White Star clinch league and cup double
2:18pm Monday 12th May 2008
Buttershaw White Star surpassed last year's achievements when they retained the Bradford & District Sunday Senior Cup with a hard-fought victory over Albion Sports at Valley Parade.
Last season they were promoted to the Premier Division of the Sunday Alliance League. This year they not only retained their Senior Cup title but won the Premier Division championship to boot.
Albion had the better of the chances in the first half. A Joel Ettiene shot grazed the crossbar on 21 minutes and then Aaron Heywood also hit the woodwork.
Buttershaw took the lead in the 46th minute when Mark Flanagan scored with a well-taken goal.
Albion had started the second half full of confidence and pounded away continuously at the White Star goal.
Taj Singh came closest to equalising with a flying header and an overhead kick, which was only kept out by the woodwork.
On the hour, after more pressure from Sports, a header from Heywood came back off the crossbar and Ettienne was on the spot to head home the rebound.
Albion were playing much the better football and only sterling work by defenders Darren Nero and Kevin Eccles kept Sports from taking the lead.
With Albion pushing forward for the winner, there was always the danger they would get caught on the break.
The sucker punch came when a free-kick awarded to White Star was taken by Jordan Missin and his curling shot flew past the defensive wall and past the despairing dive of Daniel Trueman in Albion's goal for what proved to be the winner.
For the last quarter of an hour it was once again backs-to-the-wall defending from White Star, with Jamie Baron holding the Sports strikers at bay.
There was only rare occasions when Buttershaw attacked but they always looked dangerous on these occasional sorties.
In the closing minutes, Albion were reduced to ten men when Taj Singh was sent off by referee Price and on two occasions the woodwork came to the cup holders' rescue but they held out to the final whistle and retained the cup they won for the first time last year.