League

Highbury
Spectators: 7530 (Terracing: 5649, Seating: 1731, VIP seats: 150) Strapping Young Lads's Ian Mawson started the match with a crisp pass. The crowd had been anticipating this game for weeks and the excitement in the stadium was easily visible. Bobby Lambley showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Tyler Flower in the 2nd minute of the match. The supporters of Holmes Chapel United booed when Strapping Young Lads was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 3 match minutes in a wonderful position. Pierre Mellon didn't get a good kick on the ball. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Ben Buchanan in the 5th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Bobby Lambley saved Strapping Young Lads from getting behind. The supporters of Holmes Chapel United booed when Strapping Young Lads was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 6 match minutes in a wonderful position. Trevor Forrester didn't get a good kick on the ball. Pierce Dryden, 7 minutes into the match, dribbled the ball up the side of the field and decided to take a long shot at the goal. Unfortunately, the ball was poorly hit and landed closer to the corner than to the goal. In the 11th minute of the match Freddie Dove sent off a long shot with destination to the right of the goalkeeper, but Bobby Lambley skillfully saved the ball. 16 minutes into the match, Holmes Chapel United's goal looked a bit too open when Ian Mawson came free, but Howard Bailey reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. The audience was convinced that Ben Buchanan's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Bobby Lambley was relentless in the 21st minute of the game. Bobby Lambley made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Tyler Flower in the 22nd minute of play. In the 26thth minute of the game Tyler Flower who was perfectly placed tried to make a shot on goal, but Strapping Young Lads's Bobby Lambley was lucky and managed to grab hold of the ball. Pierre Mellon hit a great freekick 26 minutes into the match. Ben Buchanan struck a weak shot in the 27th minute. Bobby Lambley didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Holmes Chapel United. After 29 minutes, Pierre Mellon mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Strapping Young Lads and the Holmes Chapel United players grew even worse after the yellow card. After a rather tough play, Strapping Young Lads's Pierre Mellon got a free kick in the 29th minute. After some fancy dribbling in the 30th minute, Tyler Flower managed to get in a good position for a shot. Holmes Chapel United's supporters rose to their feet, but Tyler Flower was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Bobby Lambley breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. In the 36th minute Ben Buchanan shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Bobby Lambley saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Ben Buchanan received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 40th minute. Bobby Lambley tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. After 42 played minutes Ian Mawson rounded Holmes Chapel United's defense and shot a beautiful shot into goal via left pole - 1-0.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Ben Buchanan to make the kick off. Pierre Mellon hit a great freekick 55 minutes into the match. Bobby Lambley showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Ben Buchanan, who was totally free with the ball in the 57th minute. After 63 played minutes Holmes Chapel United got a freekick which was hit by Freddie Dove. John Dunn struck a weak shot in the 64th minute. Howard Bailey didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Strapping Young Lads. Tyler Flower fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 68th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Bobby Lambley having to interfere. After a rather tough play, Strapping Young Lads's Trevor Forrester got a free kick in the 70th minute. Ben Buchanan sent away a hard shot on goal in the 72nd minute, but the ball hit the crossbar and went out. A very good chance for a goal. Ben Buchanan received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 75th minute. Bobby Lambley tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. After 80 played minutes Holmes Chapel United got a freekick which was hit by Vernon Rooney. In the 81st minute of the match John Dunn shot from a long distance. The ball could have gone into the goal to the right of the goalkeeper, but Howard Bailey showed his good shape when he easily got hold of the ball. Howard Bailey took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Zack Haywood, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. If Tyler Flower had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 85th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Strapping Young Lads's Bobby Lambley played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Ben Buchanan in the 87th minute of play. If Tyler Flower had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 92nd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Ian Mawson sent away a hard shot on goal in the 94th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. The audience thought a goal was coming when Tyler Flower got free with Bobby Lambley in the 98th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. The Strapping Young Lads support was delighted with a win in a match that could easily have ended differently.