15^th March 2008 

Cup Semi Final

Upper Clatford B  U13    1    Barton Stacey U13   2  aet

Toast sponsored Barton Stacey’s fourth semi final appearance in six years; Upper Clatford B riding high in division 2, more than capable of holding their own against first division opposition, and repeatedly denied promotion to division 1, due to the league’s ruling that no club can have an A and a B side in the same division.  Barton Stacey at home would have been their favoured draw when the balls were pulled from the bag. 

Barton Stacey shorn of key players had twelve players available.  Ollie Richards took his place between the sticks, Dan Pomroy and Alex Coetzee opened the debate in the centre of defence.  Nick Bearpark and Harry Lawton played full back, while Sam Hadlington, Luke Bacon, William de Cani and Sam Burrows filled the midfield.  The forty plus goal partnership of Michael Taplin and Charles Sherwood provided the firepower.  Conner Jones in spanking new boots sparkled on the bench.  Manager Graham White releasing his charges with orders to play their football, and beware the ides of March.

For Brutus and his knife-wielding pals in the senate, read the Clatford B back line around their eighteen-yard box, with Michael Taplin and Charles Sherwood taking turns at the role of Caesar.  In a bruising first fifteen minutes, some rumbustious defending by the Clatford defenders left several Barton boys bruised and battered. Afforded little protection from the referee, tension and frustration grew, both on the pitch and off it; tension that was partially eased when Barton Stacey took the lead in the twentieth minute, William de Cani wriggling his way down the right to slide his side foot shot under the keeper.  Barton Stacey were having the better of the game, although Clatford B remained dangerous, with a superb striker, the cultured James Gentleman in midfield, and the reassuring presence in goal of a keeper who at the age of 13 is six foot tall and has had several seasons at the Chelsea academy. 

One nil up at half time Graham White emphasised the need for Barton to keep playing their football, and not get drawn into the physical battle that would suit the team from the lower division.

Barton Stacey continued to create chances in the second half. Luke Bacon shot over from distance; Michael Taplin removed himself from headlock in which he was held, to draw a stunning save from the keeper. With ten minutes to go Alex Coetzee was adjudged to have fouled the speedy striker on the edge of the box, James Gentleman’s superb strike from the free kick pulling his side level.  Connor Jones replaced a tired Charles Sherwood while Clatford bought on a midfield enforcer, who had obviously attended the Sopranos school of football coaching. In the ten minutes remaining, he bonked Harry Lawton on the head, pushed his hand in de Cani’s eye, bounced of Connor Jones before meeting the immovable object that is Sam Hadlington.  There was just enough time left for Michael Taplin to be felled on the edge of the box for the umpteenth time, before the match moved into extra time. 

Emboldened by the apparent injustice of the game to date, Barton raised their game in extra time. Early in the first period a superb corner by Luke Bacon was headed home by Michael Taplin to restore his side’s lead.  Determined to avoid the lottery of a penalty shoot out Barton Stacey pressed the opposition back into their own half for the remainder of extra time and saw out the game.  Every player making a vital contribution in one of the most testing games that this bunch of Bartonites have been involved in, the kind of game that must have inspired William Webb Ellis to first pick up the ball and run at Rugby school sometime in the nineteenth century.

A third cup final in four years for the current cup holders who face likely League Champions, Alderbury in the final in April.