Late penalty seals thrilling cup clash

Photo: Chris Sunderland

Highfield's Martyn Gurr (left) jumps with Nathan Dawson, of Oddies Athletic.

Highfield United 1, Oddies Athletic 0

AMATEUR FOOTBALL Match of the week: NEIL Hardman showed nerves of steel to fire home a dramatic, last-minute penalty winner to earn Division One side Highfield United the status of ‘giant-killers’ against Oddies Athletic, from the Premier Division, in the second round of the Challenge Cup.

And it really was a case of giant-killing for Highfield as they played the final two-thirds of the tie with ten men following the dismissal of Keith Kurpass for contesting a decision too vehemently.

The only match to overcome the elements in the league was down to the fact that Highfield play their home matches on the Royton and Crompton 3G artificial surface.

And while games have been postponed before on the 3G, there was no doubt that this tie should have been played.

Conditions were absolutely perfect on an equally perfect afternoon for football.

Perfect for the players, that is, but maybe not for the handful of spectators who watched the drama unfold on a raw afternoon.

It all ended when referee Steve Roberts deemed Chris Taylor’s challenge on his Highfield counterpart to be unfair following a corner-kick.

And when Taylor contested the decision in a similar fashion to Kurpass, Roberts showed him the red card.

The resultant spot-kick was a case of ‘do-or-die’ for Hardman, but the Highfield midfield man was the coolest player on the field, displaying a calm head to fire his side into the third round of the competition.

Both sides showed their attacking mettle in equal merit throughout, with the woodwork at opposite ends of the pitch rattled on four occasions.

Although joyous in victory, Highfield manager Steve Palmer said: “It was backs to the wall with ten men for long periods of the game and it could really have gone either way.