A dramatic late goal from Andy Mannion just 2 minutes from time saw Amaranth book a place in the Charity Cup semi-finals at the expense of dejected hosts Clifford Veterans.

In a fascinating encounter at the picturesque Nunnery Way ground, Amaranth were kicking up the slight slope in the first half and started the quicker of the two teams. With confidence high after several encouraging performances of late, an early long throw from Blaskett sent full-back Pearce scampering beyond the defence on the right wing and he won a corner as the retreating Clifford defender managed to stretch and block his attempted cross. Heaton swung it over and lurking just beyond the penalty spot was Amaranth’s second top scorer Mannion whose powerful header frustratingly flew just the wrong side of the foot of the left hand upright with Clifford’s hirsute shot-stopper rooted to the spot.

The remainder of the half was largely played out in the away teams half as Clifford took control of the game, enjoying the lion’s share of possession and looking to get down the sides of the Amaranth back four. However, Wood and Morley, with the latter switching from a wide midfield position in the previous game at York, were proving a formidable wall at the heart of that defence, their partnership growing as the game wore on as their understanding developed, no longer attacking the same balls as they occasionally were in the early stages.

As a result Clifford were largely restricted to long range attempts which suited the away team sporting their famous purple shirts as Clifford had clearly left their shooting boots in the swish changing rooms behind O’Brien’s goal. On the very rare occasion they did seriously threaten, luck was very much with Amaranth. An excellent run and cross from the left wing fell invitingly for Clifford’s No.9 unmarked on the back post and as he fired low towards goal past the exposed O’Brien, his attempt cannoned off the heels of his teammate who couldn’t get out of the way quick enough, inadvertently saving a certain goal.

On the other side of the pitch, which was seeing much less of the action, Clifford’s lively shaven headed No.11 cut inside of left back Sleightholm and unleashed a powerful right-footed drive that smacked off the middle of the crossbar and rebounded to safety much to the relief of the travelling support.

The only real note of danger on the Clifford goal in the first half, other than that early Mannion header, was when Pugh collected the ball just inside the opposition half with back to goal, twisted and tricked his way past a couple of challenges and thumped a powerful low left footed drive that flew past the right hand post, but in truth never looked on its way in. Amaranth’s leading scorer had had an earlier opportunity, when Morley’s fine cross-field ball found him just inside the box on the right hand side, but unusually his first touch wasn’t the best and took him away from the goal, his subsequent effort well wide of the mark.

HT 0-0

Amaranth sent out the same personnel for the second half but changed their formation pushing Sleightholm further forward into a midfield 5 and trusting Pearce, Wood and Morley to hold the fort at the back.

However, any thoughts of an easier second half down the slight incline were soon quashed as Clifford continued to dictate the tempo of the game and look the more likely of the two teams to break the deadlock, typified by an early effort from inside the box that O’Brien did well to get down low to his right and smother.

For all their possession, Clifford failed to carve out clear opportunities and didn’t test O’Brien nearly as much as their dominance in the game warranted. If anything, it was the away side’s sporadic attacks that had more incision, notably when another raking ball from the left by the influential Morley found the head of Heaton on the edge of the six yard box, level with the back post, but under pressure he could only glance the opportunity wide.

An ever better chance was passed up soon after as Mannion put in his strike partner Pugh with a clever ball beyond the defence and it looked for all the world that the normally deadly front-man would open the scoring, but with only the keeper to beat and the ball sat up invitingly he dinked the ball towards goal, beyond the advancing goalie but wide of the left hand post.

With the clock ticking down, a similar fate beset Clifford’s livewire No.9 as he was finally sent free beyond the Amaranth defence, rounding the sprawling O’Brien and shooting towards what he thought was an unguarded goal. However, Wood never gave up and did fantastically to get back, stretch out his right leg and divert the ball behind for a corner leaving the home side’s striker with his head in his hands in both disbelief and frustration.

The game looked certain to be heading for penalties, but with only two minutes to go, Amaranth conjured up a dramatic winner. O’Brien’s goal kick received a clever flick from Bentley, finding Pugh in the inside left channel. His lofted ball picked out Parker at the back post and in his second appearance for the Ammers, he kept his composure to knock the ball across goal and into the path of the on-rushing MANNION who made no mistake from close in, firing emphatically beyond the helpless Clifford goal custodian, wheeling away in delight and removing his shirt in the process. It was the combative forward’s fourth goal in as many games and his most important to date, sending Amaranth through to their first Charity Cup semi-final where they will visit old foes Thorpe on the 22nd of April.

FT 0-1

Team (4-4-2): O’Brien; Pearce, Wood, Morley (Spence 75), Sleightholm (Bentley 63); Blaskett, Heaton, Smith, Cooper (Parker 65); Pugh, A Mannion. Unsused subs: Ismay, Milsted.

Man of the Match: Mick Wood – cool in possession, solid throughout and the goal-line clearance every bit as important as the winner

Cheers,

Rick

Match details

Match date

Sun 25 Mar 2018

Kickoff

14:00

Team overview