Sun Sports 3 St Margaretsbury 1                         29th April 2017                        SSML P

Sun celebrate end of season with a great win

So there you have it, another season finished in the history of Sun Sports FC, and Tim O’Sullivan, Pat Fallon, Gary Burkett and James Hall’s first nine months in charge of the Sun has finished with lots more ups than downs in a memorable season.
With record breaking cup runs in the FA Cup and FA Vase, a record attendance at the Sun Stadium, and the club ‘s second highest ever finish in the Football League Pyramid System, it has been a momentous achievement considering when Pre Season started last July there were only four players remaining from the season before and no reserves or youth team either!
Anyway, back to the last match to the 2016/17 season with a visit from St Margaretsbury to the Stade du Soleil!!
It was like a different team turned up on Saturday from Thursday night’s setback…and in a way, it was, as some players passed fitness tests after being unavailable two days earlier.
Damien Cruickshank tested the St Mags waters early on with a mazy run finishing with a great shot which the keeper managed to hold onto.
But the “old ” Sun looked back in business as they played their trademark sexy soccer around the park, passing with confidence and moving into space as and when required.
The Sun’s number one goalie Matty Evans was out of Saturday’s game as he fractured a rib or two on Wednesday, and although he battled away bravely on Thursday night without telling anyone, it was too much for him to take the field for the last match.
Up stepped reserve and youth keeper Drew Oliver for another appearance, and he certainly didn’t disappoint, making a great save from a free kick in the first five minutes.
Ryan McMahon and Andy Brennan controlled the midfield, and the Sun had a few occasions where they could have broken the deadlock, George Hobson going close with a long range shot, Kyle Johnson finding the target but straight at the keeper and Jack Johnson going for the dramatic overhead kick.
Jamie Speer put a cross over finding JJ, who laid the ball to Ryan who had time let the ball roll onto his right and then curled a sumptuous shot leaving the keeper rooted to the spot as the ball went in off the post.
Kyle Johnson was put through on the next attack and only had the keeper to beat if it wasn’t for a defender timing his tackle to perfection to clear the ball away for a corner.
The Sun continued to press and kept the Saints on the backfoot  while St Mags failed to even have a decent shot on the Sun goal throughout the rest of the half.
Words must have been said in the dressing room as the second half saw the Saints go on the offence and a direct free kick flew just over post and bar and then a miss-hit clearance from Joe Horwood fell kindly to Haag who emulated Ryan’s goal by curling in a shot which looked to be going the wrong side of the upright but then bent in to give the Saints a marvellous equaliser.
But if St Margaretsbury thought they would take over the game from there they were soon back in trouble when the Saints keeper downed Jack Johnson in the penalty area.
Jack dusted himself down to take the spot kick but the keeper read his mind and went the right way to save the penalty.
Unperturbed by this the Sun continued to put pressure on St Mags and soon after Kyle Johnson was put though and seeing the keeper rushing off his line he lobbed him from a distance only for the ball to roll agonisingly past the post and out for a goal kick.
Kyle came close again when a pass from Jack Johnson put Kyle through only for him to hit the post from inches out from an awkward angle.
The dynamo that is Damien Cruickshank came forward again when a pass from Jamie Speer was dummied by George Hobson for Damo to burst into the box and hit the ball hard and low only for the St Mags keeper to save the ball with his legs.
The save of the day was made by young Drew Oliver when a cross was not cleared and found a forward who clipped the ball causing Drew to make a spectacular flying save to tip the ball away from goal…even though the whistle went for offside it was still a magnificent save by a very promising goalkeeper for the future.
And that save seemed to be the catalyst for the Sun to go ahead again, when from the free kick for the offside decision, the boys in yellow stormed down the field and Jamie Speers’ perfect cross found Kyle Johnson who regained his goal scoring touch to side-foot volley the ball into the goal to put the Sun 2-1 up.
And with the final minutes of the season ticking away, substitute Kerran Lataille scored a definite contender for goal of the season when, from a Ryan McMahon throw in, he shielded the ball from one defender, neatly flicked the ball over another, controlled the ball comfortably on his thigh and promptly volleyed the ball into the back of the net…”Get In!!!”
A truly memorable goal  to finish a bodacious season and a tenth place finish….let’s hope that next season can be even better with a cup final or promotion!!!
Congratulations to St Margaretsbury FC, as they have now completed an amazing 20 consecutive seasons in the Spartan South Midlands top flight.