Avon Plate F.C.

"play up Plate"

Match reports for Season 2000/2001

15/10/00 (GFA Minor Leagues Cup)
White Tree Old Boys 3 : 3 Avon Plate
White Tree win 8 : 7

Half Time 2:2
Scorers: Julian Fowgies 17mins, Jack Sant 25mins, Tony Bowles (pen) 73mins

Avon Plate were knocked out of a second cup compition this Sunday in bizarre and contraversial circumstances. After 5 penalties each, Plate and the Old Boys were level, each team having missed two spotkicks. As the teams prepared for sudden death the ref announced that 3 extra pens would be taken. Confusion reigned, particulaly amongst the fans who thought Ivanov's goal (the sixth Plate pen) and an Old Boy miss had put the Plate through. Strange events indeed and ones the Bristol & District will surely be investigating but in truth the Plate had every opportunity to win this game. They played poorly and White Tree deserved their luck.

Having won their two previous matches the Plate should have been well up for this. Instead it was treated as a forgone conclusion. From the kick off it was obvious Avon Plate were not getting down to the nitty gritty and within minutes they paid for it, White Tree taking the lead after some sloppy defending. This seemed to rouse the Plate from their slumbers. Suddenly the midfield had found their teeth and the movement and passing was back. Goals quickly followed, one for Fowgies sliding in at the back door onto a Sant nod down, and one for Sant himself burying a pull back after a cute Yos dribble had taken him to the by-line.

Criminally, Avon Plate took that as match over and put their slippers on again. It cost them the game. A spirited White Tree came straight back and equalised at half time.

Half Time 2:2

In the second half an uplifted White Tree came out on fire and for 30 mins crushed the Plate. A walk in the park had become the Alamo and Avon Plate were not the Mexicans. Confidence vanished and schoolboy errors came leaping out of closets all over the field.

Amazingly Plate retook the lead after a piece of individual brilliance from Damien Butt won them a penalty but minutes later utter confusion between defense and keeper had allowed White Tree to equalise. There was just time for one more run by David. For all the world it looked like Issues couldn't miss but the big Columbian having just replaced an exhausted Jacko Sant and playing his first game for over 6 months failed to connect and the pull back went begging. It was time for extra-time.

With legs and minds tiring on both sides the superior quality in the Plate team began to show itself in extra time but it was not to be. The match finished all square and the bizarre nightmare of the penalty shoot-out was to begin.

White Tree Old Boys 3 : 3 Avon Plate
WTOB won 8:7 on pens

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