Sport Pre-season tournament brings thrills and spills
NUR 5
Corner Pin 4
The season got under way on a sunny morning at Kent Road with this pre-season Roy Mellor Trophy competition at the quarter-final stage.
There was a new-look NUR side with new signings on display and as many substitutes standing by hoping to get the nod.Â
The game set off at a 100mph, but it soon calmed down due to the weather and the first competitive game of the season.Â
Although the home side were in complete control, it was the visitors who took the lead when a long ball set the winger on a pacy run and he slipped it past keeper Fallon.
The home side didn't panic and were soon on level terms with two new boys supplying the cross and Simon Bucknell scoring on the volley.
This spurred the home side on and soon they were in front when Bucknell netted his second.
Good football saw one-way traffic and Bucknell completed his hat-trick with good build up play by Oldridge, Rockett and Swan.Â
The second half started much the same and an own goal gave the home side a 4-1Â lead. The game looked over, but confusion at the back gave the visitors two quick goals back and uncertainty took over.
With eight minutes remaining the game was taken into extra time with another goal by the visitors.
The extra-time period was heading for a penalty shoot out, but the home side took control and a winner came from the unstoppable Bucknell, who completed his debut we a four goal haul.
In all a splendid game played in good spirits.Â
Victoria Rangers 4, Goods Office 4 (After extra time - Goods Office win 3-2 on penalties)
Competitive action in the Roy Mellor Cup quarter final at Parkside on Sunday and it turned into a titanic struggle between Sunday League holders Victoria Rangers and Goods Office.
After a good start from the visitors it was Rangers who should have gone ahead on 20 minutes, but from a controversial penalty award Dominic McMahon turned away Neil Huntington's spot kick and then did even better to deny Ryan Mitchell on the rebound.
Huntington had better fortune shortly afterwards, though, as he put Rangers in front after a mix-up in the Goods Office back line.
Things weren't going the visiting side's way at all, and after having a goal disallowed, and their own penalty claim turned down, two Ryan Mitchell goals gave them the proverbial mountain to climb at the break.
There was no early reply for the Goods Office, despite a bright start similar to the opening 45 minutes, but a bizarre own goal gave them hope as keeper Hewson was beaten by a 40-yard back pass from midfield.
Their penalty was still to come, and it came on the hour with Andy Whittaker brought down and brother Matty reduced the deficit further.
The visitors threw all they could at the Rangers' defence, and had to thank their defence when the home side broke on the counter to keep them in the game.
With time running out, Paul Fletcher's deep cross to the far post was met by Danny Coult, and he beat the centre half and then the keeper for the equaliser.
Both sides made changes with extra time looking certain, but the Goods Office chances seemed slim when they lost Damien McMahon, and then Danny Coult with a serious-looking leg injury. They had to play twenty minutes of that period with nine men.
Rangers appeared to have won it when they made it 4-3, but in playing out time paid the penalty twice, firstly conceding an equaliser where Dave McMahon glanced home a header from Fletcher's corner and then in the shoot-out which followed, Dom McMahon saved three spot kicks to two and Goods Office scraped through.
Published on 21st August 2008 in Sport.
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