Best futsal game refereed by Brad Milne at YMCA. GSC 5 YMCA 3

GSC League and Cup winners 2015

The scene was set as the game that a win/draw would clinch the school year 10/11 title for GSC or a win for YMCA Spartans would have forced the league to go to a play off game to decide the winners. With 2 similarly matched team, both who have played very good Futsal all season it on paper was always going to be a classic.

The game started at fast pace but with no team offering any real attacking threat. It was almost like a chest match, with both teams trying to work out exactly what their best form of attack would be – intriguing as both a referee and spectator to watch.

The early chances fell to GSC, but with no luck – Harvey in the YMCA goal, keeping the GSC attack at arms length.

Almost against the run of play, YMCA went up the other end of the pitch and took a 1-0 lead with an attack exquisitely finished, with the goal almost summing up their season – clinical but with a degree of flair to their play. GSC took the goal in their stride though and continued mounting pressure on the YMCA goal. Finally the YMCA’s defence finally gave in their resilient effort and shipped 2 goals in quick succession and possibly the vital goal of the game came just before the break. After YMCA steadied the ship a wonderful solo goal by Brad Elliot of GSC gave them a 2 goal lead at the break – weaving in and out of 3 players and rounding the goalkeeper and slipping the ball into the empty net.

At half time, I was sure the tempo of the first half couldn’t be kept up for the whole 30 minutes but to both teams absolute credit, I didn’t slow down – it carried on getting quicker and quicker!

A lot of team would of lost their head going 2 goals behind at half time, YMCA however stuck to their plan and continued to play the football they have done all season and got the goal they deserved during the early stages of the first half reducing the deficit to only 1 goal. Forcing the game back to a chest match, with both teams unsure whether to stick or twist.

As the clock ran down though it forced YMCA to push forward more and more knowing only a victory would push the title to a play off game. GSC took full advantage of this however and with YMCA committing men up the pitch, GSC capitalised on this and scored a goal with a lightening quick counter attack, finished off by a sublime square ball and finished into the empty net. The perfect Futsal goal if I ever have seen one.

To YMCA’s credit they didn’t give up and did manage to pull 1 more back before in the dying seconds GSC restored their 2 goal lead.
Full Time Score: GSC 5-3 YMCA Spartans

The GSC team is such an almost perfect blend of power, grit, determination and flair and due to this they will always cause any opposition hell. The league title being theirs is simply testimony of this, assuming they progress to regional/national championships they should fear no-one. In my honest opinion they can match any U16 Futsal team on merit.

Going back to my first point, if this is the sort of game our local leagues can produce aged 14-16. The future of Grimsby Futsal is very bright.

Congratulations to GSC on not only winning the Division 1 title but achieving a 100% win record.

Word in praise of Brad not only for this article but his excellent performance as match referee, ably assisted by his assistant Callum Ely.