NORTH Companions’ homework paid off as they became the first holders of the Dan Haslam Cup and, perhaps even more importantly, locked in a top two finish.
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Saturday’s 4-1 Northern Inland Premier League win over Tamworth FC guarantees they will finish either first or second in the Southern Conference.
It was the icing on the cake of claiming the inaugural cup, which was instigated this year in memory of Haslam and also aimed to raise money to help young Tamworth residents stricken with cancer.
Haslam was an avid soccer enthusiast and played for North Companions as a junior and FC as a senior.
“It was a really good initiative from Tamworth FC,” Companions coach Gavin Thompson said.
He said the silverware added a bit more incentive, not that they really needed any.
“We knew if we won today we would finish in the top two,” he said.
After a tight first half with Companions leading just 1-nil at the break, they put their foot down early in the second, scoring twice within the first 13 or so minutes to be up 3-nil with 30 minutes to go.
“I was very happy with the way we took our chances,” Thompson said.
“I was certainly disappointed we conceded a goal.
“I would have loved to keep a clean sheet.”
It was about their only blemish.
They went in with a clear plan of what they needed to do, and followed it almost to the blueprint.
“We needed to cut their best players out,” Thompson said.
That meant not just shutting them down but the feed to them.
“That’s what we worked on, cutting out the supply to the goalscorers,” he said.
Dual goalscorer Jake Thompson was a standout playing in the midfield, he said.
Brodie King and Nick Bowden also never stopped working.
“And defensively we were very solid,” he said.
FC coach Darryl Smith couldn’t say the same about his side.
It was virtually the opposite.
“Defensively we were all over the place,” Smith said.
It was indicative of what was a “terrible” performance.
“We just didn’t turn up,” he said. “We had a lot of dramas this week.”
He had no doubt they had an effect.
Companions had also done their homework and had two or three players on Billy Webb every time he touched the ball.
Webb still managed to slip through and jag a goal but the game was gone by then.
They were in it for probably about 20 minutes, but that was it.
“We just chased all game,” Smith said. “We didn’t create anything.”
Matt Gardner was their best. He never stopped trying, Smith said.
Zach Kam also “kept his head above it all”.