The FA Carlsberg Sunday Cup
Third Round
Sunday 7 December 2008
Winning clubs will receive £300 from The FA
On a bitterly cold afternoon at Flinders Street in Liverpool, last year’s beaten Finalists were eliminated from this season’s competition, by a battling performance from Oyster.
Goals from Anthony Lipson, Dean Forshaw and a penalty from Thomas Rooney consigned Coundon to defeat, in front of over 200 onlookers.
After the opening exchanges, where most of the game was played out in the middle of the park, Rooney was left completely unmarked by the visitors defence on the right flank, on nine minutes and ran in towards goal.
Philip Brumwell and Neil Sielby got back in time to make sure the Oyster striker’s effort was from an acute angle, but goalkeeper Gareth Young’s heart must have been beating a little faster, until the ball whistled past the outside of the far post.
Ten minutes later, another advance forward by Rooney, cousin of Wayne, eventually led to a goal. Coundon centre-half Ian Laws was adjudged to have fouled Rooney and a free-kick was given by the referee, to the right of centre and about 22 yards from goal.
The angle seemed to favour a left-footer and Jonathan Swatton was in attendance, but Graham Rooney – younger brother of Wayne – decided to try a side-footed effort with his right and the shot took a deflection, which Young found awkward to deal with; palming the ball out in front of him. The immediate rebound from Forshaw was blocked by a combination of Brumwell and Laws, but the subsequent ricochet fell to Lipson and he lashed his half-volley in at the far post for the opener.
The side from County Durham were playing some neat football, but failing to test Liam Cannon in the hosts’ net and it wasn’t until just after the half-hour mark, when Cannon was flailing across his six yard box. Danny Richmond got to the byline and crossed excellently to the near post, where Steven Johnson met the ball almost too well with his head and grazed the crossbar.
Oyster were playing well enough to validate their lead, and although they were conceding a little too many free-kicks for their own liking, were defending them resolutely.
At the start of the second period, Coundon came straight at the home side and really tested their defence to the full. Paul Bailes forced Cannon in a good save to his right-hand side from the left edge of the penalty area, before they eventually got back on level terms through Stuart Owens.
A cross was played into the Oyster penalty area and when it wasn’t properly dealt with by the defence, Stuart Owens pounced on the ball at the far post and lashed the ball into the net.
Gary Smith stepped forward from his defensive midfield position just after the hour mark and unleashed a viciously dipping and swerving effort, which Young just about kept out, to keep the score at 1-1 but he was helpless to prevent Oyster from re-taking the lead with seventeen minutes remaining.
A splendid sweeping move involving five players culminated in a chance for Graham Rooney to try and beat his marker, only for Sielby to handball just inside the penalty area and give Oyster a great chance of edging in front. For their part, Coundon tried their best to put Thomas Rooney off, but the striker strode up confidently and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.
And just five minutes later, the game was all over as Forshaw added his name to the scoresheet with a great turn and shot in the area and wrap up a great victory for the side from Croxteth who reach the last 16 of the competition.
