SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE CHALLENGE TROPHY
LONDON LIONS 2 WINSLOW UNITED 2 (Winslow won 4-3 on penalties)
Having worked so hard to get themselves back into the game, the Lions bowed out in agonising fashion as the visitors held their nerve to progress.
Winslow started the stronger In the teeming rain, finding space in behind with some slick passing. They were however unable to make anything of the openings, although it took what ended up being a quite brilliant ‘tackle’ by keeper Dan Lipman to deny the clearest of those chances.
The young Lions side began to find their feet, with Jake Furman driving them on from midfield. Both teams passed the ball well, but neither was really creating a great deal. But with 35 minutes on the clock a Winslow corner was only half cleared, falling to their man 25 yards from goal. He controlled with his first touch and unleashed the sweetest of strikes with his second, the ball arrowing past the flailing dive of Lipman into the corner.
And just like buses all of a sudden there was daylight as Winslow worked the ball through an inviting gap, the finish from just inside the box into the far corner gave Lipman no chance.
Lions came out with renewed vigour after the break, knowing the next goal was crucial. And for their endeavours they were justly rewarded when Austin Lipman found the same corner of the net with a trademark finish. Game on.
As the rain intensified the quality of play dropped a little. Lions worked tirelessly to get back on the front foot, while Winslow were content to keep the ball. With 15 minutes remaining Winslow broke clear, their striker seemingly away from Ollie Craig who pulled him back. With hearts in mouths all eyes were on the referee, who after consulting with his assistant awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box and allowed the Lions man to stay on the pitch much to the displeasure of the visiting supporters in the stand.
And as is football’s the free-kick came to nothing and, within a minute, Lions were level. It was that man Lipman again – this time keeping possession on the edge of the box before a drop of the shoulder created the slightest gap that he expertly curled his shot into, the ball nestling into the bottom corner to level things up.
Both teams searched for a winner, Charlie Kasler and Lipman both narrowly off target, but with a minute left the visitors really should have won it, their striker somehow headed wide of a gaping goal from five yards after Lipman pushed out a free-kick straight to him. A real let off – could Lions take that good fortune into the penalty shoot out (no extra time in this competition we all found out as the whistle blew)?
It certainly seemed so when, after Furman smashed his kick home Lipman flew to his right to execute a quite brilliant save. And when both Kasler and then Myeroff found the net despite the keeper getting good hands to both Lions led 3-2 and on course for the next round. However, Adam Lipman saw his kick saved, the next Winslow man levelled it. And when Austin Lipman then saw the keeper plunge to his right to parry his kick it was left to the Winslow skipper to coolly roll the ball home and take the place in the next round.
LIONS: Dan Lipman, Ben Goldberg, Adam Harvey, Nick Landesberg, Olli Craig, Jake Furman, Adam Lipman, Josh Shack, Tyler Smith, Austin Lipman, Jack Mattey. Subs: Charlie Kasler, Sam Hamerton, Adam Myeroff
SCORER: Lipman 2
