Braddan booked their place in the Corletts Trophies Woods Cup Final with an impressive 4-2 victory over DHSOB Football Club at Blackberry Lane on Saturday afternoon.
The Swans showed their clinical edge in front of goal, while Old Boys were left to rue tactical indecision.
The game began in dramatic fashion as Braddan nearly took the lead inside five minutes.
Liam Cain flicked the ball on to Mark O’Neill, who beat DHSOB goalkeeper Nathan Quayle to the ball, his shot struck the inside stanchion, crossing the line, before coming back out, but play was waved on.
Braddan would not be denied for long. Just three minutes later, Dan Kinrade delivered a pinpoint free kick from the right side of the box, picking out Cain, who took the ball down on his chest before unleashing a thunderous half-volley into the roof of the net.
Level
DHSOB responded well and were back on level terms in the 16th minute. A well-worked free kick eventually found Danny Corrin on the left, and his lofted ball into the 6-yard box was met by JJ Balanda, who rifled home an emphatic volley.
The hosts joy was short-lived, however, as controversy struck in the 25th minute. A dubious handball decision went against Old Boys captain Balanda, despite his arm appearing to be in a natural position. From the resulting free kick, Cain stepped up and bent a low effort around the wall and into the bottom corner, restoring The Swans lead.
The game continued at a frenetic pace, with both sides battling for control in midfield. DHSOB arguably saw more of the ball, but Braddan’s cutting edge in the final third proved decisive. Their third goal arrived in the 36th minute after a costly mistake from Alex Ringham. The defender dived in rashly, allowing Mikey Hutton to cut inside from the left and finish low past Quayle, who will feel he should have done better.
Braddan had all the momentum as half-time approached, and went into the break with a deserved 3-1 lead, while DHSOB looked disjointed and in need of inspiration.
Hat-trick
The second half barely had time to settle before Braddan struck again. Just 20 seconds after the restart, Cain completed his hat-trick with a clinical header, putting the visitors in firm control at 4-1.
DHSOB were handed a lifeline in the 50th minute when Matthew McNee handled the ball inside his own area, conceding a penalty. Corrin made no mistake from the spot, sending Freddie Quilliam the wrong way to reduce the deficit to 4-2.
The game took another twist in the 55th minute when Braddan were reduced to ten men. Charlie Knight was given a straight red card for what appeared to be a routine foul on Patrick Burton, but the referee deemed it violent conduct, leaving the Swans to defend their lead a man down.
Despite the numerical advantage, DHSOB struggled to make it count. They were slow to make changes, only introducing Dean France and Alex Andrassi some 15 minutes after the sending-off. The delay in injecting fresh legs cost them dearly, as they failed to put Braddan under any sustained pressure.
Remarkable
When they did find an opening, they were denied by Quilliam, who pulled off a remarkable save in the 73rd minute. Cam Brew had picked out Corrin six yards from goal, but Quilliam, going the opposite way, somehow stuck out an arm to produce a stunning stop.
Old Boys went for broke in the 82nd minute, shifting to a back three and throwing on 43-year-old Liam Buckley to provide a target up top. The towering forward had been left on the bench for too long, and by the time he was introduced, it felt like a desperate last roll of the dice.
Braddan managed the closing stages well, with Kinrade continuing to cover every inch of the pitch. DHSOB simply could not create clear-cut chances despite their extra man.
Drama
There was late drama in stoppage time as Brew rightly received a yellow card before being bizarrely being given a second and sent off for leaving the pitch without the referee’s permission, while being substituted. It summed up DHSOB’s frustrating afternoon as Braddan saw out the win with some classic time-wasting tactics.
At full-time, the Swans were deserved 4-2 winners, booking their place in the final against RYCOB on Good Friday after they beat Douglas Royal 0-2 at Ballfletcher.
Upfront
See more about Upfront Footy, including interview, coverage and podcast here.
6 Comments