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U.C.L. Academicals Football Club (The Accies)
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AFA SENIOR CUP FINAL 2000 Picture Gallery 1 Picture Gallery 2 Picture Gallery 3 Crouch End Vampires 1 UCL
Academicals 1 – UCL Academicals win 4-2 on penalties In pretty filthy conditions at
Old Parkonians on Saturday 15th April, UCL Academicals outbattled
Crouch End Vampires (picking up three cautions to their none) and the boys ran
themselves into the ground before winning a tense shoot-out. Nil-nil at half time, with Austin
McBride carried off and Gareth Jones having risen from the grave to play up
front, Neil Gillard put us into the lead fifteen minutes into the second half
with a bullet-header from a corner. Cue our worst period of play, and ten
minutes later an equalising goal from a penalty almost saved by Mark Dawson,
undeserved for the solid back three of Neil Shrimpton, Dan Chantler and Martin
Woodrow. In between Gareth had limped off,
his knee giving way in sympathy to his striking partner, but the Accies, with
Daws making key saves held on for extra time. In extra time the Accies
struggled, and relied again on Daws to keep the door shut, though Terry Foster
almost broke through one on one being denied by a questionable refereeing
decision, Jon Delaney almost broke through on overlaps and Steve Hair, aided by
Steve Murden, Jez Smith and Steve Nash, who'd run himself into the ground,
battled superbly to hold the fort together. With ten minutes to go it became
a battle to reach penalties, with the Accies exhausted - at one point a
"team cramp call" led to four members collapsing with cramp at the
same time, and Lee Pessall on the sideline - reduced to a frozen wreck,
desperate for all to stay on the pitch. Finally the end of time: plenty
of willing penalty takers, and a strong feeling of it being "our day".
Crouch End win the toss, and blast their first penalty sky high. Neil Gillard
sends the keeper the wrong way. Their second is slotted home, then Steve Hair
matches it. Their third is also buried, but Steve Murden sends the keeper the
wrong way after the longest penalty run-up you've ever seen to maintain the one
penalty advantage. Then Daws saves their fourth, setting Terry up to slot the
winner. And the rest is history......... |
