Woodbank 2 Barrhill Lads Club 0 CHARACTER, stamina and pride harnessed to no shortage of skills were the qualities that saw Woodbank through to a Manchester County Cup final on Sunday May 5th despite playing with only ten men for almost an hour.

Woodbank recaptured much of their early season form spraying passes around at will in the opening minutes with Barrhill chasing shadows.

On seven minutes Kelley found Danny English wide on the right for English to play a quick 1-2 with Wayne Dalton who drew the advancing keeper to shoot home from a narrow angle.

Nine minutes later Woodbank were 2-0 up. Steven Taylor broke up a Barrhill attack to surge forward and chip the retreating defence for Carl Greenhalgh to float a perfectly weighed ball into the top corner of the net past a helpless goalkeeper.

Things looked bleaker for Woodbank on 28 minutes when Christian Gibbs bravely saved at the feet of a Barrhill attacker.

Play was halted on the intervention of a linesman who ruled that the keepers hands were marginally outside the 18 yd line.

After a long deliberation the referee surprisingly sent the keeper from the field. Woodbank regrouped with Stuart Kelly in goal, a virtual spectator as Gareth Kirkby, Ian Owens, Carl Trimble in goal and Zaid Mosawy proved and impregnable back four. Danny English and Simon Kelly proved perfect wing foils for lone striker Carl Greenhalgh as the reds refused to defend the lead and continued to search for a third.

Inspired midfield performances from skipper Taylor and Dalton blunted Barrhills challenge and the final place against Urmston Meadowside was transferred from dream to a well deserved reality.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.