Year 8 Football team reach Final of Humberside Schools Cup!
The Sirius Academy Year 8 Football team continued the sporting success of the Academy with a hard-fought victory over a talented Toll Bar Academy (Grimsby). The team worked hard throughout to cover the big pitch at Blackburns Leisure, Brough, and deservedly took their place in the Final of the prestigious Humberside Schools Cup. The team became the 1st from the Academy to ever reach the Final of this trophy, and will play arch-rival St Marys College (Hull) in the Final.
The game started with Sirius struggling with the big Toll Bar side, with a strong midfield pushing through and the tall defence cutting out any Sirius attacks. However gradually Sirius began to take a hold on the game with Robbie Hird and Callum Magee marshalling the dangerous forwards well and Luke Salas producing probing runs to challenge the Toll Bar back four. Against the run of play, the Toll Bar winger struck an excellent strike from the edge of the box to put Sirius 1-0 down. Back came Sirius with wide players Kenan Stephenson and Joseph Wood working tirelessly and causing problems when running with the ball, and the front two of Will Murphy and Oliver Russell constantly putting pressure on the Toll Bar back four. Five minutes before half-time a through ball caused a mistake from the Toll Bar keeper and Stephenson took control and curled home a shot from the edge of the box for 1-1 half time score.
The 2nd half again saw Sirius in control for large periods, with Jordan Wardell and Jordan Littlefair defending well on the wings then pushing forward to support attacks, whilst Chris Brown showed maturity in marking the dangerous Toll Bar captain. Sirius continued creating opportunities, with Russell leading the line well, and one of these chances fell to Wood at the back post who blasted home for 2-1 Sirius with fifteen minutes remaining. With Sirius still in control, the threat from Toll Bar came from set pieces, and one of these corner kicks caused mayhem in the defence and the Toll Bar centre back poked the ball home at the third attempt to level the scores at 2-2 with eight minutes left. Both teams battled away, through the remaining minutes and then through two five minutes halves of extra-time but still no further goals meant Penalties.
Toll Bar went 1st and up stepped Sirius keeper Kieran Bartlett to show his class, with a solid save before Salas blasted home for 1-0 Sirius. Toll Bar went again, and Bartlett leapt high to his left and tipped the ball away in an outstanding save, before Magee slotted the ball home for 2-0. Toll Bar were fortunate to net their next with it in off the post, before Wood put the ball high into the net for 3-1 Sirius, before the Toll Bar winger missed the target and Sirius began their celebrations.
