Haroldeans won the inaugural MJSL JC North Charity Shield on penalties after last-gasp equaliser in 3-3 thriller with South Manchester Maccabi 2nd.
In an action packed match which unveiled the new season, MJSL Champions Haroldeans rode their luck with South having four goals disallowed and they forced penalties with an equaliser 15 seconds before full time.
First blood went to Haroldeans as Josh Silverberg rifled home at the second attempt after 10 minutes but the lead lasted just six minutes when Toby Levy smashed an unstoppable shot home.
In a very competitive game which clearly was clearing the cobwebs out from the close season, it was quite an even affair with probably the Merseysiders having more of the ball but South looking more dangerous and this pattern continued until the break with referee Daniel Feldman expertly controlling proceedings.
The second half once again showed no signs of any team gaining the ascendancy, even after Levy threaded a through ball to Josh Nivern who duly slotted the ball into the bottom corner just after the hour for South.
Alistair Goldsmith then stepped up with 10 minutes remaining and his free-kick resulted in a Haroldeans equaliser.
There was a lot of football still to be played but when David Tuck's superb volley nestled in the corner, the Shield appeared to be heading to the South of the city with just four minutes of normal time left.
In keeping with the rest of the game, the final twist came when in the fifth minute of added time there was a massive scramble in the South penalty area which ended with Cabral Lloyd-Ellenberg getting the all important touch making it 3-3 when the final whistle went under a minute later.
Straight to a penalty shootout meant that South started formalities and as expected Levy slammed home the first penalty with Haroldeans’s Ross Bloomberg having denied by South keeper Gary Stewart. Similarly South missed their second and Alistair Goldsmith evened up proceedings. After three penalties it was 2-2 and then South missed again with a wayward shot that ballooned high and wide so the Merseysiders were leading 3-2 after four penalties each after Lloyd-Ellenberg netted. South had to score now to force a final penalty from Haroldeans but failed again as keeper Mike Cross produced a fine save. Victory was confirmed when Eric Lewis rifled home.
Haroldeans Fraser Saville, who was standing in for manager Ivan Gee, said: “It was a good game for the neutrals and it’s great to get the first piece of silverware in the cabinet. I was delighted to see some younger players coming through.”
South Manchester chairman Jonny Davis said: “It was a good game and credit to Haroldeans who didn’t stop trying. We threw it away as we were 3-2 up with 15 seconds to go. Our penalties were woeful.”
Haroldeans: Mike Cross, Matt Rubin, Danny Burman (capt), Mike Silverberg, Stephen Rubin, Daniel Lloyd-Ellenberg, Eric Lewis, Alistair Goldsmith, Paul Harris, Josh Silverberg, Dave Killey. Subs. Avi Rosenthal, Cabral Lloyd-Ellenberg, Ross Bloomberg, Johnathan Isaacs, Dean Livingstone
South Manchester: Gary Stewart, Dave Weisberg, Jack Rowe, Mark Conway, Jonny Pressman, Marcus Behar, Mark Collins, Toby Levy, Harvey Kaye, Joey Lazare, Simon Mattison (capt), Howard Hyamson, Ben Polak, Nic Jacobson, Andrew Levy, Jeremy Nivern, Mark Stewart
Officials – Ref – Dan Feldman, Assistant-referees: Sam Bernstein, Adam Crafton
See pictures from the match here
