top of page

BUCS GW12: THE 2s ARE GOING UP!!

gompertzg

Wednesday 29th January 2025


With the 1s having a week off, the 2s and 3s were the entertainers of Maiden Castle as they both faced off on home (artificial) turf.


The 2s had a massive opportunity as they faced Sunderland and, with results going their way earlier in the day, they knew that a win would secure promotion.


The 3s weren't quite such a luxurious position but, on a good run of form, they knew they needed a win to keep the pressure on the top of the table.


***


Durham (2s) vs Sunderland: 19:00 (h)


Written by George Gompertz



The 2s and the supporting club members celebrate a successful day at Maiden Castle
The 2s and the supporting club members celebrate a successful day at Maiden Castle

The 2s rocked up to Maiden Castle for the evening session with one thought on our minds: Win the match and we’re league champions. But we knew it wasn’t going to be easy; having watched just 5 minutes of one Sudnerland game on YouTube, it was going to be a physical battle. 


Their line-up of a keeper with a big kick, and 10 outfield players over six foot didn’t leave much to the imagination with regards to their playing style.


In the changing room before kick-off, coach Chris tried to temper our excitement, focusing not on winning the league but, instead, on creating memories. He said, “Today we can’t win the league, all we can do is create memories together. Does that make sense?”


I suspected the sentiment of the statement was that we could win the league, it’s just not what we should be focusing on. Either way, I didn’t think this was the best time to say that, actually, it didn’t make much sense and I was even more confused about whether we could win the league or not. Anyway, it didn’t bother me or anybody else; we were too focused on creating memories.


***


Only two minutes after kick-off, our pre-match suspicions were confirmed, as many long balls were lofted towards our defence, and I was sent spinning into another dimension after their big no.9 refused to pull out of a 60/40.


Nevertheless, in the midst of this, we had the opening attack, as Tom Boothyroyd skinned their full back and delivered a ball into the box which the keeper did well to claim. This was far from a one-off occasion, but very much foreshadowing for the rest of the game.


Upon their defender being questioned why he let his man beat him so easily, he replied, “He’s just too quick, man.” He’s not the first defender to say that. 


This gave the crowd enough confidence - just three minutes into the game - to bring out the chorus of ‘OLAYYY’s after every pass which, even by the standards of the most optimistic fan, was a confident decision.


Despite this, Sunderland carved out the clearest opportunity so far and, ironically, it was with some intricate passing rather than pure long-ball football. Well, it wasn’t without a long-ball to set it up. A goal kick found the feet of the no.9 who took it down expertly and laid it off to his midfielder all in one touch. 


Two passes later and the winger was through on goal but, due to a good save from Marko and a defensive block to follow it up, we kept it out.


Eventually, we did break the deadlock; Fin Moore hooked it down the line to Booth, who turned to find he’d been granted a generous amount of space. Anything to prevent getting stuck in a 1-on-1 battle was the defender’s theory, I guess.


He used the space and slipped in Ant, who did exceptionally well to beat the defender to the ball, keep it in play, and deliver an inch perfect cross to Schuller who was waiting at the back post. Schulls stooped and headed into a, largely, open net, prompting great celebrations both on and off the pitch.


The half wasn’t without its scares, however as, apart from the earlier 1-on-1, we faced more pressure. The referee was happy to give free-kicks for minimal infringement, which gave Sunderland the chance to load as many 6’ blokes into the box as possible, one time producing a good save and another whistling inches past the post without getting a touch.


We went in at half-time a goal to good, knowing that we had much more to give. Having overheard some of the chat from the opposition on the way in, they also were firmly of the belief that they could win this. This game wasn’t done just yet…






Half-Time: Durham (2s) 1 - 0 Sunderland



In the second half, we changed to a back three on defensive goal kicks, nullifying any aerial threat they posed, and allowing us to control the game with the ball on the ground.


This end to the aerial battles was a welcome sight for anyone up against their No.9, who either had absolutely no control of his elbows, or excellent control of his elbows. Either way, they made fairly constant contact with the head and neck region of anyone he challenged.


Either way, we didn’t have to wait long for our second goal, which came from a corner following a beautiful passage of football. Zane won the loose ball and backheeled it to Ryan, who knocked it to Ant who flicked it behind his legs delightfully. Finn Moore ran onto it and played a perfect switch out to Booth, who drove at his man before cutting it back to Ant, who saw his top-corner-bound shot excellently saved.


The resulting corner cleared the heads of everybody, but was picked up on the other side of the pitch by Zane, who swung it back in. Again, the ball travelled to the back post but, this time, there was a purple head to get on the end of it, as I lobbed it over the keeper and towards the goal. 


With both Jonah and a defender failing to decide the fate of the ball, it dropped to Ben Pearon who, on the goalline, made sure there was no doubt and thumped it in. Wild celebration ensued, most notably from Adam, who produced the most 1950s celebration witnessed since the 1950s, and Marko, who took a while to accelerate, but the wait was well worth the fist pump at the end.


***


At this point we were high, but not yet dry, with still over 30 minutes to go. But we managed the game well, keeping the ball and, bar one very speculative (but very impressive) James Rodriguez-esqu volley from their striker, they didn’t have any shots.


