Holwell 50 Secs from glory, then lose!!

Westerby Cup – Blaby & Whetstone 4 – 3 Holwell Sports AET

This had to be seen to be believed! Holwell, who had done all the hard work in recovering from a goal just on the stroke of half time by Aaron Preston, turned the match on its head with a power surge twenty minutes from the end where they scored through Liam Chapman on 69mins, quickly followed by Mark Tinsley on 71mins and another to seemingly tie the game up by Liam Chapman from a free kick on 75mins.

The second half had been all Holwell and the goals always looked to be coming with Mooney breaking on 65mins to go one to one with the keeper but stand in keeper for Blaby Darren Wheeler was having one of those games where anything that came at him he saved and again got the better of Mooney.

It all looked wrapped up for Holwell as time counted down, but on 88mins McKay conceded a free kick on the edge of the box, the defence could not clear the cross – as it bounced amongst a pack of players Preston reacted the quickest and brought Blaby back into the game with his second goal.

It seemed as though minds had gone blank because instead of seeing out time by an injury or even better a substitution the visitors got caught out after the restart and Blaby sensing blood came at Holwell again down the left, as Liam Hebbard broke into the box looking for contact Hibbitt obliged with a sucker tackle to concede a penalty which Hebbard duly despatched. Though Cragg did get to it but couldn’t stop it from going in. FT 3-3

Both teams were feeling it in extra time and neither were on top – were penalties looming?

Liam Chapman who had been working hard all game for Holwell once again got in behind his defender and on the stroke of the end of the first period sent in a cross which Wells should have buried at the back post but he somehow missed.

All was undone two minutes into the second period when the lumbering Jermaine Gordon who had spent most of the match on his backside trying to win free kicks managed to somehow slip his marker Rose (who had shackled him all match up to this point) to put Blaby through leaving the Holwell players and supporters stunned by what had just happened.