It was an all Beckett affair at Headingley, as Beckett’s men’s football second team snatched all three points against their first team counterparts thanks to a dramatic late Daniel Boateng goal.
Going into the game, all the pressure was on Beckett’s first team, as they had only managed to pick up one point from their first three matches prior to this one, whilst Beckett men’s seconds had won three out of their opening four matches.
Before the match, Beckett’s club captain Patrick Baynes said, ‘This is bigger than playing against Uni of Leeds. This is the biggest thing that can happen at Beckett.’ Telling us that this match is worth more than just three points, with an abundance of pride on the line.
Speaking on the first team’s poor start he said: ‘The mentality will be higher going into this, just because of how deep the rivalry is. Friendships. Housemates. They will go in with a better mentality than they have all the other games.’
This mentality was shown in the form of a first half where neither team were able to get a firm grip on the game, but where both sides were laser focused on the job at hand. Beckett 2s started the better side, as their intense pressing as a team was proving difficult to cope with for the first team, who were unable to break the press more often than not.
Both sets of players may have known each other very well, but this was not shown on the pitch, with a very physical match on display. Seb Losa of the first team found himself in the referee’s book for a ferocious late challenge, but what was the most enticing moment of the half as tempers briefly flared.
Both sides went into half-time goalless without either being able to create a clear-cut chance. Beckett’s second team looked like they carried a threat on the break though, and seemed to be shutting down their opponents quicker.
The second half bought with it an increase in tempo and intensity, as both sides appeared to throw a few more men forward on the attack. It was clear that neither team wanted to settle for a point in this one.
As the game passed the hour mark and was approaching the final 25 minutes Lucas Robinson popped up with a huge moment for Leeds Beckett 2s, as he rolled a low shot past the goalkeeper into the bottom corner after the ball broke for him on the left side of the penalty area.
There was no holding back when it came to celebrating the opener, as a jubilant second team took to the corner of the 3G pitch to enjoy the moment.
But, celebrations did not last long, as only a few minutes later the ball was delivered into the second team’s box and found its way to Toby Marriot to bundle it home for the equalizer, giving his side hopes of picking up their first win of the season.
As the game reached it’s closing stages, neither side were able to break down their opposition defences. That was until the 88th minute when Daniel Boateng got on the end of a fizzed pass across the face of goal in order to surely snatch all three points for the high-flying second team.
The drama was not done there though, as Beckett 1s drove forward as the match creeped into its last few seconds. The referee was given a huge decision to make as a clumsy challenge raised big questions of a penalty, but it was waved away to the frustrations of Beckett 1s, who watched a potential point slip away.
After the match, Leeds Beckett 2s head coach, Kevin Heaton said, ‘They could have gone 2-1 up, but we managed to stay in the game to get one final chance, and we took it.’
‘I think we got a bit lucky as well, because from what I saw of the challenge, it was very close to a penalty, but I am a big believer that you create your own luck.’ He said, in an honest reflection of the closing minutes.
‘It is a normal game of football, and at the end of the day we are one football club and one university. I told the lads we play as normal. The key for us is that we maintain the shape we play and stick as a unit. I try to tell the lads we will make a mistake and lose the ball but what is important is how we react to it.’
An intriguing insight from the victorious manager, who summed up the match very well. His side stuck together as a team from start to finish. They won this match based off their organisation and shape as a team and they must be praised highly for their level of focus and intensity in what was a very tough match.
In a huge twist, the rest of the season brings great optimism for the second team, who are now only three points off the top of the table, but maintain that they will take each game as it comes. But, for the firsts, they have a huge season ahead after an underwhelming start, as they will look to turn their fortunes around and climb their way up the table to avoid what would be a shock relegation.
