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Bridgewood High 3–2 St John’s College

Mr Mansell | 31 March, 2011

Bridgewood ScoreboardBridgewood High nearly squandered their chance of a league title win in a nail-biting game against St John’s College.

‘Win this one, lads, and we are in with a big shout for the title. Give it your best shot,’ teacher Mr Cauldwell enthused as Bridgewood ran out onto their home pitch. The words of encouragement resounding in their ears, the team, in particular Dougie Butt and Angelo Del Paggio (who had been dropped in the last league game) played with their usual sense of urgency and confidence. Del Paggio ran rings around his opponents and Butt was on the scoresheet after ten minutes when he controlled a pass from Hamit Erbakan in midfield, flicked the ball up and volleyed it past the St John’s keeper.

Bridgewood’s next goal was gifted to them by the St John’s keeper, who rose above Johnny Cunningham to punch a corner over his bar, but instead parried the ball straight into his own net. Safe in the knowledge that they were two goals up, Bridgewood relaxed into the game. The midfielders took their foot off the pedal and twice allowed St John’s attacks to cascade through them and score, squandering the two goal advantage.

A half-time lecture from the teachers succeeded in giving the dishevelled Bridgewood players the boost they needed and they dominated the second half. Eager to atone for his first-half mistake, the St John’s goalkeeper made save after save as Duc Duong, Jack Mayhew and Timothy Houghton-Smith unleashed a volley of rasping shots, but to no avail.

With time running out, Del Paggio ran at the heart of St John’s defence, beating two players and nutmegging the St John’s keeper. The title is in sight for Bridgewood High.

Mr Mansell reporting from Goresbrook

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