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The pressure was firmly on the first XI when they entertained Colinthians in the semi final of the Senior Cup. Not only were they expected to win because Cols were languishing near the bottom of the table but also key players were missing, the second and third XI's had both reached their respective cup finals last week and, because of this, certain players couldn't be called up because they would become cup tied for their usual team.
With Rob Stirton, Tony Morrison and Steve Rich all unavailable it was James Lane who got the nod to lead the line alongside Liam Evans.
The day got off to a disappointing start with one car load of Cols players ending up at Castlecroft Road in Bilston by mistake. As always, this was the car that was carrying the kit. After scrapping around for a spare kit for them to wear, Colinthians finally took to the field twenty-five minutes late.
This, however, had a negative effect on Wulfs and they were very slow to get started. In fact Cols should have taken an early lead when a free kick out wide was met with a looping header towards the far corner of the net but, despite the fact the ball was going in, a player in an offside position decided to bundle it over the line so the goal was disallowed.
Gradually, and I mean gradually, Wulfs began to get a foothold in the game and by half time had gained a slight superiority.
The second half kicked off as the first had ended and Wulfs eventually took the lead which was a massive let down for Cols after all of their hard work. A harmless ball curled in behind their defence saw the goalkeeper hesitate and James Lane nip in to head home from close range.
This could have been a signal for Colinthians to lie down but to their credit, and with the help of the lost car full of players finally turning up, they continued to make life uncomfortable for Wulfs.
The pressure wasn't released until a couple of minutes before time and again it was a soft goal for Cols to give away. A fairly harmless corner was swung in and a Cols defender inexplicably pushed David Thompson in the back. James Skedgel coolly despatched away the resulting penalty with his trademark cheeky chip down the middle of the goal.
So, for the third consecutive season, Wulfs moved into the Senior Cup final where they will face either Shirley Athletic or Village. They also made it a hat-trick for the club with the second and third XI's also reaching their respective finals.
Final score: Old Wulfrunians 2 Colinthians 0.
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