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Heroic Colts hold out for final victory

29/ 5/2008

MIDDLETON Colts under 18s won the Bolton District Premier League’s Jubilee Cup by beating Langworthy 2-1 in the final.

Colts started in the worst possible way, by allowing a late runner to evade their offside trap and slot the ball past keeper Lee O’Neill after only three minutes.

Colts looked very nervous in the first 20 minutes and did well to prevent Langworthy from extending their lead.

The conditions didn’t help either side. with both a high wind and a dry uneven surface making it difficult to keep the ball under control.

But Colts gradually eased back into the game.

Tom Wilson equalised on the half-hour mark with a fiercely struck freekick curled round the Langworthy wall.

Colts’ tails were up, and it was not against the run of play when Johnny Thompson finished off a fine bout of passing by rifling the ball into the net.

For most of the second half it was backs to the wall for Colts.

Captain Billy Sutcliffe was excellent in marshalling a defence which bravely repelled the Langworthy front men.

Danny Kendrick, joint man of the match with Eddie Heywood, was outstanding in a team full of heroes, while keeper Lee O’Neill made a string of fine catches as the Langworthy crosses rained in on his goal.

In the fourth minute of injury time O’Neill was finally beaten, but Langworthy celebrations were cut short by an offside flag.