Jac spot-kick seals Royals’ title victory

9:17am Tuesday 29th April 2008

JUNIOR FOOTBALL

Byron Red Star 1
Colebrook Royals 2
(Echo Premier League U14s) LEAGUE championship deciders do not come much better than this match.

Colebrooke had to win to take the title while their opponents needed just a draw to finish the season as the top team.

A Royals goal opened the scoring in the first five minutes as Rakish Bingham rifled home a shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Fast end-to-end play then followed with a flurry of shots on both goals which either went high or wide or were capably dealt with by goalkeepers.

The most deserving effort was a thundering shot from James Jaconelli, which followed a 30-yard run with the ball.

It was destined for a goal until the home keeper finger tipped it around the post.

Colebrook retained their slender lead throughout the remainder of the first half but almost saw it disappear just after the break.

Only a goal-line clearance by defender George Cornhill stopped a Red Star strike ending up in the net.

With just a couple of minutes left to play, the hosts got a deserved equaliser.

Following a long throw-in, the ball was neatly pushed past keeper Reece Samuels and Red Star were on course for a draw which would have given them the championship.

However, Colebrook went straight on the attack from the restart and a grounded Red Star defender stuck out a hand which deflected the ball from the goal.

A penalty was awarded and Jaconelli's last kick of the match, from the penalty spot, went low and hard into the left hand corner.

"It was a fantastic achievement to win the league after a difficult year of change at the club," said Colebrook U14s manager Derwent Jaconelli.

"Our championship team of last season left to become Leyton's U14s side and we had to rebuild a new squad.

"To finish with the title is wonderful for the club."

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