Walsh header hands title back to Sunday

GARRINGTONS Sunday FC have won the Premier Division title for the first time since 1995 after a superb victory over their nearest rivals, Black Horse.

If Black Horse had won, Garringtons would have had to beaten Hymatic/Allendale yesterday to be crowned champions.

But this victory over Horse -- who have dominated the league for the last five seasons -- was just reward for Garringtons' long, hard season.

The game started off with Garringtons' midfield dominating and playing some great football. Bromsgrove Rovers star Kevin Banner was running the Black Horse defence all over the park and he was well supported by Robert Powell and Scott Walsh.

Although Garringtons had most of the first half play, they did not capitalise on it until the 44th minute.

Gary Eades played Banner down the left and he beat his man and squared a perfect pass to Powell, who picked his spot to score.

The second half saw Black Horse playing the long ball out of defence, missing both sets of midfielders out and putting pressure on Garringtons.

They looked like handling the pressure until the 80th minute when Martin Kite shaped up to shoot, and then played it square to Steve Duncan to fire home and set up an exciting last ten minutes.

Terrific form

Scott Crane and Steve Duncan hit goalbound shots, but Garringtons man of the match goalkeeper Daniel Lewis was in terrific form, and he managed to turn both efforts out for a corner.

In the 89th minute Eades won the ball for Garringtons and ran at the Black Horse defence.

It would have been easier to play the ball down the left, but instead he played a defence-splitting pass across the Black Horse defence to the right, and Scott Walsh lept with a diving header into the roof of the net to make Garringtons champions.

Austin Ex Apprentices (0) 0 Garringtons Sunday (0) 1. Playing on a wonderful summer's evening, both sides gave a display that was a credit to the Redditch Premier Division.

The game went from end to end, with both goalkeepers - Daniel Lewis for Garringtons and Ronnie Moore for Austin - in outstanding form.

In the first half Kevin Banner came closest to scoring, hitting a first time volley just over the bar with Moore off his line.

It took till the 81st minute for Garringtons to take the lead.

Luke Chance won the ball on the half way line, playing it out to Banner on the left. He crossed for Matthew Blankley to run across his marker and hook the ball into the net at the back post to give Moore no chance.

In the next minute, Austin nearly capitalised on a mistake by the Garringtons' defence, but Peter Shaw intercepted and made a match-winning tackle.