Part II of my College Cup so far mini-series includes
arguably the best-performing college and the worst. It also involves the two
teams who I think will eventually face each other in the final –
James 1sts and Vanbrugh 1sts. And at the end of this post, I have included a few
College Cup 2012 stats, for those of you who enjoy a bit of number-crunching.
College: JAMES
Tournament form: 6/10
The James 1st team are a formidable bunch who I expect will
go all the way to the final. They are strong in all departments, boasting the
attacking flair of Tom Clarke, the midfield energy of Richard Baxter and the
defensive nous of Oscar Lynch. Their opening match was a hard-fought win over their main Group A rivals Alcuin 1sts, followed by an annihilation of Wentworth 2nds. If you are a James fan, you just hope they haven’t peaked too soon in the
tournament and that they can maintain their exceptional start.
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| Clarke celebrates with his teammates after scoring a hat-trick against Wentworth 2nds (Photo: Oliver Todd) |
Meanwhile, the 2nds secured a brilliant 1-0 win over a sluggish Halifax 1sts in their opening match. They took advantage of one of
their few clear sights of goal, which is what you must do when you accept your
opponents will have the majority of possession. However, they were brought back
down to Earth yesterday with a 2-1 defeat to Vanbrugh 3rds. Despite this, I
expect them to win their next two games and go into their final match against
Goodricke 1sts with a real chance of qualification.
It has been a difficult start for the 3rds, though, who sit at
the bottom of Group A along with Wentworth 1sts. It’s not that they have played
especially badly; they have lost both games by the odd goal. They seemed to
tire in the second half against Goodricke but probably still deserved a point,
while their defeat against Halifax 3rds could have been a different story had
Johnny Williamson not hit the bar with his penalty. Fine margins.
College: LANGWITH
Tournament form: 4/10
The college of Langwith have had a mixed start to the Cup,
winning one game from a possible four. The 1sts should have beaten Alcuin 2nds;
had Andy Hutt not fluffed his lines and made it 2-0 they would have surely won
all three points. As it was, they conceded a late equaliser. On Monday, they
were never really in the game against Vanbrugh 1sts and were lucky to only lose 3-0. I don’t think they will make it to the cup quarter finals, but should
secure a place in the Plate.
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| Langwith 2nds celebrate their only win for the college so far, against Wentworth 1sts (Photo: TK Rohit) |
The second team have enjoyed more success than their first
team cousins in Group 1. Their narrow defeat to Derwent 1sts demonstrated the
incredible energy levels the side had to match one of the tournament favourites
for long periods. They nearly found an equaliser in the second half too, as
Will Prescott’s long throw-ins were proving troublesome. Their win against Wentworth 2nds was quite simply crucial if they are to have any hope of
qualification. I cannot see them finishing in the top two, though, so once
again for a Langwith team, Plate qualification would be the realistic target.
College: VANBRUGH
Tournament form: 9/10
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| Phil Taylor orchestrates another Vanbrugh 1sts attack (Photo: Tom Wooldridge) |
If you are a Vanbrite (like me) you’ll be pretty damn
pleased with the progress of the three teams so far. Out of the six games
played, five wins have been notched; the best record of any college. The 1sts
have barely broken sweat yet have recorded back-to-back 3-0 wins, against Derwent 3rds and Langwith 1sts. Phil Taylor looks calm and composed in midfield
and, although Elliot Rous-Ross is yet to score, I’m sure he will find his form
come the end of the group stages. The full backs also look really dangerous
marauding forward; teams must learn how to stop Rob Rix or else risk being
completely swamped down their right. Should Vanbrugh top Group 4, their chances
in the quarter finals are looking good with Derwent 2nds being deducted two
points in Group 3.
The only defeat suffered by a Vanbrugh side thus far has
been the 2nds' 3-2 reverse against Halifax 4ths. In truth, they should have been
at least three or four goals up before they crumbled spectacularly late on. But
the side recovered with a steady performance on Thursday against Goodricke 3rds. Their next match is against Wentworth 2nds which should prepare them
nicely for the clash with Alcuin 1sts and then James 1sts. It’s a very tough
group, but Alcuin have been far from convincing so I will back Vanbrugh to
sneak in behind James.
The way things are looking for the 3rds, they could well
face their 1sts cousins in the quarter finals. The team secured a narrow 1-0 win against Derwent 2nds with a goal out of nowhere, and their defending in
that match was magnificent. And they produced another gritty, determined
performance yesterday beating James 2nds thanks to James Robinson’s late winner.
The team seem to have the ability to soak up pressure and take their chances at
the other end, and things are going for them so far. Also, manager Mike Sutcliffe
is always extremely vocal on the touchline and always lets his players know if
standards are slipping, which is a sign of a great leader.
College: WENTWORTH
Tournament form: 2/10
It has been a difficult tournament for the post-graduates,
who have recorded five defeats out of six for their three teams so far, the
worst record of any college. The 1sts have lost both their matches in Group 1 thus
far, despite the best efforts of star player and captain Wayne Paes in
midfield. They have put up a good fight in their matches, but defeats to
Halifax 3rds and Langwith 2nds were games they would have been looking to win.
They now face an uphill struggle to even qualify for the Plate.
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| Unhappy Wentworth faces after their shock 2-1 defeat to Halifax 3rds (Photo: Tom Wooldridge) |
Wentworth 2nds have notched the college’s only victory in
the Cup, a 3-0 win over Goodricke 2nds, but the 8-0 defeat to James 1sts will
have rocked confidence. However, they must hope that James will play just as well
against the other teams and that they recover their form quickly.
Wentworth 3rds have had a tricky time of late as well, being
without a goal in their two defeats against Halifax 2nds and Derwent 3rds. They
need to make sure their next encounter against Vanbrugh 1sts isn’t a cricket
score and that they can recover to perhaps nick a Plate position.
College Cup 2012: In
numbers
Total games: 24
Total goals: 73
Most group goals: 25 (Group 2)
Fewest group goals: 14 (Group 1)
Top scorer: Tom Clarke (4 goals)
Total draws: 1 (Langwith 1sts 1-1 Alcuin 2nds)
Highest college win tally: 6 (Halifax)
Highest college win percentage: 83.3% (Vanbrugh)
Teams yet to concede: 3 (Vanbrugh 1sts; Derwent 1sts;
Goodricke 1sts)
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