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Meanwood's tide has turned but could it reach the shore in time before second place escaped? Could Meanwood swallow up Kelly's Heroes and claim another victim or would Kelly's Heroes act as a barrier between success and failure? Would third place finally be secured or would it drift away into the wilderness? So many questions had been floating about…they would all finally reach the surface.
 Meanwood fielded an unchanged team for their season climax with Ayden Fertug reclaiming his place in goal despite a wrist injury. He was protected by Anthony Mckieth, Daniel Woodward and Richard Bissitt who formed his back line. Finally, Daniel Gafa-Gaunt played up-front. In the words of Ayden Fertug, "continuity is the key" and Meanwood's line-up certainly followed that theory. Kelly's Heroes fielded their usual squad with Carlos and the rest all-present. Awaiting them was an exciting game with two top teams going head to head. Woody's dad had turned up to cheer his son on, would Woody be able to impress him?
The match started nervously with both teams feeling each other out. Meanwood immediately took the game to Kelly's Heroes but they struggled to find a way past a robust Heroes defence. Woody played a more offensive role and fired an early shot towards goal. However, the shot unfortunately went wide. Gafa followed this up with an attack down the wing that resulted in the ball crashing against the post. This acted as a warning sign to Kelly's Heroes who tried to counter attack Meanwood. However, they struggled to find their way past a strong back-line of Bissitt and Mckieth. Meanwood were beginning to get more confident and started to use their possession of the ball more constructively and finally took the lead that they deserved when Woody smashed the ball into the bottom corner of the net.  This goal gave Meanwood even more confidence and Meanwood tried to add to their total. Unfortunately, Kelly's Heroes used their experience to punish Meanwood and levelled the game after a shot deceived an injured Ayden Fertug and crept in. Kelly's Heroes tried to take advantage of Ayden's injured wrist and had another attempt on goal but Ayden got down low and saved comfortably. Mckieth tried to get Meanwood back in front when he used his trickery to worm his way past a naive Heroes defence. Unfortunately, Mckieth's hard work came to no avail as his shot was blocked. However, Meanwood did manage to take the lead when Richard Bissitt shrugged off a Kelly's Heroes player and fired from distance. Another powerful goal from the man who can lift 110kg. Meanwood continued to attack but found it difficult to break Kelly's Heroes down. Fortunatley for Meanwood, Mckieth has the ability to tear teams apart rather than breaking them down but he unfortunately came unstuck and had his shot blocked. However, it wasn't too long before Mckieth added to Meanwood's total when he sent a fierce shot down the middle that crept under Kelly's Heroes' keeper. Meanwood looked destined to go into half time with a 3-1 lead. However, things are never straightforward with Meanwood and they conceded just before the break when Kelly's Heroes sent another shot past the injured Ayden Fertug to give them a psychological boost. The final whistle finally went on a close first half and Meanwood looked exhausted.
Meanwood trekked towards their goal for what looked to be another exciting half of football. Regardless of the excitement, the half was always going to be decisive to where Meanwood finished and the players still looked relatively nervous as the second half kicked off. Meanwood tried to seize the game and pressurised Kelly's Heroes from the start. However, Kelly's Heroes used their experience to put Meanwood under pressure themselves when they created a few opportunities. Kelly's Heroes knew that Meanwood were under the most pressure as their season and future seasons relied on this result, they used this to seize the match and sent a few efforts on target. One of them from Carlos unfortunately found the back of the net and Meanwood's hopes for second place had faded. Meanwood desperately sought after another goal to relight their runners up chances but they were cruelly denied at every opportunity by a resilient defence. Woody remained in an offensive position in order to try and put Meanwood in front but his shots were agonisingly wide. As Meanwood tried to pull one back, they were cruelly counter attacked and Kelly's Heroes took the lead after a long shot from Carlson.  Carlos was proving to be a real pain in Meanwood's promotion chances and he helped Kelly's Heroes take advantage of Meanwood's fatigue. As the match went on and the hot climate took it's toll, Meanwood began to look like the weaker of the sides and it was no surprise when Kelly's Heroes added a fifth after another long shot managed to creep into the back of the net. Disaster! Not only did second place seem impossible, Meanwood's hopes for third place were quickly disappearing as well. A tired Meanwood team needed to launch a comeback against the odds. Meanwood reacted by bombarding Kelly's Heroes with a range of long shots. However, none of them managed to find the back of the net. As the clock was ticking and as the tide drifted away from Meanwood, Woody managed to pull one back when he sent a thunderous shot past Kelly's Heroes keeper. Meanwood needed to pull one more goal back to guarantee third place within the last five minutes. Gafa used his pace to go on a long run but he was hustled off course and his shot was saved. Meanwood pressured the Kelly's Heroes' defence but it came to no avail- until Richard Bissitt pounced on a lose ball and fired home from the edge of the box to level the scores and rescue third place in the nick of time with a minute remaining. For the remainder of the match, Meanwood desperately tried to score another late goal but they found their chances limited and the final score was 5-5. A disappointing result considering that a win would have seen Meanwood promoted. Nevertheless it was still a hard working performance.
Man Of The Match- Anthony Mckieth Anthony Mckieth ended the season on good form. He has started to shine this season and has become an irreplaceable member of the team. Tonight, Mckieth didn't stand out because of his trickery. Instead, he stood out due to his defensive capabilities. Mckieth was always back when required and limited the chances Kelly's Heroes received. Once receiving possession through tackling or through other methods, Mckieth never gave the ball away. Mckieth should be very proud of his exploits this season. We can only hope that he maintains it through to next season. Conclusion Meanwood fell at the very last hurdle but at least they completed the race and picked up third place. At the moment it feels like no consolation but I'm sure that Meanwood will look back and view their achievements with pride. Don't forget this is their first full Mens League season and Meanwood are still the youngest side in the Mens League and have many more years ahead of them to try and achieve promotion. The tide may have come too late but it has still gathered momentum and will take Meanwood through to next season. Meanwood have now only lost one of their last eight matches, a record that should make Meanwood pre-season title favourites. As a Meanwood supporter summed up, "that's just the like the cookie crumbles". So many clichés apply to Meanwood…how about one for next season, "luck evens out". Finally, a big thanks should go to every Meanwood player who has worked their hearts out for the club. Thanks to: Ayden Fertug, Paul Mallian, Daniel Woodward, Dean Bell, James Milner, Daniel Gafa-Gaunt, Anthony Mckieth, Richard Bissitt and many others that have contributed to Meanwood's final league placing. It has truly been a team effort from the first team down to the reserves. See you next season. |