Another small but significant chapter in Belper Town Juniors footballing history was written in the dying light of the evening of Tuesday 26th April, 2016.
Whilst the First Team were playing in the Derbyshire Cup Final, the U18’s were running out on the pitch at the Marston’s Stadium for a title decider against Borrowash Victoria.
The encounter came just forty-eight hours after a gruelling 1-0 win over Duffield Dynamo U18’s that had left the small group of twelve available players bruised and exhausted.
Atrocious winter weather conditions had resulted in an end of season backlog of games that slated the teenagers to endure three league games a week for almost a month, with some of the team also playing games for the Academy and U21’s and others occupied by A Level exams.
But all that was put out of mind, as the dozen youngsters stretched tired limbs and warmed up beneath a low evening sun that had briefly emerged to defy a day blighted by snow and hail.
Three points.
That’s all that was needed.
With one game left after the Borrowash match, three points would leave the chasing pack unable to catch Belper.
What followed was a first half that manager Wynne Garnett would describe as among the worst football the team had produced all season. The slick passing, crisp finishing and nerveless defending that all season had been the hallmark of the side was strangely absent.
Belper were on top and had scraped a solitary goal but everyone on the pitch and the side lines knew that Borrowash were still in it, and it was clear from the aggression of their tackling that they’d love nothing more than prevent their hosts from becoming champions.
As the second half kicked off and chances were squandered the Spring sky darkened and fears of Borrowash snatching a draw grew. It would mean the team would face a title decider, away at Mickleover, in the final game of the season.
Then it came.
The elusive second goal.
Smart passing. Crisp finishing. Ball in the net!
A small and frozen group of parents made enough noise to rattle the roof of the rain lashed stand.
The boys were back in Town.
Now the whole team played with the decisiveness and discipline of champions-in-waiting. By the time the final whistle blew, the visitors knew they had been lucky not to have conceded more.
Looking back, maybe Fate had decided how this night was going to turn out. Exactly five years ago, at the same ground, against the same opponents, Wynne Garnett had led a squad of U18’s to a 1st Division championship winning victory by two clear goals. History had kindly repeated itself.
The 2016 champions left the pitch to rounds of applause from parents who’ve seldom missed a match. Their sons had clinched the 1st Division title in their first season at U18 level, playing against many sides that were a year older.
A highly successful season was coming to a close. There was only one match left.
Mickleover away.
The Championship had been won, but there was still an undefeated record to protect. And if they conceded fewer than two goals then they would also add the distinction of conceding fewer league goals than any team in the division and any other Belper Town Juniors’ side this season.
To top it all, after 10 full years of managing junior teams for Belper, this was to be Wynne’s last match as U18 Manager, after which he would concentrate on developing his promising young U21 squad.
In Belper terms, there was everything to play for.
But they faced a team that had found form over the last month and was desperate to win their final match in order to finish as runners-up.
The game started at breakneck speed.
Five minutes in and Belper found themselves 1-0 down.
Maybe those big April games against both Duffield sides and Borrowash had emptied their tanks.
Mid-way through the first half, Belper hit back.
1-1.
Now they were in a swashbuckling end of season rhythm. The keeper and back four looked solid. Midfield matched anything thrown at it. Clever incisive passing cut the Mickleover defence to shreds.
2-1 to Belper.
Now the home side were on the ropes and it was just a case of how badly they were going to beaten. Crisp interplay. Mazy dribbles. Whipped crosses.
3-1 Belper.
Half-time.
Wynne Garnett gathered his players and gave his last team talk. Praise all round. Some pointers in key areas. Wise words about what to expect from their wounded hosts.
Then he sent his champions out to finish the job.
And they did in style.
There were no more goals, but Belper put in a towering defensive performance, with midfielders and those blistering forwards that had done the first half damage tracking back and tackling back like it was a cup final.
The last whistle of the season blew just after midday on May 1st.
Belper Town U18’s had won 3-1.
They were unbeaten all season.
They’d conceded only 12 goals in 22 league games.
They’d hit the back of the net 108 times – an average of 5.4 goals a game. Almost as importantly, six of the 17 year olds (and a sixteen-year old) had made their debuts in the U21’s squad during the season.
Yes, a little bit of history had been written over the last two games, but it’s the future of these smart, young players that everyone is really talking about. Roll on next season.