The stage was set at the SFC Stadium in Bamber Bridge last night as Marsh United Reserves and Standish St Wilfrid’s Reserves locked horns in a gripping grassroots final. With Standish looking to add yet another piece of silverware to their already impressive season, and Marsh determined to cause an upset, the match didn’t disappoint — delivering late drama, end-to-end action, and a tense penalty shootout finale.
Photos and videos from the match are courtesy of Donna Artis Photography. Full galleries are available to view and purchase through her website by clicking the “Full Gallery” button.
Standish St Wilfrid’s Reserves — a side already flying high after their first team’s recent Guildhall Cup triumph and Premiership title win. But on this occasion, silverware wasn’t handed over without a fight.
The opening exchanges were as cagey as they come, nerves clearly jangling on both sides. A couple of early mistakes set the tone, but it was Standish who settled quickest, creating the first real chance — only to be denied by a solid block. On six minutes, player-manager Matt Mason almost produced a moment of magic, rattling the crossbar with a strike from distance that had the Marsh faithful holding their breath. Jack Saunders then forced the Marsh keeper into a smart save from a free-kick, tipping the ball over in the ninth minute.
But it was Marsh United who struck first. On 15 minutes, Connor Wallis latched onto a clever flick through and coolly slotted the ball under the onrushing keeper to give Marsh a 1-0 lead and send their supporters into raptures.
Buoyed by the goal, Marsh nearly doubled their advantage straight from the restart, with Ethan Markland powering down the wing and delivering a teasing cross that the Standish keeper spilled — though nothing came of it. Marsh continued to threaten on the break, and Wallis almost had a second on 27 minutes, only for the Standish stopper to smother his one-on-one chance.
The remainder of the first half saw both sides trade blows in an entertaining, end-to-end spell, but neither could find the killer touch before the break. Marsh went in with their noses in front at 1-0.
The second half was a battle of grit and guile. Both teams threw themselves into challenges, and with the keepers acting as sweeper-keepers, there was no shortage of drama as they bravely raced off their lines time and again.
As the game ticked past the 75-minute mark, Standish St Wilfrid’s began to turn the screw, piling on the pressure in search of an equaliser. Marsh, for their part, looked to hit on the counter but couldn’t quite piece together the final ball.
Just when it seemed Marsh might hold on for a famous victory, heartbreak struck in the 89th minute. Standish had a fierce strike parried away, but Calum Duffield was on hand to bury the rebound into the bottom corner, bringing Standish level at the death and silencing the Marsh supporters who had dared to dream.
With no extra time, it went straight to penalties — and after a tense shootout that rolled into sudden death, it was Standish St Wilfrid’s who held their nerve, winning 5-4 from the spot to add yet another trophy to their growing collection this season.
