Post by Steve T on May 5, 2021 1:54:04 GMT 1
From the Banbury Guardian, Thursday 10th May 1990
UNITED FALL AT THE FINAL HURDLE
By Steve Smith
The final hurdle of a season-long race to beat relegation proved too much for Banbury United on Saturday as they failed to secure their Southern League survival. United must now wait on a decision to be taken later this month as to their immediate future. There is always a slim chance that in this situation some clubs are uncertain about their own future and any restructuring of leagues could favour those who face relegation. But for the present this is pure speculation and as far as United are concerned, they must face the fact that relegation to a lesser league seems to be on the cards.
That league could well be the Hellenic League as Newport AFC, who clinched the championship in their first season after reforming, will surely take their place in the Southern League Midland Division. If this meant United taking their place then it would almost certainly bring to an end Colin Holder's reign as manager at The Stadium, as United would be the most northerly club in the league. Holder is already concerned about the amount of travelling the job involves at the present, and he regularly brings with him each week several players from the Birmingham area. To travel further afield would not be viable for him or the players he has brought to The Stadium.
United held their own destiny on Saturday but several players failed to produce the goods after all the hard work they had put in over the previous weeks. King's Lynn proved to be just the sort of opposition that United, as a team chasing victory from the first whistle, did not want to face. The visitors were sound in defence, able to soak up pressure, and on the break proved to be as capable as any team seen at The Stadium this season. Front runners Warren Ward and Jackie Gallagher had United chasing shadows, while in Lee Howard the Linnets had a man of blistering pace who always took the most direct route to goal, as United found to their cost. Even so, Holder was annoyed with the way some of his players performed on the day.
"We gave away two stupid goals, both caused by players not listening to instructions that they are given every week. For the first goal, Wayne McDowell was caught in possession in the middle, when I have always told him to keep wide. Then Ian Mitchell and Donny Gethfield took it upon themselves to work a short corner when we had pushed up defenders. They broke away and we were caught out at the back for the second goal.
"Because we can only train once a week, I keep it to the simple tactics, but on Saturday we failed to implement them and it cost us the game. We started off well and were more than capable of winning, but some players did not perform and I feel they let down themselves, the club and the fans. The support was tremendous and I am just sorry we were not able to pull it off for them, although I have to give the players credit for even reaching this situation because all seemed lost when I arrived at the club. We definitely missed Julian Dark* on Saturday, but I must give applause to Micky Torres, who produced a string of fine saves to keep us in the match," said a dejected Holder.
United went into last night's Daventry Charity Cup final with Long Buckby with Holder aware that it could have been his last at the club. "The board want me to stay on, but until the club's future is decided, it is unfair to commit myself to them for next season. I hope Wednesday's game will not be my last**, but we shall just have to wait and see," added Holder.
* The match, postponed from earlier in the season, had been rescheduled for a midweek date in April but, at the request of King's Lynn, was put back to the 5th of May, beyond the originally scheduled end of the season and a date when Julian Dark was unavailable.
** In fact, Colin Holder remained as manager until February 1991, when Wally Hastie took over.
Banbury United 2-3 King's Lynn
The carnival atmosphere surrounding The Stadium shortly after 3pm had changed some 90 minutes later to that of a funeral procession as the United faithful made their way home.
They had celebrated an early lead, been subdued by an equaliser, felt dejection as United fell behind, gained hope when they drew level, and endured the final minutes before Lee Howard ended their agony in the dying minutes. United's biggest crowd of the season, 576, came to witness the final part of an amazing escape act, only to see the final curtain come down on their side's 24 year show.
The stage was set for a memorable United victory once Ian Mitchell had given them the perfect start after only nine minutes of Saturday's game. United had made a nervous start, but all that was forgotten when Kenny Plester's deep cross saw Wayne McDowell and Donovan Gethfield rise to challenge in the six yard box. King's Lynn 'keeper Brian Benefer failed to land a clean punch on the ball, and after Alfie Cain brought it under control, Mitchell pounced to score from eight yards.
The goal sent the crowd wild, but within six minutes the Linnets were level. McDowell, deep in own half, was robbed by Selwyn Shelton who put Howard away on the right. The tricky winger, who had already shown his touchline skills and was to torment the unfortunate Plester all afternoon, drove in a low cross which Warren Ward met inside the goal area to score with ease.
