FA Youth Cup Result. Garforth Town 0 v 1 FC Halifax Town

Garforth Town Team:
1. Dan Booth
2. Enoque Matondo
3. Josh Prince
4. Joe Colley - Captain
5. Jaydon Armstrong
6. Ryan Noon
7. Aiden Croft
8. Morris Friedrich - debut
9. Wesley Gibrill-Keating
10. Jack Downes
11. Lucas Abusin
12. Harry Pickup
14. Sam Ola
15. Finlay Bailey-Hague
16. Harry Pickup
Garforth Town Man of Match - Enoque Matondo/Dan Booth
Unlucky Garforth Town slipped out of the FA Youth Cup after going toe to toe with Conference outfit FC Halifax Town for the full ninety minutes. Garforth matched their illustrious visitors in terms of possession and high-quality goal scoring chances - seven to each team - an excellent achievement by the young Garforth proteges for I doubt any Garforth eleven has ever come so close to beating an outfit operating 4 divisions above them in a competitive match! FC Halifax Town breathed a collective sigh of relief at the final whistle thankful that lady luck had smiled on them - 2 potentially crucial handball decisions going in their favour. First blood almost went to the visitors on 12 minutes. The Halifax number 2 and captain Jay Benn, who had a fabulous night popping up at crucial moments to launch attacks, drove past 4 Garforth defenders (and that was the only time in the full ninety minutes one might be tempted to use the phrase Garforth and defenders loosely). His fierce low shot was parried for a corner by Garforth keeper Dan Booth and from the resulting in swinging corner Booth made a top-drawer low double save. On 32 minutes Halifax keeper Carl Rushworth spilled the ball from a Garforth corner and did well to make a smother save from Wesley Gibrill Keating's shot. Dan Booth was again called into action merely a minute later when he competently dealt with a low shot. On 46 minutes Garforth came agonisingly close to taking the lead. The lively Josh Prince robbed Halifax's Jos Veitch of the ball and quickly picked out Wesley Gibrill Keating in the box. His first-time effort on the turn just grazed the cross bar. One foot lower and it would have been 1-0 to the home team. One minute later, and approximately 5 seconds from the half time whistle, Garforth didn't get the official's decision they felt that they deserved, and which could well have been their passport for entry into the next round. Garforth's Enoque Matondo, who had an excellent game and seemed to be competing in his own little competition with Halifax's Jay Benn for the best number 2 on the park, put Morris Friedrich into oceans of space in the visitors final third. Garforth had a 2 on 1 situation with Wesley Gibrill Keating lurking on the far post. Morris put in an early low cross designed to curl past the stranded defender and into Wesley's running line ready for a far post tap in. The stranded defender stopped the cross with the use of his forearm - a 100% stonewaller penalty in my opinion and I have watched the incident on video several times - unfortunately the referee missed it. The goal came on 60 minutes. Alas for Garforth it was controversial. FC Halifax implemented what looked like a rehearsed training ground routine at a corner. They played a ball out to the edge of the box for Jay Benn, yes him again, to pop up and head the ball towards the Garforth goal. A Halifax forward, positioned almost on the Garforth goal line, seemed to control the ball with his arm, cue several Garforth players and supporters instantly shouting' hand ball', before spinning and smashing the ball into the net. FC Halifax Town went on to have 3 more good chances to bag a second and Garforth 4 good chances to bag an equaliser, but it wasn't to be for Garforth. A very good effort by the boys. A great game. Well done Halifax. Good luck in the next round.