The Victory Club 1-4 Hendon Vics
The 2011/2012 season ended on Sunday for The Victory Club, but not before they succumb to another defeat against mid table Hendon Vics.
In wet and windy conditions the Victory started well and were getting stuck in to their opponents - no more so than Anthony Collins who every time he made a tackle seemed to leave a Hendon player on the floor asking for a free kick which they mainly got. Never the less the Victory defended well and had a couple of chances one from Ben Stores whos effort was cleared off the goaline and one from Scott Hunter whos shot went just wide of the left hand upright.
The Victory almost fell behind in bizare fashion when Cooke and Mountford got in a muddle and the defender decided to head the ball beyond his own 'keeper but he did react well to clear a certain own goal.
The Victory then went ahead through a long ball from Peter Harding to Ben Stores, Stores flicked the ball into the path of Hodgson and the Victory Midfielder lashed a half volley into the top right hand corner of the net.
The Victory held on until a minute before half time when a quick goal kick went all wrong, Hendon picked up the loose ball dribbled straight through the Victory centre and slammed the ball beyond the helpless 'keeper.
Half Time
At Half Time Steve Jackson was pleased with the general performance of his team but not the manner in which they conceded the equaliser.
It was quite plain to see that the Victory were struggling to cope with the conditions in the second half and the lack of squad depth as 10 minutes into the second half they fell behind for the first time a free kick whipped in was defended at first but as the ball fell it was Hendon who reacted first to squeeze the ball under the Victory Goalkeeper from 3 yards. That seemed to knock the wind out of the Victory sails as they conceded yet another pentalty as Cooke the Victory stand in 'Keeper upended a Hendon forward - he picked himself up to smash the penalty in to put Hendon three one up.
Anthony Collins finally after about his tenth foul, was booked for a reckless challenge when a red may have been a more suitable punnishment. Moments later the Victory felt they should have had a penalty of their own when Stores seemed to be upended by both the Goalkeeper and Defender, despite the appeals the referee signalled only for a corner. From the resulting corner Ben Stores looped a header goalwards straight into the 'keepers arms when he should have done alot better.
As the game entered it's final quater Peter Harding was judged to have fouled a Hendon player despite wining the ball but the ref had claimed the Victory man had lunged two footed to win the ball, a valid claim to give a free kick. The Victory again were slow to react and before the wall could be erected the ball was in the back of the net to complete the second half collapse.
The final ten minutes petered out like most of the season. At the final whistle there was relief that a dreadful season had come to an end and The Victory Club will be hoping that 2012/2013 season will be alot more fruitful in the fourth tier of the Sunderland Sunday League.
