By Joseph Pearson
Craven College is accustomed to punching above their weight and once again they faced a difficult game in the cup against Premier Division side Lancaster and Morecambe College.
The conditions were excellent for football and Craven were huge underdogs going into this game, so it was vital that they didn’t concede early on. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. An attack down the right caught out the defence and Lancaster and Morecambe scored inside 30 seconds. If there were any early anxieties for the Lancashire side, they will have quickly disappeared after striking early.
Craven had to dig deep if they wanted to stay in the game as their opponents were dominating early possession and smoothly passing the ball around the pitch. Danny Knight was forced to make some key saves and Craven had a few nervous moments but they managed to keep the score to 1-0. As the half went on, Craven were beginning to get into the game more and more. Lancaster and Morecambe looked frustrated because they hadn’t capitalised on their early dominance and it was beginning to show in their play. Craven were running at the defence and causing problems but were struggling to break down a stubborn back four.
Eventually they were rewarded, when the referee awarded Craven a penalty for a foul in the box. It was confidently put away by Sam Robinson and now the scores were level. Both sides pressed for a second before half time but neither could find a goal and the score was 1-1 at the interval. So far, so good for Craven. They had matched their opponents in most areas of the game and were in a good position to cause an upset.
As both sides swapped ends for the beginning of the second half, the next goal was extremely important. If it was Craven who scored next, it would not only be a huge confidence boost for them but also a massive blow for Lancaster and Morecambe. The opening exchanges were a little cagey and both sides struggled to find any rhythm in their play. The Lancashire side looked the more likely to score and they did after about an hour through some good passing and good execution in their attack.
They looked relieved after their second goal, which may have lead to lack in concentration as Craven hit back shortly after. Sam Robinson picked up the ball about 30 yards from goal and advanced towards Lancaster and Morecambe’s goal. He had time and space to pick his spot and he smashed it into the top corner from outside the area. A fantastic goal which meant it was 2-2 and it was game on again.
Despite this huge confidence boost for Craven, their opponents were beginning to show more and more quality in their play and the extra class they had was beginning to show against a tired Craven team, who had worked so hard to stifle them throughout the match. Lancaster and Morecambe took the lead for the third time in the game and they soon doubled their advantage with a penalty of their own.
Craven were really up against it now but continued to show great fight and commitment. A long diagonal ball from the left caught out Lancaster and Morecambe’s left back and Nathan Foster controlled the ball well and beat the keeper with a confident finish to reduce the deficit. With the score at 3-4, there was a still a chance for Craven to force extra time but they conceded a fifth late on which finished the tie. Craven had pushed their superior opponents all the way and should be credited with a terrific performance but Lancaster and Morecambe just did enough for victory.
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