This was Mellor’s moment. The defeat last year in the final had haunted Mellor all season but finally they exorcised that particular ghost and they did it in style. Against the toughest team they have played so far in 2013/14 Mellor demonstrated how much they have improved, especially in defence. It was a game where Mellor absorbed much of what was thrown at them and then proved devastating on the counter-attack.
Mellor had a nervous start and those nerves weren’t settled by an early Joe Hussey goal. Almost immediately Timperley were back on the attack and Will Macdonald had to make the first of many saves. Mellor didn’t stay ahead for long. A surging run from the Timperley number 46 led to a goal and that was swiftly followed up by a scrambled shot that bobbled in. Mellor were 2-1 down and looking anxious. Too many passes were going astray in mid-field. Mellor’s usual crisp passing was being broken up by a well-drilled Timperley. Daniel Jones in particular found it difficult to break through and Mellor looked to be missing the speedy legs of the missing Drew Bickerton. Somebody had to take charge and that job fell to Josh Simpson-Pink. His weaving run, the first of many in the game, led to a glorious equaliser and Mellor seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Ben Mochan started to make the first of many timely interceptions and Will Macdonald demonstrated that a season of largely hanging around has not dulled his senses. His stops at the end of this quarter kept the score at 2-2
The second quarter was where Mellor started to turn the screw. It began in defence with another great save from Will Macdonald. As the defence started to command the Timperley forwards Mellor’s shaky passing started to get a lot tighter. Nick Hughes hit the post after a great run, the Timperley keeper then made a series of good stops when finally Daniel Jones broke away from the shackles of the Timperley marking and scored from a tight angle to make it 3-2. Almost immediately Timperley tried to respond and only the legs of Will Macdonald from a seated position stopped the equalizer. Daniel and Josh Simpson-Pink had near misses before finally a Joe Hussey pass found Daniel Jones and he slammed it in. 4-2...Mellor had opened up some breathing space. Timperley piled on the pressure and had a lot of possession but the Mellor defence was equal to it. Ben Mochan in particular looked very solid. When Timperley did break through Will Macdonald was there to make great saves, showing great agility to pluck one shot high out of the air and turning another around his post with his foot. However, Timperley were seeing too much of the ball and just when Mellor thought they had opened up enough space in the scores Timperley managed to grab another goal through a messy scramble just in front of goal. Mellor got the jitters again with too many passes launched from deep at no-one in particular. Again Will Macdonald saved Mellor from shipping another equalizing goal. However, despite the pressure Mellor were finding more success on the counter-attack. Daniel Jones found Joe Hussey with an accurate pass and Joe’s confident scoring ability didn’t desert him. Mellor were 5-3 up. Another speedy counter attack with a weaving run from Josh Simpson-Pink led to a calm Joe Hussey goal. It was 6-3 and Mellor were starting to show why they have been the team to beat this season. Timperley were quick to respond to being 3 goals down and their busy number 22 brought another fine save from Will Macdonald. At halftime both teams were getting the measure of each other and seemed to have battled each other to a standstill.
The second half of the game was a tale of two well organised, skilful, motivated teams hammering away against each other and largely cancelling each other out. For all Timperley’s possession they couldn’t break the Mellor defence down and they never seemed to have the stand-out cutting edge player that could score the sort of incisive goals that Mellor have scored all season. Mellor’s only goal this quarter was scored by Josh Simpson-Pink from an assist by Tom Brady who had a tough but energetic day out on the wing. Mellor were 7-3 up and the home supporters were starting to breathe again. Josh Poke was making some good interceptions and his increasingly accurate passing made problems for the Timperley defence. However, when they were back in possession Timperley continued to drive forward and they were rewarded with a solid goal to make it 7-4. The Timperley number 22 was starting to torment the Mellor midfield again but his darting runs always ran up against the solid wall of Ben Mochan, Josh Haining, Josh Poke and Joe Kynaston. Once again on the occasions that Timperley broke through they were thwarted by Will Macdonald’s calm saves and nerveless distribution. The third quarter ended at 7-4 with Timperley having the best of the possession but not looking like they could over-haul the 3 goal deficit.
With legs tiring and some signs of frustration from the Timperley ranks the fourth quarter started. Mellor’s response to a tough third quarter was quick and decisive. Daniel Jones slipped his marker and slipped the ball to Josh Simpson-Pink to make it 8-4 and then a lovely run and pass from Ben Tipping led to a classy Joe Hussey goal to make it 9-4. Timperley were now on the rack. To their great credit their heads didn’t go down and they attacked in numbers. But time and again Ben Mochan and the increasingly impregnable Will Macdonald stopping everything that was thrown at them. Increasingly desperate waves of Timperley attack were met with defensive turn-overs and neat saves. Will made probably his save of the match here only to see his clearance turned straight back into the centre of defence in a suicidal pass that resulted in Timperley’s fifth and final goal. Mellor’s response? Another Daniel Jones/Joe Hussey combo that saw Joe score his fifth goal and Mellor 10th. With only seconds remaining it was all over for Timperley. When the whistle blew the Mellor team rushed to congratulate each other – last year’s cup final could now be consigned to history. Timperley were sporting and tough opponents throughout but Mellor proved what an awesome team they have become, with every player playing his part in one of the great victories of recent times. There were many candidates for man of the match but for the mighty statistic of 16 saves that award had to go to Will Macdonald.
Mellor are the team of the season and should have no fear in the final against Norbury. Well done Mellor!

Man of the match – Will Macdonald

Dominic Macdonald