FOOTBALL- YEAR 10 WIN NAIL BITING CUP FINAL

Year 10 win nail biting Cup Final

On Thursday 18^th April CHS travelled to Sandbach to play against Kingsgrove in the cup final. Having travelled on the bus with the team on the way, the players seemed pumped up for this fixture but if the player’s performance was going to be as bad as their singing, CHS would have no chance of lifting the cup. After a motivational talk from Mr de Souza the team were in the zone to win and they knew what they had to do.

CHS lined up in a 4-3-3 system which seemed to work, as after 2 mins Adam McHale put his shot just wide after a well worked possession of play from the well organised team. CHS didn’t have to wait long to take the lead as with 15 mins gone Brian Barton gave them a crucial lead. Barton picked the ball up on the left just outside the area, sprinted past a Kingsgrove defender before chipping the keeper, 1-0 CHS. 5 mins later CHS were unlucky not to have extended their lead after Spooner played a ball forward from defence, Barton beat the offside trap with support from Danny Iohya and Liam Evans. Barton played the ball to Evans whose shot from outside the area was cleared off the line by a defender. Minutes later McHale’s strike rattled the crossbar. Another attacking move saw Danny Iohya’s powerful strike from outside the area produce a great save from the Kingsgrove keeper. The only real pressure CHS faced in the 1^st half was in the last four minutes. CHS were caught on the counter attack after a sloppy ball out of defence however the Kingsgrove shot was deflected over the bar. At the break CHS led 1-0.

Half time words of encouragement from Mr de Souza didn’t work very well as the CHS lead disappeared after only two minutes of the second half when Kingsgrove equalised with a bit of help from the wind which took the ball above CHS keeper, Hallam Carslake, into the top corner. CHS then found themselves losing only six minutes later when a half-volley from just inside the box, found the top corner of Carslake’s net giving him no chance of stopping it. These two goals were Kingsgrove’s only shots on target throughout the match. No matter how much CHS tried they couldn’t find the equaliser, even though they had total control over the game.  CHS created several chances with one of them resulting in Barton hitting the post. It appeared luck wasn’t on CHS’s side but with 15 mins left their fortunes changed when Barton’s initial shot was blocked but the rebound fell to him and he coolly powered the ball into the net from 15 yards out beyond the stretched keeper. Minutes later CHS thought they had found the winner as Barton again ran from the half-way line before curling his shot from the corner of the box towards goal. It looked like it was going in but the wind got under it and pushed his shot onto the post.  With 5 mins left on the clock, it looked like the cup final would be decided on penalties but Adam McHale had other ideas. From Barton’s corner the ball came to McHale whose deflected shot found the back of the net and gave CHS the win that they thoroughly deserved. Final Score 3-2 to CHS.

Well done CHS!

Written by Adam Bailey