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Date: Saturday 5th May 2012 - Kick Off: 11:30
Challenge Bowl FINAL
Attendance: 122
| Loughborough Dynamo | 1 | vs | 2 | Redditch Utd |
Loughborough Dynamo 1 Redditch United 2
Redditch edge it in Challenge Bowl final.
From the pen of Nick Hardy at the NSG....
Having seen off the likes of Loughborough Students, Romulus, Sutton Coldfield and Bewdley Town en route to the prestigious Midland Combination Challenge Bowl Final, Loughborough Dynamo u21s narrowly failed to put the icing on the cake of what has been an excellent first season, losing 2-1 to Redditch United in a close-fought Final held at the NSG last Saturday.
Redditch finished 3rd in the Midland Combination u21 West/South Division and Dynamo were confident going into this Final, having overcome both the winners and the runners-up in that Division during the earlier rounds. But it was not to be as a superbly well-organised Redditch team approached the match in the manner of a team with a point to prove, and maintained their discipline and determination to win from the first kick to the last. In comparison to recent weeks, this was a below par performance from Dynamo and both management and players accepted that the trophy was claimed by the better team on the day.
Redditch took the lead on just six minutes, a superb through ball finding centre forward Joe Knight who gave Ben Cherry no chance with his precise finish into the roof of the net. Dynamo appeared on edge and were playing too many hopeful long balls, abandoning the fluent short passing game that has been the hallmark of their season. Redditch were organised in midfiled and tough in the tackle, with Levi Oshungbure particularly impressive, and Dynamo were unable to settle into any kind of rhythm. After Leigh Syrett had struck a free-kick into the defensive wall, the mood was lifted and on 21 minutes their first piece of quality play earned the equaliser. A long clearance released Connor Simon and his unselfish first-time pass surprised the Redditch defence, allowing strike partner Sam Harvey to smash home from 18 yards. Man of the match Harvey then twice came close to putting Dynamo in front. First, visiting keeper Dan Payne was unable to hold a Syrett cross and the ball fell just behind the advancing striker and then his fleet footwork took him past two defenders inside the penalty area but he stabbed his shot narrowly wide from an acute angle.
Early in the second half, an excellent passage of play between Simon and Sam Slater looked like setting a different tone but an ugly challenge on Simon Alcott, high and late, had tempers frayed on and off the field. Despite the advice of his assistant, the weak and ineffectual referee shied away from the opportunity to take decisive action. As ever, the close skills and power of Harvey and Simon caused problems for their opponents but clear-cut chances simply never materialised. Just after the hour, a long and high clearance out of the Redditch defence bounced awkwardly and the raw pace of substitute Adrian Hylton saw him get to the ball ahead of Cherry and head over the advancing keeper and into the net. Much like the Cup Final played at Wembley later the same day, the final quarter of the game was a frantic chase for an equaliser. Dynamo manager Grant Ryder made three changes, sending on the fresh legs of Alex Rancic, Robbie Sweet and Calvin Dickson to chase the cause. But depite a desperate last 10 minutes for Redditch, a Dynamo leveller was not to be and the trophy headed west, in the hands of a gritty group who ground out what was a surprising victory.
Having finished runners-up behind the exceptional Loughborough Students in the Midland Combination u21 East/North Division and reached the Final of this inaugural Midland Challenge Bowl, Dynamo's u21s have made a fantastic contribution to what has been a best-ever season for the club as a whole and the progress made by every member of this exciting young squad promises much for the future of a 1st team group with such an exceptional resource at its disposal.
Having seen off the likes of Loughborough Students, Romulus, Sutton Coldfield and Bewdley Town en route to the prestigious Midland Combination Challenge Bowl Final, Loughborough Dynamo u21s narrowly failed to put the icing on the cake of what has been an excellent first season, losing 2-1 to Redditch United in a close-fought Final held at the NSG last Saturday.
Redditch finished 3rd in the Midland Combination u21 West/South Division and Dynamo were confident going into this Final, having overcome both the winners and the runners-up in that Division during the earlier rounds. But it was not to be as a superbly well-organised Redditch team approached the match in the manner of a team with a point to prove, and maintained their discipline and determination to win from the first kick to the last. In comparison to recent weeks, this was a below par performance from Dynamo and both management and players accepted that the trophy was claimed by the better team on the day.
Redditch took the lead on just six minutes, a superb through ball finding centre forward Joe Knight who gave Ben Cherry no chance with his precise finish into the roof of the net. Dynamo appeared on edge and were playing too many hopeful long balls, abandoning the fluent short passing game that has been the hallmark of their season. Redditch were organised in midfiled and tough in the tackle, with Levi Oshungbure particularly impressive, and Dynamo were unable to settle into any kind of rhythm. After Leigh Syrett had struck a free-kick into the defensive wall, the mood was lifted and on 21 minutes their first piece of quality play earned the equaliser. A long clearance released Connor Simon and his unselfish first-time pass surprised the Redditch defence, allowing strike partner Sam Harvey to smash home from 18 yards. Man of the match Harvey then twice came close to putting Dynamo in front. First, visiting keeper Dan Payne was unable to hold a Syrett cross and the ball fell just behind the advancing striker and then his fleet footwork took him past two defenders inside the penalty area but he stabbed his shot narrowly wide from an acute angle.
Early in the second half, an excellent passage of play between Simon and Sam Slater looked like setting a different tone but an ugly challenge on Simon Alcott, high and late, had tempers frayed on and off the field. Despite the advice of his assistant, the weak and ineffectual referee shied away from the opportunity to take decisive action. As ever, the close skills and power of Harvey and Simon caused problems for their opponents but clear-cut chances simply never materialised. Just after the hour, a long and high clearance out of the Redditch defence bounced awkwardly and the raw pace of substitute Adrian Hylton saw him get to the ball ahead of Cherry and head over the advancing keeper and into the net. Much like the Cup Final played at Wembley later the same day, the final quarter of the game was a frantic chase for an equaliser. Dynamo manager Grant Ryder made three changes, sending on the fresh legs of Alex Rancic, Robbie Sweet and Calvin Dickson to chase the cause. But depite a desperate last 10 minutes for Redditch, a Dynamo leveller was not to be and the trophy headed west, in the hands of a gritty group who ground out what was a surprising victory.
Having finished runners-up behind the exceptional Loughborough Students in the Midland Combination u21 East/North Division and reached the Final of this inaugural Midland Challenge Bowl, Dynamo's u21s have made a fantastic contribution to what has been a best-ever season for the club as a whole and the progress made by every member of this exciting young squad promises much for the future of a 1st team group with such an exceptional resource at its disposal.
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