Guernsey Press

Indies fall at final hurdle in quest for perfect season

CASUALS dramatically prevented Indies from putting the cherry on their title cake on Saturday.

Published
Chris Lowin (No. 12) scores the winner for Casuals at a last-minute short-corner. (Picture by Martin Gray, www.guernseysportphotography.com, 29528117)

After 15 straight wins in Men’s Division One, the champions were looking to complete their perfect campaign and were on track to do so when they led 2-1 at half-time.

But amid a flurry of second-half cards against motivated opponents looking to finish the season of their own title defence in style, Indies found themselves pegged back when Elizabeth College player Cameron Rivers-Moore popped up with an equaliser with 22 minutes remaining.

Then, in a thrilling climax with Indies down to 10 men with captain Tom Still watching on from the sidelines having received two yellow cards that amounted to a red, Chris Lowin stepped up to execute an unstoppable drag flick in the final minute that sent Casuals cock-a-hoop while denying the men in orange their own special piece of history.

Although the match was far from a classic in terms of quality, it was one that kept your attention from the moment the two Rivers-Moore brothers – Cameron and Liam – combined to win Casuals a penalty stroke inside the first 90 seconds.

Captain Alex Bushell trotted up from the back to take responsibility from the spot, but although he sent Rob Turville the wrong way, his flick clipped the outside of the keeper’s left-hand post.

That meant that Casuals had to wait 10 minutes to break the deadlock and when they did so it was that man Lowin who struck from their first short-corner, which had been won by Joffy Wilkes-Green.

Lowin’s drag-flick was perfectly placed just inside the post with Turville flying to his right but unable to keep it out.

That seemed just a minor setback for Indies, though, and they showed no signs of panic as they worked themselves back into the game.

An excellent tackle from Adie Peacegood prevented Josh Saunders from getting a shot away after a swift move started by Still’s long ball to pick out Steve Waldrom, but the lead lasted just a few minutes longer.

The 26th minute equaliser was simplicity itself as, from their first short-corner, Waldrom received the injection and took a moment to set himself before firing a low drive hard into the boards.

Steve Waldrom tries to get a shot away under pressure from Joffy Wilkes-Green. (Picture by Martin Gray, www.guernseysportphotography.com, 29528129)

His second goal five minutes later was a collector’s item in the way it originated as Island skipper Peacegood uncharacteristically slipped while in possession close to his own goal and Waldrom showed his poacher’s instinct to take full advantage of the opportunity to put his side ahead.

The momentum was still with Indies at the start of the second half with Peacegood shown a green card for giving away a short by bringing down Waldrom as he ran at him.

However, the champions were unable to make that chance, and a similar opportunity three minutes later when Matt Gilligan was shown green too, count.

It was to prove costly because on 48min. a miscommunication between the Indies defence and midfield saw the ball given away sloppily and Casuals made them pay with Damian Wallen feeding Andy Whalley who in turn squared the ball across the face of goal for the younger Rivers-Moore brother to tap in at the far post.

Still then received the first of his yellows for a stick tackle on the young goal-scorer and his return to the pitch lasted little more than 30 seconds before he hooked Whalley’s stick and received his second yellow followed by the rarely-seen red.

In-between those incidents, Gilligan also saw yellow as the game became more tense with time running down.

Both sides continued to create chances with Bushell making a superbly-timed pick on Rory Chamberlain as he tried to work an opening for a shot, Adrian Gidney making an important left-handed save from a Waldrom drag flick and Cameron Rivers-Moore miscuing a good chance at the other end and seeing it drift wide.

It was not until the 69th minute that the decisive moment came.

Turville made an excellent save to deny Wilkes-Green at close range, but in the scramble that followed Indies conceded a short-corner.

Lowin was confident enough to send away fellow drag-specialist Bushell, take on all the responsibility himself and he came up trumps with a goal worthy of winning any game.

Indies were not in any mood to admire it, but while they lost this particular battle, they still won the war in coming top of the pile in what was a successful season for the oranges.