Reading YMCA Rapids finally grabbed the silverwear their hard work over the season deserved, with a scrappy 1-0 win over a resilient Woodley Town A side at Scours Lane on Friday night. YM’s second string went in to the game as slight favorites but the game evened itself out on a bobbly pitch with attractive flowing football at a premium!
It was the young men that started the brighter but neither side could get in to any sort of groove with the play being broken up in midfield and the offside flag going up more times than not. YM thought they had the breakthrough when Paul Towner ghosted forward and scrambled the ball home from Steve Daly’s vicious corner but the goal was rightly ruled out for handball. The energy of Adam Cayzer meant Woodley also had no time on the ball and it wasn’t until 35 minutes that YM showed a piece of class. Towner picked the ball up in space at full back and threaded an inch perfect through ball for Steve Woodrow to spring the offside trap and bare down on goal, but the record breaking YM frontman crashed the ball off the cross bar and saw it bounce away to safety to see the teams go in level at half time.
Woodley’s main threat was coming from the monster throw ins that were raining down in the YM box every few minutes but Dave Rolfe and Mark Ilsley were standing strong as they have done all season, whilst Rob Taylor in the YM goal was more than happy to punch clear given the opportunity. Towner was enjoying a fine display and thundered a volley just over on 55 minutes whilst the Woodley keeper also saved well from Lewis Evans. Set pieces appeared to be YM’s best chance of making the breakthrough as Rolfe, Sidwell and Ilsley all went close with headers, whilst Chris Leach and Steve Wood, who was enjoying an outstanding game at left back made sure nothing was given away at the opposing end. Woodley had a great chance to win the game with 5 minutes left when a counter attack led to the ball being pulled back but the Woodley man fluffed his chance of glory and blazed over from 15 yards.
For the second week in succession the Rapids went in to extra time sensing one goal may well be enough and the breakthrough came on 95 minutes when a Sidwell free kick found its way under the wall and past the Woodley stopper for the club captain’s 14th of the season and possibly most important. Woodley then chucked everything at YM in the hope of grabbing the goal to take it to penalties but YM stood firm and sealed their first cup win.
Scorer Sidwell said ‘that was the most untidy game I have played in but we ground out the result and took the cup home. Woodley battled hard but we showed we can play in higher divisions this season by beating them, Barton, SRCC and a few others along the way’
Boss Paul O Boyle: ‘I thought the lads dug in today and ground out the result in an ugly game. We have deserved the silverware this season as this was our 40th game of the season which shows the effort the boys have shown. Ultimately it has cost us the chance of the league but lessons have been learnt and will start again next season in Div 2 looking for more trophies.’
YM RAPIDS: TAYLOR, TOWNER, ILSLEY, ROLFE, WOOD, DALY, SIDWELL, CAYZER, EVANS, WOODROW, MORRISON. Subs: SUTTON (Replaced Morrison 65) WILLIAMS (Replaced Daly 80) LEACH (Replaced Towner 80) Not Used: Maslen, Harvey
BOILERS MOM: STEVE WOOD
