With Blackfield and Langley having defeated New Street on the Tuesday, Saturday's Dango Tournament final was a repeat of last season.

With the fourth game for the Lions in eight days and another following 24 hours later, boss Mick Catlin rang the changes again with Tom Clifton-Moore in goal and Vince Rusher wearing the captain's armband.

The Waterside team won three early corners and gave the Lions a scare when a clearance from Clifton-Moore was charged down with the ball bouncing over the vacant goal but after that it was very much one-way traffic. Rusher and Dean Stow were both too high and Mark Lilley and Danny Sullivan enjoyed both space and possession on the flanks but could not make the crosses pay though both Alex Ward and Rusher came close, the latter with a header into the side netting. Blackfield relied on the long ball that was all too often easily tidied up by Owen Elias and Neil Champion.After a mini-flurry from Blackfield on the restart the game settled back into its earlier pattern with the Lions finally breaking the deadlock after ten minutes. The youthful Campbell made a determined run down the right and when the cross was only partially cleared Stow curled the ball into the net from 20 yards. Blackfield were not the most gracious side either on or off the field and going behind caused the red mist to develop with one yellow card for a tackle that sent Rusher sprawling long after the ball had gone followed by a red for a horrendous two footed challenge on Boston from behind.

When sanity did prevail again it became a damage limitation exercise for the Wessex League side with little chance of posing any attacking threat and eight minutes from the end Elias powered a header home for number two with the beaten goalkeeper adding his name to the referee's book for airing his views on same.

After Owen Elias had been presented with the Player of the Tournament award Rusher happily went forward to collect the winners' shield.

Squad: Clifton-Moore, Campbell, Champion, Elias, Williams, Sullivan, Stow, Ward, Lilley, Rusher, Boston. Subs: Kyle Swayne, McKie, Briggs, Dockree, Andrews.

10:20am Thursday 7th August 2008

Print

Email this