30
May 2008 - Brimington
go on Dutch spree
FC Brimington's end of season trip to Amsterdam was a real triumph for the Blades Super Draw side as they completed two victories over Dutch semi professional sides. First came a 5-0 victory over Honselerdrijk from den Hagg and, if that wasn't impressive enough, they followed that up with an astonishing 14-2 victory over Leonidas of Rotterdam. Pictured right is their squad arriving at the airport. Former Barcelona manager Frank Rijkard met the team and he must have been impressed with the standards he saw.
FC Brimington had planned this end of season tour some
10 months ago 
and started it against Honselersdijk in a terrific
semi pro stadium. Brimington took the game to Honselersdijk from the off and
after several near misses, the breakthrough came on 22 mins when a 25yd
pass from Tom Simpson on the right was superbly half volleyed at the
second attempt by Christie. Soon after Gordan curled the ball around the
defenders and past the unsighted keeper into the bottom right to
make it two.
With man of the match Andrew Crossland dominating midfield, Brimington continued to take the game to their hosts after the break and Gordan accelerated down the right to cross beautifully for Christie to head home their third. Gartlan then came in on the blind side of the defenders to volley their fourth and he completed the scoring when he fastened on to Fadiga's defence splitting pass.
Team: Newton, T Simpson, Leversidge, Hirons, D Simpson, Brooke, Crossland, Collier, Gordan, Christie, Gartlan (capt). Subs: Fadiga, Towers, Thomas
Watched by Ajax 2nd string player Nick van Eysden FC Brimington turned in an even more impressive performance in the second game of their tour, beating Rotterdam semi-pro side Leonidas by an astonishing 14-2.
It took Brimington just 8 minutes to grab the lead when left back Leversidge started and finished a move for his first ever goal for Brimington. Just five minutes later, a defensive error from Leonidas gifted Gordan with his first of three when he intercepted a pass out from the back and ran on into the box and slotted it past the oncoming keeper to make it two . Christie soon made it three and although an error at the back allowed Leonidas to pull one back, Christie quickly re-established Brimington's superiority with his second of the game . Brooke rifled home a fifth, but Leonidas showed some spirit to net their second before the break .
The second half started with a real flurry of goals by Brimington, with Gordan rifling home their sixth before Fadiga volleyed their seventh. Then came skipper Michael Gartlan's one man scoring show as he hit their next five to take the score to 12-2. Gordan made it thirteen and Tom Simpson rose unchallenged to head number fourteen into the roof of the net.
Team:
9
May 2008 - Handsworth
lift the cup
A
Matt Sykes strike (see picture right) in the first half of extra time saw Handsworth WMC win
the League Cup
Final at Bramall Lane and deny Woodhouse West End a League and Cup double.
It was perhaps fitting that the Man of the Match trophy went to Handsworth
skipper Scott Abramski (pictured below) as it was 
his defensive display that proved to be
the foundation of Handsworth's historic victory.
West
End started brightly and it needed a good save by former Derby keeper Liam
Richardson to keep out Ashley Atkins' header. David Haley was a constant
threat down the West End left and skipper Dale Fuller was his usual busy
self, but with Abramski, Ryan Taylor and Edward Holmes having more
influence, Handsworth gradually got into the game. West End just shaded the first
half though and it was a similar story in the
second
half. Spencer Taylor almost won it when his shot flew just past a post, but
Handsworth started to have more of the game as it went into extra time and
it was no surprise when they scored what turned out to be the winner.
After the West End defence failed to clear properly, Matt Sykes found himself in the clear and although
West End keeper John Badkin got something on the shot, he couldn't stop it
finding the net.
West End pressed furiously for an equaliser after that and almost snatched it when their skipper Dale Fuller forced another save from Richardson, but when the ball went loose, a piece of desperate defending saw the ball hacked clear. A last gasp corner saw West End throw their giant keeper John Badkin into the box, but Handsworth survived and held on to lift the cup for the first time in the club's history. See below for more pictures from the final.
8
May 2008 - Abacrombie
take the Prague Cup
New Division One champions Millhouses Abacrombie completed their season in style by bringing the Prague Cup home from the Czech Republic.
The tri-team tournament
featuring Czech
side Dynamo Zizkov and RAF
Waddington from
Lincolnshire, first saw Abacrombie
stage a miraculous comeback from 3-1 down to beat the host side 5-4, with
four goals from Tom Gardiner. Dynamo
took lead after sloppy defending in the 2nd 
minute and despite a Mark
Allen equaliser Millhouses went 3-1 down after more poor defending.
