2004

Bolton Heathergarth 5 Rawmarsh Monkwood 4

HEATHERGARTH edged a superb final to secure their second South Yorkshire Times-sponsored Totty Cup trophy at Kilnhurst St Thomas School last week.

Kyle Kitchen’s second half header proved decisive and while Monkwood applied late pressure, Bolton held on.

Monkwood started the brighter, peppering Heathergarth’s goal, using the slope to their advantage.

Connor Richmond put Monkwood ahead with their first attack. The midfielder made a deep run and picked the ball up six yards out before stroking the ball past Liam Hallas.

Richmond, captain Jamie Walton and diminutive winger Josh Turner provided three great outlets for ammunition early on, but unfortunately they didn’t take their early chances.

From Bolton’s first attack, Monkwood Keeper, Joe Meredith, produced a spectacular save to keep out Ben Bainbridge’s header but the ball landed at the feet of Josh Bull on the goal line who equalised.

Heathergarth added a second two minutes later. A midfield battle on the edge of the Monkwood area saw the ball fall to Bainbridge, who ran on and hit a low right foot shot past Meredith from 10 yards.

Heathergarth’s purple-patch, with Bull and Bainbridge dominant, looked to have changed the game, but this time Monkwood hit back.

Centre-half, Callum Cullen won the ball in the centre circle and threaded the ball through to Richmond, whose powerful 25-yard run saw him beat four players before slotting the ball coolly past Hallas.

The contest was evenly set again, and numerous midfield battles, as both teams looked to gain the ascendancy, were won and lost by both.

As the first half came to an end, Heathergarth, gained the advantage, scoring two quick-fire goals.

Jamie Prescott, dangerous from set-pieces picked out Joshua Bull on the left wing. He cut in from the byline and drew the keeper before firing past him from the corner of the six-yard box.

Worse was to follow for Monkwood. Bull made a powerful run from his own half and when he was eventually tackled, the ball fell kindly to strike partner Bainbridge, who shot past the keeper.

The second half was a more placid affair with just the three goals scored. Monkwood’s, Walton was the first on target, his unstoppable shot from 12 yards beating the keeper all ends up.

Following the goal, Richmond had a shot cleared off the line and Walton’s attempted chip was saved by the keeper. An impressive last-ditch tackle from Lyndon Scothern also prevented a certain Monkwood equaliser

Heathergarth always looked dangerous going forward with Luke Gillis and Bull going close before Kitchen was left unmarked at the back post to head home Prescott’s corner.

At 5-3 the game looked over, but Monkwood did manage a consolation with arguably the goal of the game.

Heathergarth failed to clear their lines and Grant Booth hit an unstoppable volley from 25 yards which curled away from the keeper into the top corner.

*Heathergarth’s borrowed claret and blue kit resembled the first-ever kit donated to the school 28 years ago.

Played at St. Thomas School, Kilnhurst

John Dales took 5 teams to Totty Cup finals. He won it with Thorogate in 1988 and then lost it in 1991 & 1992. He then lost in 2 further finals with Monkwood: 2004 & 2005 .

Preliminary Round:

Wath CE 4 Wath Central 1

Dearne Carrfield 5 Thurnscoe Hill 0

Rawmarsh Monkwood 3 Rawmarsh Thorogate 1

Gt Houghton Sandhill 19 Wath Victoria 1

Kilnhurst St. Thomas 2 Rawmarsh Rosehill 6

Round 1

Wath CE 1 Thurnscoe Gooseacre 2

Dearne Carrfield 3 Brampton Ellis 7

Rawmarsh Monkwood 8 Swinton Brookfield 6

Gt Houghton Sandhill 2 Swinton Fitzwilliam 1

Rawmarsh Rosehill 9 Rawmarsh Sandhill 0