Hero photograph
Winners of the Connectics 1st XI Plate Final 2019
 
Photo by SBC Football 1st XI

Success for the 1st XI Football Team

Mr Chris Hubble —

The St Bede’s 1st XI Football team reign triumphant, winning the Connectics 1st XI Plate Final on Wednesday night at English Park.

The St Bede’s boys were excited for the opportunity to play in the Plate Final and for some it was the first time playing under more pressured conditions with silverware on the line.

The game started well, in fact in the first five minutes St Bede’s had a number of near misses which could have been a decisive blow to Lincoln within the first quarter of the game.

St Bede’s kept applying pressure forcing penalties and corners on attack. Fifteen minutes into the game Daniel Pace showed pinpoint accuracy form a corner finding Solomon Polmare-Edwards' head, who superbly placed the ball into the net, putting St Bede’s ahead 1-0. The boys tasted victory and upon returning to the center circle the call from many team members was to maintain momentum and add a second goal. The game ebbed and flowed towards halftime, Lincoln finally starting to find their feet.

In the second half St Bede’s tired, letting the opposition into the game. Lincoln began to dominate up front with relentless attacks, until they finally scored drawing even. The narrative of this game followed a similar storyline to the previous game, which was drawn at full time and was won by St Bede’s on penalties. Both teams battled as time ran out on the clock and for a second week in a row St Bede’s went to penalties to decide the outcome.

The coaches paced the sideline as each boy addressed the ball for their penalty. To the credit of both teams the penalties were taken in a fantastic manner, Lincoln choosing to go high into the corners for most of their penalties. Both goalies struggled to stop a single shot. After 5 penalties the game was still drawn. At this point the rules require new team members to begin taking penalties and you move through the team until a penalty is missed.

Tyler Day approached the spot as 7th penalty taker. He addressed the ball with the short run up belting the ball only for it to be saved! Cheers from the crowd rang out around the park. However, alongside the goal stood a sideline referee with his flag raised. Following deliberation between both referees, it was deemed that the goalie had left the line early forcing a retake of the penalty – drama! Tyler retreated to take his second shot, this time successfully burying it in the net. Lincoln’s 7th penalty taker addressed the ball. He wasted no time quickly approaching the ball only to hit the cross bar – sealing a St Bede’s victory!

This was a fitting end to the season for the 1st XI and a reflection of the close results they have had against the top teams in the competition.