Archived News from June 2007
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FTYBR AT STOCKFEST - FULL REPORT
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16 June 2007
In every kind of tournament, you need a little bit of lady luck and so it proved for FTYBR FC representing Mansfield Town supporters in Stockfest 07. The team had been drawn in Group B along with hosts, Stockport County, Scotland’s Ayr United and West Bromwich Albion. Group A consisted of Chester City, Tranmere Rovers, Manchester United and Hull City. Group B was thought of being the hardest group to get out of in a tournament where the top two teams would qualify for the semi finals. The Mansfield side took to the field with slight apprehension against an otherwise unknown Ayr United side who in the past had won the IFA League and Cup and had finished 4th in the Scottish IFA league last season, but any fears were quickly put aside when Jamie Wheatman scored a terrific goal on the break to put the Stags 1-0 up. Ayr vainly tried to get back into the game but with Jono Rowe and James Brown nt in the centre of defence, they struggled to create any worthwhile chances. Then late on in the 2nd half, Daz Plume powerfully met a Brown corner to put the FTYBR side 2-0 up. The game finished leaving FTYBR top of the group as the other game between West Brom and Stockport had ended 1-1. The next game saw the side face West Brom in what turned out to be a tough and hard tackling game where chances were rare, however very late on, Daz Plume side-stepped a couple of defenders and with the Albion screaming for offside, fired the ball into the top corner of the net. That meant that going into the final game of the group, FTYBR FC sat top and needed only a draw against the hosts, Stockport to win the group and have what would be thought, the easier of the semi finals. However, after hitting the woodwork and the side netting, the side conceded a free kick, which ultimately saw FTYBR let in the first goal of the day. Credit where it’s due it was a fine finish. Late on in the game, centre half, James Brown was sent off for back-chatting the Referee, after he had previously been booked and it was to play a major part in the rest of the day because it meant he was suspended for the semi final against Hull City. Hull had looked one of the best sides on the day but can still count themselves fortunate to have gone through to the final. Gary Bird raced clear of the defence and saw his effort go narrowly wide, straight from the goal kick, City scored what was to be the winning goal, although it took a defensive mix up for them to do so. Keith Gilbert and keeper, Mark Turner getting in a mix up where the City forward capitalized. The final whistle was met by huge disappointment. The side had lost out in the semi final stage after for so long in the day, looking like to most likely side to win it. Missed chances in the game against Stockport County, along with striking the woodwork no fewer than three occasions had been the sides undoing. Lady luck wasn’t wearing an amber shirt. The other semi final had been between Stockport County and Manchester United. Surprisingly United, who only just scrapped through the group stages, won on penalties and went onto face Hull City in the final. Hull had obviously burned themselves out against FTYBR because they fell behind to an early United goal and went onto lose the final 1-0. United even missed a last minute penalty. And so the day ended with a feeling of what should have been. FTYBR FC had been very unlucky not to have gone onto win the tournament but it had been a worthwhile day which had raised quite a bit of money for the MS Society and had given the team a major boost of their abilities ahead of next months Worldnet tournament in Leeds. FTYBR FC player of the tournament, done on a match-by-match rating was James Bird. Full squad – M Turner, A Holmes, K Gilbert, J Rowe, J Brown, W Sharpe, D Stokes, C Ploughman, J Bird, G Bird, J Wheatman, D Plume, M Scothron, R Allsop, M Clark, C Tyldsley. |
Latest | June 2007