BRYANTS MEN HEAD TO FINAL

Midland Amateur Alliance League Cup

Semi Final

SHIREBROOK TOWN RESERVES 3 FC POLONIA 0

Att: 72

Gary Bryant;s Shirebrook Town Reserves booked their place in their League Cup Final against local rivals AFC Bull Farm after a battling victory against FC Polonia.

The game began with FC Polonia on the front foot carving out the chances and passing thee ball around the pitch very well but couldnt find a way past Town;s defence or keeper.

The turning point of the game came after 27 minutes, when Referee quite rightly dismissed a visiting player after a incident off the ball and then the player spat at another player giving the referee no option to reduce the visitors to 10 men for the final 63 minutes.

Just before half time though, the visitors could have gone in to the lead, when a drive  towards goal was cleared off the line.

Shirebrook came out for the second period alot more fired up and almost took the lead when the visiting keeper pulled off a superb save and the follow up volley just went over his crossbar. Shirebrook was more in to the game and kept pushing forward and after 52 minutes, a long ball from the midfield, saw a Shirebrook player chase after it and on the bounce, the defender lobbed it over his own keeper for the home side to take the lead.

Polonia pushed a extra man forward but this left gaps in midfield for Town to exploit and they did this well and on 72 minutes, WILL DODDS rifled home from the edge of the penalty area to double Town;s advantage.

Polonia didnt give up and kept playing neat passing football but didnt get any breaks to get back in to the game, as the clock was running down and players looking at the referee to blow for full time, a wide ball to the right wing, saw MARK STANIFORTH cut in and chip over the keeper to make it 3-0.

I thought the referee Lee Harrison had a excellent game and he kindly donated £5 after the match to the blogs charity which is for MAGGIE CANCER CARE CENTRE based at Nottingham City Hospital and the running total stands at a amazing £1,328.25p, a BIG thankyou to Lee for your donation.

57 photos from the match can be seen on this LINK