The goal exploited United's indecision in their marking of the King's Lynn forwards, whose clever running off the ball left the home side chasing shadows. The visitors then took control of the game and with Howard, Ward and Jackie Gallagher posing problems up front, they should have been ahead at half-time. Several times deep crosses eluded the United defence, but King's Lynn were slow to capitalise, while at the other end Benefer continued to flap at high balls, with Andy MacDonald and Adrian Horne both going close with headers after the 'keeper had fumbled.
United regained their composure as half-time beckoned with Tommy Coughey going close in the 37th minute after Mitchell had put him away. Sadly, it was a different Tommy Coughey to the one who made such an impressive debut against Oxford United and he shot weakly into Benefer's arms.
The second half was barely ten minutes old when King's Lynn shook the crowd with a goal from Gallagher, after United were caught napping at the other end. Gethfield and Mitchell tried to work a short corner but when Gethfield's cross was cleared, Howard turned and sped past Kerry Dewis and headed for goal. MacDonald briefly checked his progress, but the ball fell kindly for Howard, whose square pass found Gallagher, who finished clinically.
Manager Colin Holder immediately substituted Mitchell and Cain with Paul Jarvis and Dave Bristow, and pushed Gethfield into attack, but the move did little to alter the pattern of the game. United looked a weary side lacking in ideas, while the visitors began to dominate once more. Indeed, but for a string of fine saves by Mickey Torres, they could have easily increased their lead. In the 73rd minute, pacy substitute Andy Hunt sped away on the left, only to be denied by Torres, and then five minutes later the United 'keeper made a brilliant save to deny a certain goal.
Two minutes after that, United were level. Bristow's free-kick was deflected for a corner. Gethfield took the kick and Horne rose at the far post to head into the top corner and send the Town End wild with delight for the second time in the afternoon. With crowd still cheering, Horne went close to putting United ahead from another corner, but headed over the bar
The fairytale ending was almost complete when, from another Bristow free-kick, Gethfield's diving header was saved by Benefer, but it proved to be United's last chance as King's Lynn took a grip in the closing minutes. After Torres had once again brought off another brace of fine saves, King's Lynn hit the winner with a minute remaining. Hunt broke on the left and his pass to the far post once again found Howard in space. The winger placed his shot wide of Torres to bring down the curtain on United and end the show.
Banbury: Torres, Bannister, Dewis, MacDonald, Plester, I. Mitchell (Jarvis 57), Gethfield, Horne, Coughey, Cain (Bristow 57), McDowell.
UNITED FALL AT THE FINAL HURDLE
By Steve Smith
The final hurdle of a season-long race to beat relegation proved too much for Banbury United on Saturday as they failed to secure their Southern League survival. United must now wait on a decision to be taken later this month as to their immediate future. There is always a slim chance that in this situation some clubs are uncertain about their own future and any restructuring of leagues could favour those who face relegation. But for the present this is pure speculation and as far as United are concerned, they must face the fact that relegation to a lesser league seems to be on the cards.
That league could well be the Hellenic League as Newport AFC, who clinched the championship in their first season after reforming, will surely take their place in the Southern League Midland Division. If this meant United taking their place then it would almost certainly bring to an end Colin Holder's reign as manager at The Stadium, as United would be the most northerly club in the league. Holder is already concerned about the amount of travelling the job involves at the present, and he regularly brings with him each week several players from the Birmingham area. To travel further afield would not be viable for him or the players he has brought to The Stadium.
United held their own destiny on Saturday but several players failed to produce the goods after all the hard work they had put in over the previous weeks. King's Lynn proved to be just the sort of opposition that United, as a team chasing victory from the first whistle, did not want to face. The visitors were sound in defence, able to soak up pressure, and on the break proved to be as capable as any team seen at The Stadium this season. Front runners Warren Ward and Jackie Gallagher had United chasing shadows, while in Lee Howard the Linnets had a man of blistering pace who always took the most direct route to goal, as United found to their cost. Even so, Holder was annoyed with the way some of his players performed on the day.
"We gave away two stupid goals, both caused by players not listening to instructions that they are given every week. For the first goal, Wayne McDowell was caught in possession in the middle, when I have always told him to keep wide. Then Ian Mitchell and Donny Gethfield took it upon themselves to work a short corner when we had pushed up defenders. They broke away and we were caught out at the back for the second goal.
"Because we can only train once a week, I keep it to the simple tactics, but on Saturday we failed to implement them and it cost us the game. We started off well and were more than capable of winning, but some players did not perform and I feel they let down themselves, the club and the fans. The support was tremendous and I am just sorry we were not able to pull it off for them, although I have to give the players credit for even reaching this situation because all seemed lost when I arrived at the club. We definitely missed Julian Dark* on Saturday, but I must give applause to Micky Torres, who produced a string of fine saves to keep us in the match," said a dejected Holder.
