Vale Rec and North fight out a tight Duquemin Cup semi-final at the Corbet Field. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0537501)
VALE REC have buried their North hoodoo in Youth One.
The title-chasing green-and-yellows have suffered only two league defeats this season, both against their Grand Fort Road neighbours and by remarkable scorelines of 8-0 and 7-1.
But on Tuesday night at the Corbet Field, Rec finally overcame their bogey side – just.
The hosts were 2-0 to the good within the opening quarter-of-an-hour.
David Hooper forced home the first from close range after Jamie Gauvain had made a nuisance of himself challenging for an inswinging corner.
Gauvain added the second with a beautifully taken goal, patiently biding his time in the area before a gap opened up and he curled his left-foot shot into the top corner.
There were chances for both sides in the remainder of the half, Matt Loaring going closest for North as he hit the post.
Daena Bodie had seemingly made the game safe just moments into the second half, applying a clinical finish to Gauvain’s through ball to make it 3-0.
With nothing to lose, North attacked at every opportunity but it was an age before Matt Girard finally made the breakthrough.
As time ran down and with the visitors throwing more players forward, Bodie grabbed his second, Vale’s fourth on 85min.
It was Hooper’s superb pass that put the striker through on goal and he rounded Tom Creed before rolling the ball into the empty net.
But a final North flourish had Rec’s hearts in their mouths.
Firstly, Tom Kimber scored with an instinctive half-volley from just outside the area and then Loaring converted a penalty after Nigel Hutton’s drive had smacked the crossbar and come down to hit a Rec defender on the arm.
With Vale nerves frayed deep into stoppage time, North were awarded a free kick 25 yards out and Loaring curled a terrific effort towards the top corner only to see John Purdy pull off a magnificent save to push it away.
Vale Rec’s win puts them five points ahead of champions North, four in front of Bels and two behind leaders Sylvans.
All four sides have six games left.
Rec coach Andy Bougourd admitted there were alarm bells ringing when North staged their dramatic comeback.
‘It was a great advertisement for Youth One football. The one thing I have seen this season is there are a lot of very good players around,’ he said. ‘It has made for a very interesting and competitive league.’
He did not wish to single out any of his players for praise.
‘Each one was outstanding and the team performance and workrate were brilliant when I consider the two previous games against them when we were beaten quite soundly. The whole team played well,’ said Bougourd.
‘We made fewer mistakes and did not get punished as harshly as last time.
‘We seemed to ride out our luck a little bit and managed to come away with a win. I was very pleased with our players and had no complaints.’
He believed the sheer grit put the performance up there with any other this season.
‘North came flying at us at the end and there were alarm bells when it went from 4-1 to 4-3. I was just waiting for the whistle,’ he admitted.
‘It was one of the more nervy games and we had a similar game against Sylvans earlier this season.’
He believes four teams are still in the title race.
‘I don’t think you can rule any of the top four out of the running while they have still got games left against each other.
‘This is possibly the most competitive league I have seen in a long while,’ he said.
‘It’s quite feasible North can go on and win the rest of their games, and Sylvans and Bels, and that is the belief we have, [if Rec play] with the right attitude.’
Sylvans went top on Monday night with a 7-0 win against St Martin’s.
Wayne Bishop smashed a hat-trick, Jamie Le Cheminant netted twice and Matt Le Prevost and Josh Gallienne added the others.
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