety off the top of his crossbar. Soon Macleod’s deep left-side corner was headed wide at the far stick by Moreman, whose first-half galloping runs had threatened Town right-back Aidan Bradshaw, before home skipper and effective defender Aaron Davies wasn’t cautioned for a blatant pull-back on the awkward Vieira. When Moat ran from goal to beat Dean to a long pass, the glove-man was left stranded but Arnold’s attempt to clip the ball towards the empty net from the left-flank ended with the ball bouncing well wide of the far upright as Moat rushed back.

THE BALL WAS IN THE AIR RATHER A LOT ON THE DAY...

A brilliant run along the left flank by Macleod, beating several defenders deftly, ended with Moreman cutting inside from the right but his low shot was picked up by Chris Jones, then Moat fell at his right post to grab a downward header by the hosts, before the hurt visiting skipper Lewis Webb was replaced by Dan Bucciero. When a high boot by Bannister didn’t impress the referee, Sports broke with Vieira and Macleod involved but Vieira wasted the ensuing opportunity with a wildly high shot from inside-right. Merson Styles (surely not named after a one-footed Arsenal and Villa player?) did really well to defend a dangerous Sports move from the left, Matt Firth replaced the hurt Rowbotham for Town, Moat booted the ball away from Dean again, following Martin’s pass and then Dean’s downward header was comfortably stopped on the goal-line by Peterborough’s Mark Jones and booted to safety.

MY COUSIN'S HUSBAND JIMMY TAYLOR DRINKS HIS GUINNESS KNOWING THAT BIRMINGHAM CITY ARE PROBABLY LOSING...

Martin was replaced by Ar Tarn’s Dan Law but Peterborough, or rather Medwynter, turned the promotion key in the lock with two throws and one header which killed a game and won a league. A throw from just in front of me, the Sports left, bounced horribly towards the crossbar and Chris Jones probably decided to tip the ball over the cross-beam instead of leaving it in case in struck the bar and offered a simple tap-in for a lurking attacker. The resulting left-wing corner by Lawlor though was superbly met by Medwynter’s glancing header and the ball flew into the right corner of the net. Peterborough were suddenly within sight of the championship and they celebrated accordingly…

1-2...

...& OLLY BOUNCES...

A brilliant run by the impressive Cobb took him inside for a low right-booted shot from 18 yards which Chris Jones dived right to turn aside but soon, another long Medwynter throw, this time from the right, pressured Chris Jones again. This time the bounce was really awkward and the ‘keeper was in trouble as he stretched backwards almost on his goal-line and although he got a glove to it, the ball fell to the scavenging Vieira, whose first attempt to smuggle the ball into goal was blocked by the fallen Jones’ torso but Vieira was not to be denied and he rapped home his second shot from a yard or two.

THE GALLOPING COBB...

TOWN DEFEND THE BUNGALOW END...

VIEIRA RECKONS HE CAN SCORE WITH HIS EYES SHUT...

1-3...

...& PETERBOROUGH ARE CHAMPIONS...

A Dean shot was deflected wide for Town, Vieira took a break, being replaced by Jordan Hammond and Law did well to defend for Town when really, after beating Adams on the left, Lutto might have done better with his feed across the 6 yard box. Moat again ran out to hack the ball clear with Dean approaching rapidly, Arnold was denied by the advancing Moat and this save set his own team attacking, which saw Chris Jones desperately grabbing onto the loose ball after knocking away an initial centre by Cobb. Fine dribbling by Bannister came just before the end of the match but Davies blocked the lively midfielder’s low shot and when the final whistle was blown, with Webb now wearing underpants and tattoos, the visitors celebrated as a splendid trophy was brought out for presentation…

THE JOY BEGINS...

NEAT TROPHY...

WAITING FOR WEBBY TO GET DRESSED...

The influence of Medwynter on this game was immense but Mark Jones defended well with Sanders too and midfielders Macleod, Lawlor and Bannister were often influential. One sensed that Vieira, despite a frustrating afternoon, would eventually have a bearing on the result and Cobb’s performance was sterling at times.

COBB: RAMPANT ON THE LEFT FROM DEEP...

YEAH, WE LIKES THIS...

There was no shortage of effort by Town, whose full-backs, Bradshaw and Styles, along with the two central defenders, were generally uncompromising but although Dan White was more evident after the break and Arnold was often creative, Dean’s pace alone wasn’t going to affect the game enough. He did well though… 

FINE GESTURE BY DESBOROUGH...

Me? Filmed the presentation, walked back to my cousin’s house nearby for a mug of strong tea before the drive back to Solihull and then spent a depressing evening watching Barcelona fail to win, or even score at Malaga…

WITH COUSIN LINDSEY IN HER DESBOROUGH HOME...

It’s what I do…  

ABOVE & BELOW: PETERBOROUGH SPORTS CELEBRATE...

TEAMS:

DESBOROUGH TOWN:

CHRIS JONES, AIDAN BRADSHAW, MERSON STYLES, LIAM BOATH, LEO ADAMS, AARON DAVIES (CAPT), LOUIS MARTIN, DAN WHITE, JOHN DEAN, WILLARNOLD, LEE ROWBOTHAM.

SUBS:

DAN LAW, MATT FIRTH, MICHAEL BOYLE-CHONG.

PETERBOROUGH SPORTS:

LEWIS MOAT, OLLY MEDWYNTER, DAVE COBB, JOSH SANDERS, AVELINO VIEIRA, LEWIS WEBB (CAPT), JORDAN MACLEOD, DAN LAWLOR, DAN BANNISTER, MARK JONES, JOSH MOREMAN.

SUBS:

STU EASON, OLLY LUTTO, JORDAN HAMMOND, DAN BUCCIERO, ZAC STRETTON.