Brierfield Celtic all but ended Trawden’s title aspirations with a comprehensive victory at the Rec.
With Borrowdale beating Brunlea, a victory for Trawden would have surely seen them seal the league title with one game to go, but they were outfought and outplayed by the team that knocked them out of the Dolphin’s Bakery Cup at the beginning of February.
Playing downhill, Brierfield attacked from the off and were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when Trawden ‘keeper Ben Gorman came rushing out for a long through ball and seemed to barge the Brierfield player out of the way. The ref gave a corner instead.
Honours were fairly even during the first 15 minutes, but Brierfield took the lead on 17. A left wing corner left Brierfield’s No.9 unmarked and he headed home despite an attempt to clear the ball off the line by Carl Pain.
Trawden huffed and puffed, but couldn’t get their passing game together and created little in spite of their efforts. The last ten minutes of the first half was all Trawden, but they didn’t create one clear cut chance, the nearest being a free-kick from the edge of the box which went tamely wide.
Half-time score, Trawden 0, Brierfield 1.
Trawden piled on the pressure at the start of the second half, but Brierfield’s defence stood firm and, I have to say, looked fairy comfortable.
Then a mistake by Trawden’s defence let Brierfield in for their second goal. Brierfield’s No.9 (Joe) got away from Chris Dodd, who tried to win the ball back, but tripped his man and the ref gave a penalty. Joe made no mistake from the spot giving Ben Gorman no chance.
With Trawden trying to get something from the game they left gaps at the back, and it came as no surprise when Brierfield made it 3-0. Joe completed his hat-trick by taking the ball past Trawden’s lacklustre defence and slotting it into the empty net. Game over.
It could have been worse. Trawden gave a free-kick away at the edge of the box with five minutes to go. It looked liked goal number 4 all the way, but the ball hit the inside of the post and Trawden cleared the danger.
So a deserved victory for Brierfield, and good luck to them in the final of the cup in a few weeks time.
Trawden stay top of the league, but because of their inferior goal difference, the best they can hope for is for Borrowdale to beat Brunlea on Thursday and Trawden will finish runners-up if they win their last game at Glenross Juniors on 7th May.
