Yorkshire Amateur League Division 1 – Saturday 31st March 2018
Full-time: Collegians FC 1 – 6 Idle FC
Goals: A. Irving (x2), J. Strudwick (x2), T. Simonett
MOTM: J. Strudwick
Idle travelled to Huddersfield this week to face one of last season’s title challengers, Collegians. Yet again it was another fixture that was at the mercy of the weather with several Division 1 fixtures already postponed. Luckily it was game on!
I’m sure everyone will be pleased to know that Danny Rosconie was found safe and well after last weeks no show and as it turns out #teamnosleep do get a bit tired after the sesh… The right-back managed to maintain his place in the match-day squad after Wednesday’s training session.
After a precarious journey down a country road filled with potholes, the lads driving the Mercs managed to make it pitch-side unscathed. It was a wet and windy day, however, the pitch at Huddersfield New College looked relatively okay despite the weather.
Collegians started the game on the front-foot and clearly had a game plan, playing the ball in-between the Idle full-backs and centre backs. Marcus Strudwick made a couple of key saves early on to deny the Collegians forwards.
Idle then began to get a foothold in the game and made chances of their own with Ryan Mitchell and Adam Medley causing the home defence problems. Jack Strudwick was getting on the ball in dangerous areas behind Aaron Irving and spraying passes through to both wingers and Irving up top.
Idle eventually grabbed the lead thanks to an unfortunate own goal from the Collegians goalkeeper who spilled a shot from Mitchell into his own net. The half-time whistle came with the score still at 0-1 and relatively few talking points in all honesty.
You’ll be glad to know the second half was much more entertaining with Collegians getting themselves back into the game with a free-kick on the edge of the area. The dead ball somehow managed to miss everyone in the Idle box and sneak into the bottom corner of the net.
The Idle boys reacted well as they were still well on top of a now tiring home side and were picking apart their defence at will. Idle’s dominance paid off with a goal from J. Strudwick who pounced in the box to slot home Idle’s second of the match. Irving then also got himself on the scoresheet after some lovely football down the right-wing saw Jamie Allen float a cross to the back post were Irving waited, unmarked to guide his header past the keeper.
The game was rapidly moving beyond the home side with Idle creating plenty of chances to extend their lead. However, another free-kick was conceded on the edge of the Idle 18-yard box. The Collegians midfielder hit an absolutely wonderful strike which seemed destined to nestle into the top corner only to be denied by M. Strudwick flying across his goal to deny the midfielder with a fingertip save diverting the ball over the bar. Footage below…
I’m not sure which was better. The save itself, which could see the Idle keeper called up to the England squad in place of Joe Hart or the full-on, double high five celebration with the Collegians forward which on it’s own was equal amounts surreal and hilarious…
The goals kept flowing for Idle with Irving and J. Strudwick adding to their tallies but the goal of the game came from central midfielder, Tom Simonett. Simonett’s header was the culmination of some lovely play starting at the back with M. Strudwick rolling the ball out to Allen who found J. Strudwick in space in midfield. J. Strudwick then found Irving with a pass in between the lines. Irving dropped the ball off to Medley on the right-wing who returned a first time pass back to J. Strudwick who had continued his run. The midfielder then looped a lovely first-time cross over the Collegians defence which found Simonett in space in the box to turn the ball home with a diving header.
You can check out the goal on Twitter here.
The late Brian Clough really was right when he said it only takes a second to score a goal, or in this case about 15 seconds to move from defence to attack to 1-5 up! Lovely stuff.
Idle concluded the rout with a second goal of the day for Irving thus adding another 3 points to the seasons total. 5 games to go, 4 wins needed. But first there’s the small matter of the Bradford FA Saturday Senior Cup semi-final to attend to on Wednesday 4th April!
By Jamie Allen
The Playmaker 
Posted on April 3, 2018
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