THE LINE-UP for the 2009 South Yorkshire Times Totty Cup final has been decided, after two pulsating semi final clashes left Swinton Brookfield and Dearne Lacewood the last two sides standing.
Brookfield produced a highly composed and confident performance to see off Dearne Carrfield 6-0. A long-range effort from Jamie Organ after two minutes was the first real opportunity of the clash and earned Brookfield a corner.
Organ’s excellent set piece was flicked on only to be cleared off the line by Tom Eades and put out for another corner that Carrfield keeper Jacob Keets claimed well.
A Brookfield breakaway saw the scoring opened as Organ received the ball and somehow managed to craft space before unleashing an effort from distance that Keets got a hand to but could not keep out.
It would be the start of a very impressive performance for the Swinton side as they controlled the majority of the first half before turning on the style in the second period.
Their advantage was soon doubled with a piece of fortune. Callum Storey unleashed an excellent volley that drew the best of Keets but the ball kindly fell to Levi Wall who scored with the simplest of finishes.
Carrfield had their first meaningful attack from the kickoff with Brookfield stopper Jordan ‘Paddy’ Smith denying Lewis Gomersall superbly.
The chance sparked a sustained period of pressure for Carrfield and they produced an excellent chance. A crisp one-two played in Gomersall again but his effort flew into the side netting.
However, Brookfield’s grip on the game never looked like slackening during the first half. From the goal kick after Gomersall’s chance, the Swinton side went through but Reece Dudhill fired over the bar. Then, an excellent ball down the line from Macauley Sawyer played in Organ who ghosted past two defenders – only to pull his distance shot wide.
The chances were merely a fore-warning as they soon increased their margin, capitalising on a defensive mix-up. In a crowded area, Keets came to claim what appeared to be a simple ball, but his defender Eades attempted an acrobatic overhead kick clearance that caught the keeper’s arm. The ball dropped and was turned in well with Keets having no chance.
Nathan Kenworthy had Brookfield with the hearts in their mouths as his ambitious effort from outside the area shaved the far upright. Then a superb pass gave Carrfield another excellent chance when Beth Dews was played into space but her effort lacked the pace to test Smith in the Swinton goal.
A probing free-kick from Gavin Morphet was brought down well and fired in but Keets was more than equal to the effort.
Brookfield did not have the first half entirely their way and nerves were jangled when Gomersall whipped over a fine cross that the defender could only head over his own bar. Then excellent work from Cameron Hough followed by a sublime through-ball from Dews played in Josh Gouldin who held his ground well only to be knocked off balance as he fired in a shot that Smith gratefully accepted in the last chance of the half.
Carrfield enjoyed their best spell of the game in the opening minutes of the second half as complacency appeared to set in for Brookfield. The Bolton-upon-Dearne side began to look truly threatening and some smart play caused problems for their Swinton visitors.
But they could not convert pressure into goals and Brookfield began to realise they would have to battle to ensure the win.
Dudhill found a way through but fired an effort just wide of the post while Carrfield stopper Keets had to be at his very best to stop his side falling further behind.
A defensive mix-up let Brookfield in once more and a goal looked likely but for Keets’ heroics and a last ditch tackle from Tyler Trotter that led to the clearance.
Another Gomersall cross caused havoc for Brookfield and a half clearance fell to Blake Bailey who managed to get away a shot that hit the post before trickling out.
The Carrfield pressure continued in an enthrallingly competitive passage of play and Hough almost pulled one back with an impressive effort from the right hand side after spotting Smith well off his line bit the shot was pulled into the side netting.
Carrfield would rue their missed opportunities as Brookfield killed them off just minutes after threatening through Curtis Horbury and Organ. The latter delivered a fine corner that was flicked on by Wall before falling to Morphet to slam home.
Gomersall almost pulled one back for Carrfield with a fine volley but Smith turned the ball behind superbly. Ben Shaw pounced on a defensive error by the Carrfield rear guard but cracked the near post with his effort.
Soon after Brookfield did make it five. A Carrfield attack broke down and the ruthless Swinton side surged forward. The ball found its way to Sawyer who fired an excellent long-range shot into the corner. Then Shaw made up for his earlier miss as he received the ball after a superb passing move and finished well past Keets.
Even with no way back Carrfield continued to battle and the impressive Kenworthy found a way through before drawing the save of the match from Smith. The fearless Swinton stopper then bravely claimed at the feet of Gouldin to ensure he kept a clean sheet.
As defeated semi-finalists Carrfield now drop into the final of the Barlow Salmons Shield where they will meet Rawmarsh Rosehill who – despite a Jorden Burman hat-trick – lost 5-3 to Dearne Lacewood.
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