United went into last night's Daventry Charity Cup final with Long Buckby with Holder aware that it could have been his last at the club. "The board want me to stay on, but until the club's future is decided, it is unfair to commit myself to them for next season. I hope Wednesday's game will not be my last**, but we shall just have to wait and see," added Holder.
* The match, postponed from earlier in the season, had been rescheduled for a midweek date in April but, at the request of King's Lynn, was put back to the 5th of May, beyond the originally scheduled end of the season and a date when Julian Dark was unavailable.
** In fact, Colin Holder remained as manager until February 1991, when Wally Hastie took over.
Banbury United 2-3 King's Lynn
The carnival atmosphere surrounding The Stadium shortly after 3pm had changed some 90 minutes later to that of a funeral procession as the United faithful made their way home.
They had celebrated an early lead, been subdued by an equaliser, felt dejection as United fell behind, gained hope when they drew level, and endured the final minutes before Lee Howard ended their agony in the dying minutes. United's biggest crowd of the season, 576, came to witness the final part of an amazing escape act, only to see the final curtain come down on their side's 24 year show.
The stage was set for a memorable United victory once Ian Mitchell had given them the perfect start after only nine minutes of Saturday's game. United had made a nervous start, but all that was forgotten when Kenny Plester's deep cross saw Wayne McDowell and Donovan Gethfield rise to challenge in the six yard box. King's Lynn 'keeper Brian Benefer failed to land a clean punch on the ball, and after Alfie Cain brought it under control, Mitchell pounced to score from eight yards.
The goal sent the crowd wild, but within six minutes the Linnets were level. McDowell, deep in own half, was robbed by Selwyn Shelton who put Howard away on the right. The tricky winger, who had already shown his touchline skills and was to torment the unfortunate Plester all afternoon, drove in a low cross which Warren Ward met inside the goal area to score with ease.
The goal exploited United's indecision in their marking of the King's Lynn forwards, whose clever running off the ball left the home side chasing shadows. The visitors then took control of the game and with Howard, Ward and Jackie Gallagher posing problems up front, they should have been ahead at half-time. Several times deep crosses eluded the United defence, but King's Lynn were slow to capitalise, while at the other end Benefer continued to flap at high balls, with Andy MacDonald and Adrian Horne both going close with headers after the 'keeper had fumbled.
United regained their composure as half-time beckoned with Tommy Coughey going close in the 37th minute after Mitchell had put him away. Sadly, it was a different Tommy Coughey to the one who made such an impressive debut against Oxford United and he shot weakly into Benefer's arms.
The second half was barely ten minutes old when King's Lynn shook the crowd with a goal from Gallagher, after United were caught napping at the other end. Gethfield and Mitchell tried to work a short corner but when Gethfield's cross was cleared, Howard turned and sped past Kerry Dewis and headed for goal. MacDonald briefly checked his progress, but the ball fell kindly for Howard, whose square pass found Gallagher, who finished clinically.
Manager Colin Holder immediately substituted Mitchell and Cain with Paul Jarvis and Dave Bristow, and pushed Gethfield into attack, but the move did little to alter the pattern of the game. United looked a weary side lacking in ideas, while the visitors began to dominate once more. Indeed, but for a string of fine saves by Mickey Torres, they could have easily increased their lead. In the 73rd minute, pacy substitute Andy Hunt sped away on the left, only to be denied by Torres, and then five minutes later the United 'keeper made a brilliant save to deny a certain goal.
Two minutes after that, United were level. Bristow's free-kick was deflected for a corner. Gethfield took the kick and Horne rose at the far post to head into the top corner and send the Town End wild with delight for the second time in the afternoon. With crowd still cheering, Horne went close to putting United ahead from another corner, but headed over the bar
The fairytale ending was almost complete when, from another Bristow free-kick, Gethfield's diving header was saved by Benefer, but it proved to be United's last chance as King's Lynn took a grip in the closing minutes. After Torres had once again brought off another brace of fine saves, King's Lynn hit the winner with a minute remaining. Hunt broke on the left and his pass to the far post once again found Howard in space. The winger placed his shot wide of Torres to bring down the curtain on United and end the show.
Banbury: Torres, Bannister, Dewis, MacDonald, Plester, I. Mitchell (Jarvis 57), Gethfield, Horne, Coughey, Cain (Bristow 57), McDowell.