However, Millhouses hit back with two quick goals before half time from
captain Tom Gardiner, the second a smashing finish after great work
down the wing from Will Dallman. Zizkov again
took the lead after half-time but it was Gardiner's day as he completed
his hat-trick from close range
and then hit the winner in a one on one.
After RAF Waddington had beaten Dynamo 5-2, the tight and tiring decider saw the RAF boys go one up only for Ally Berry to waltz around 3 defenders before finishing low to keepers left. Chances were few and far between and pens followed. Adam Sturch and Ally Berry scored their pens whilst Mark Davies (pictured above with the trophy) was once again the hero, saving two of Dynamo's pens before hitting the winning penalty himself. Tom Gardiner (pictured left) also received a shield from the RAF team to mark his feat as the tournaments top scorer. Below is one of Mark Davies's penalty saves and Adam Sturch celebrating with the cup.
Preview of League Cup Final, Friday 9 May 2008
A new name will appear on the League Cup when Handsworth WMC and Woodhouse West End meet in this season's final at Bramall Lane next Friday, 9 May. West End have appeared in the final once before when the were defeated by Hemsworth Villa, but for Handsworth it is their first appearance.
After byes in Round One, Round Two saw impressive victories for both sides. Handsworth faced last year’s winners Ecclesfield Travellers and a Kieran Gallagher double together with others from Andy Stevens, Paul Renshaw and an own goal saw them win an eight goal thriller. West End were also helped by an own goal, but they hardly needed it as doubles from Anthony Dolan and Spencer Taylor together with a Damon Blakemore strike saw them easily past Park & Arbour LFS 6-0. The biggest shock in Round Two saw Civil Service beat former holders Hemsworth Villa 2-1.
Round Three didn't get any easier for Handsworth as they again faced CBC Premier opposition in Redmires, but Matt Hodgett, Kieran Gallagher and Robert Pratt goals saw them win 3-0. West End faced another Division One side, Sheldon Athletic and a Dave Kippax double along with Alan Hull and Danny Hooper strikes saw them comfortably through 4-1. The Round’s only real shock was Division One Handsworth Old Boys single goal victory at a Blue Ball that was leading the CBC Premier at the time.
Round Four saw Handsworth entertain Division One Devonshire and after a goalless first half, Robert Pratt hit a second half hat-trick to take Handsworth through. West End faced a third Division One side at Handsworth Old Boys and although Sammy Glaves put them ahead early on, they went into the break level. After the break, Glaves grabbed a second to restore their lead before Dave Kippax increased it and although Old Boys pulled one back, Ashley Atkins hit a fourth.
In the semi finals West End faced a fourth successive Division One side, last season’s losing finalists Pitsmoor Royal Oak and although Dale Fuller gave West End an early lead, Pitsmoor grabbed a deserved equaliser through Glynn Graham. Gavin Davis then struck to put Oak ahead, but West End replied within a minute when a flowing move ended with an expert finish from Sammy Glaves.
The second half saw West End go back in front with Fuller's second, but they needed keeper John Badkin to provide one of the performances of the season to stop Pitsmoor from pegging them back again. West End clinched it when Spencer Taylor showed all his experience to score the clincher.
Handsworth also faced a Division One side Mosborough Royal Oak who took a deserved lead with a Richard Mills volley and had it not been for a number of saves Liam Richardson, Oak would probably have had the game won by half time, but they went in level at half time after a rare Handsworth attack saw a shot from Kieran Gallagher take a wicked deflection off Brent Healey.
After the break, Oak continued to have the better of things, but Andy Sykes helped to keep them at bay and the game went into extra time.
Mosborough looked set to make up for their defeat the previous year when Joe France restored their lead, but Handsworth, helped by a big slice of luck, came back a second time, as Robert Pratt's shot was deflected first by team mate Scott Abramski and then a defender before finding the net to force a first ever penalty shoot out.
Although Abramski had his penalty saved by the Oak keeper, it swung in Handsworth's favour when after Will Blakeney saw his penalty saved before Jon Riley put his wide and it was left to David Cawrey to step up and send the keeper the wrong way to clinch it for Handsworth.
The game, at Bramall Lane, kicks off at 7-30. Admission is £5 for adults and free for accompanied children under 16, but please note that should the Blades reach the play-offs, the game may be postponed to a later date.