Quarry rocked as TVR roar back in final

TVR United 4

By Angela Walker

TVR produced a remarkable late fightback to lift the Spen Valley Cup at Liversedge FC last Thursday night.

Quarry appeared to be romping to victory as they led 3-0 after 50 minutes. In sharp contrast TVR were stalled especially as they had lost goalkeeper Jonathan Johnstone after 31 minutes.

TVR, who finished second in the Spen Valley League Premier Division, began their recovery with a quick brace to make it 3-2 with 15 minutes left. The equaliser came with seven minutes to go, which prompted Liversedge officials to switch on the floodlights for extra-time.

They weren’t needed though as TVR sealed an amazing victory with a fourth goal late on.

Quarry did very little wrong and they battled until the end but could not stop the steamroller momentum of TVR.

The best of the early chances fell to TVR’s Raja Waheed Arshad who back-heeled a corner onto a post. Quarry were the better organised side and their patient build-up was rewarded when Russ Adamson slipped a ball into Matty Parkinson, he was brought down just as he was preparing to shoot in the area.

Jay Hinchcliffe, wearing the captain’s armband, made no mistake sending Johnstone the wrong way with his spot kick.

Soon after Johnstone had to leave the field with suspected concussion and was replaced by midfielder Yasser Mohammed.

Quarry were quick to test the new custodian with Ash McDaid forcing him to make a save. Raphael Siudak also tested him with a shot that was heading for the bottom corner until Mohammed got a hamd to it.

In first-half injury-time McDaid’s well-timed run beat the offside trap and he lashed home a great shot to beat the goalkeeper and double the lead.

After the break TVR had a flicker of hope as Iqbal Ashiq’s goalbound shot was cleared off the line. Quarry quickly responded when they won a corner and Hinchliffe rose to head the ball beyond the diving goalkeeper to establish a 3-0 lead.

TVR made changes to bolster the midfield and with them came the message that they had nothing to lose. That translated into a surge through midfield which saw Ashiq test Brad Jackson in the Quarry goal.

Nasser Hussain teed up Ishamel Mohammed but his shot was just wide as TVR began to increase the pressure.

The game would have been over had goalkepeeper Mohammed not pulled off a spectacular one-handed save to deny McDaid. He then launched the goalkick downfield to Ishmael Mohammed who struck a terrific low shot through a posse of players from 25 yards into the bottom corner.

It spurred TVR and within two minutes the goalscorer had turned provider for Iqbal Ashiq with a defence splitting cross and fine finish to make it 3-2.

Tempers threatened to boil over but referee Jeremy Saville swiftly diffused the situation and from the re-start the ball was worked downfield where Quarry substitute Danny Jackson attempted an overhead kick onto the woodwork. With six minutes plus injury time remaining TVR pressed forward again and Ishamel Mohammed went one-on-one with the goalkeeper and slid the ball into the bottom corner.

Cramps, bumps and bruises in the final minutes only racked up the tension and the injury time.

Quarry’s Joe Armstrong made a great block on the line to deny Iqbal Ashiq while Luke Newsome tried to give Quarry the edge when he linked with Jackson but his shot was saved.

As extra-time loomed TVR won a free-kick just outside the area. The shot was parried only to Shezad Atif who struck the ball first time into the top right corner of the net. It was heartbreaking for the Quarry team but afterwards they sportingly acknowledged TVR’s amazing cup success.

Quarry: B Jackson, Auty, C Sykes, L Sykes, Evans, Adamson, Siudak, Hinchcliffe, McDaid, Newsome, Parkinson. Subs: Armstrong, Shoaib, Taylor, Atkinson, D Jackson.

TVR United: Johnstone, Altaf Mohammed, Z Kamran, Hussain, Miah Mohammed Farooq, Hogan, Ashiq, Waheed Arshad, Ishamel Mohammed, Junaid, Yasser Mohammed. Subs: Atif, Abid, Shazad Hussain.

Referee: Jeremy Savile.