Spot kicks decide double for Boundary Park

Boundary Park celebrate their cup final victory.

Boundary Park completed a memorable league and cup double on Sunday with a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Whitworth side Red Lion.

With the scores deadlocked at 1-1 after extra-time the game was decided by spot-kicks and Boundary Park keeper Steve Szklanka was the hero, saving two penalties to earn his side a 4-2 win in the shoot-out.

The game began in difficult conditions with a strong wind making it hard for both sides to get the ball down and play. 

The circumstances made judging long balls very difficult and on two minutes the usually reliable Boundary Park defence didn’t anticipate the strength of the wind and Red Lion striker Goss lobbed the advancing Szklanka to give his side an early lead.

Two minutes later Goss should have doubled his side's lead when the keeper made a hash of a routine back pass but despite controlling the ball immaculately he couldn’t repeat his earlier feat and this time shot over the bar. It would prove a crucial miss.

Throughout the season Boundary Park have been renowned as a good passing side but the conditions, and perhaps the occasion, seemed to get the better of them in the opening stages. Passes were uncharacteristically going astray but on 12 minutes they were gifted the chance to equalise when Andrew O’Loughlin fouled Kieran Mitton inside the penalty area. Up stepped the usually reliable Jordan Scholes but his spot-kick went high over the bar to firmly sum-up his side's start to the game.

The game eventually settled down but chances were still being created at both ends and Red Lion’s Ross Doughty shot narrowly over on 16 minutes.

At the other end only excellent defending from Damien Pountley prevented a Boundary Park equaliser.

With the wind behind them Red Lion poured forward with Jan Wormald at the heart of most attacks and the captain came close to doubling his sides lead on 28 minutes with a header from a Rory Delap type long throw but Szklanka dived full length to turn the ball around the post.

Red Lion were now firmly on top but they needed a killer second goal and on 36 minutes forward Andrew McDowell laid a superb chance on a plate for the lively Oliver Marshall.

After escaping down the right-wing he cut in from the byeline and pulled the ball back for the onrushing Marshall but with all the time in the world he could only find the discus net on the running track behind the goal; it was a gilt-edged chance.

Wormald then had a header cleared off the line before referee Willmore blew the half-time whistle.

With the wind as it was the change of ends was always likely to prove a key point of the match and Boundary upped the tempo in the second-half. Rick Sopel, Boundary’s leading goalscorer, hit the post on 51 minutes when a half chance came his way and his side were now in the ascendancy.

The ineffective Scholes was replaced by Heschem Ariane midway through the half and the change had the desired effect. Ariane was a bigger physical presence in the final third of the field and despite his tendency to want to shoot every time he got within 30 yards of the goal he was causing O’Loughlin and Connellan problems in the heart of the Red Lion defence.

A few half chances came and went but just as Red Lion appeared to have ridden the storm their keeper Jamie Lamb dropped an almighty clanger. An over hit pass looked routine to a keeper that had been composed throughout the game but he inexplicably dropped the ball at the feet of Kieran Mitton who intelligently squared to Rick Sopel to allow him to tap the ball into the unguarded net. It was an error of schoolboy proportions from the big keeper.

Boundary now sensed victory but Lamb redeemed himself to an extent on 79 minutes when he turned yet another long range shot from Ariane away for a corner.

By now both sets of players were beginning to tire but it should have been game, set and match to Boundary Park on 87 minutes. A great move down the left-wing saw Sopel evade a couple of challenges before squaring to Mitton. Like Marshall in the first-half he had all the time in the world to pick his spot but he too fired over with his wayward effort landing roughly where the javelin throwers would start their run-up.

As the heavens opened the game went into extra-time. Chances were created by both sides but a lack of composure meant the game was destined for penalties.

Red Lion went first and scored with ease but Ryan Scarlett evened things up with a good strike. Man-of-the-Match O’Loughlin then strided forward confidently but his penalty was tipped on to the post to give Boundary Park the advantage.

Three more penalties found the net and with Boundary Park leading 3-2 Szklanka then crucially saved Red Lion’s fourth penalty. It meant Ben Elliott had the chance to win the game for his side and he made no mistake with a left-footed shot into the roof of the net. It was clinical penalty taking from Boundary Park but also solid goalkeeping from Steve Szklanka.