80 minutes in and the game was completely killed when Booth went surging forward again and was brought down (again). The Sunderland player had done that one too many times and was sent off following a second yellow card. Little - but some - consolation for the penalty that Booth wasn’t awarded in the first half, no doubt.


To rub salt into the wound, Durham started to have a little bit of fun as Jonah went on a barnstorming run down the wing, beating a couple of players and even chucking in a stepover for the fun of it (needless to say, this is where the run ended). The fans loved it, and launched into a chorus of, “Jonah Jonah Blake, Jonah Blake, Jonah Jonah Blake, na na na na….”


From here on in it was plain sailing and ten minutes later, the referee’s whistle confirmed one thing: THE 2s ARE GOING UP!


***


Once more, the fans were in full voice, with chants of “2s are going up, going up, 2s are going up!!” reverberating around Maiden Castle. After their sing-song, they turned their back on the pitch and jumped up and down, arm in arm, performing the Poznan.


They all streamed onto the pitch as everybody got into a huddle and congratulated one another, before having a club photo in the goal, and singing “We are the Champions” in the changing room.


Then coach Chris walked in and, with a beaming smile on his face, received chants of, “One Chris Maiello, there’s only one Chris Maeillo!”


As he’d said earlier in the day, today wasn’t just about winning the league, it was about making memories. With the rest of the club supporting us all the way, having a winners photo in the goal, and singing ‘We are the Champions’ in the changing room, we’d certainly done that.


Full-Time: Durham (2s) 2 - 0 Sunderland



The 2s team pose for their winning photo after beating Sunderland to secure promotion
The 2s team pose for their winning photo after beating Sunderland to secure promotion

***


Player of the Match: Tom Boothroyd: Absolutely electric for every minute he was on the pitch, and the opposition had no idea what to do with him. This resulted in him spending as much time on the ground as on his feet, as he was taken out every time he got the ball. He picks up something silly like his 3rd consecutive PotM award.


Line-Up: Marko Porozovs; George Gompertz; Oli Williams (c); Jonah Blake; Ryan Cook; Fin Moore (Yellow Card); Zane Liles; Anthony Selvadoray; Tom Boothroyd; Oscar Schuller (Goal); Ben Pearson (Goal)


Substitutes: Freddy Alcock; Adam Browne; Owen Birkett; Ben Crew; Caine McCartney


***


Durham (3s) vs Sheffield Hallam: 15:00 (h)


Written by Oliver Tweddle


Durham 3s welcomed Sheffield Hallam 2s for our third consecutive home game, facing off against a fellow contender for the top of the league. Determined to maintain our strong form, the lads arrived early for our pre-match preparations—some more prepared than others, with George Vardon squeezing in a last-minute bacon sandwich to fuel hismself.


After a sharp warm-up, we waited as our opponents eventually arrived, opting for a notably brief five-minute warm-up before the referee called captain Loosemore for the toss. A final team huddle, paired with some inspirational words from Loosemore, set the tone for the match—though not before Will Kitching realised, in a moment of panic, that he had left his shin pads inside.


A quick dash to the bench led to a bizarre solution: borrowing what were supposedly Cesc Fàbregas’s old shin pads from James Webb-Wood.





With the wind in our favour, Durham started fast, pinning Sheffield Hallam in their own half and creating early chances. The pressure paid off after just 15 minutes when I pounced on a loose ball at the edge of the box, picking out the far corner to put Durham 1-0 up. Five minutes later, a well-worked training ground move saw Loosemore whip in a pinpoint cross, met by Ethan Woodcock, who finished clinically to double the lead.


On the half-hour mark, an unfortunate moment saw Vardon pull up with an ankle injury deep in his own box, gifting Hallam a golden opportunity.


However, in a remarkable act of sportsmanship, the Hallam winger chose to put the ball out of play rather than capitalise on Vardon’s misfortune. Forced into an early change, Durham introduced Jamie Wood, who seamlessly continued our attacking momentum.


Just before the break, Callum Raisbrough played Kitching through on goal, and he calmly slotted home to send Durham into half-time with a commanding 3-0 lead.


Half-Time: Durham (3s) 3 - 0 Sheffield Hallam


With additional support from some 1st and 2nd team players on the sidelines, Durham came out for the second half determined to finish the job in style.


More chances followed, and I managed to make the most of them, netting twice more to complete the hat-trick before making way for Webb-Wood. A composed final 20 minutes saw Durham comfortably see out a 5-0 victory, securing another clean sheet and continuing to put pressure on the top of the league.


A successful afternoon for the 3s was capped off by a trip to watch the 2nd team clinch their league title—an enjoyable end to a six-point day for Durham football.





Full-Time: Durham (3s) 5 - 0 Sheffield Hallam


***


Player of the Match: Oliver Tweddle


Line-Up: Jasper Gourley; Harry Loosemoore (c); Paddy Harvey; George Vardon; Rory O'Hare; Callum Rainsborough; Sam Checketts; Oliver Tweddle; Ethan Woodcock; Sacha Lee; Will Kitching


Substitutes: Jamie Wood; James Webb-Wood; Max Owen; Alex Wilkinson; Isaac Jowett


***


54 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page