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50p

The Barswood Cup

7 October 2009
elizabeth.wolfe
There are few sports events which stir the very soul of one’s being. The FIFA World Cup of Soccer in South Africa in 2010 will have difficulty matching the buzz and sheer excitement level generated by this annual encounter in Mill Bay. John Barsby 1st XI soccer team annually play the Brentwood 2nd XI senior boys team, who are a motley crew of international origin (with players from Canada, USA, Jamaica, Portugal, South Africa, Macau, Korea, and Kazakhstan.) This was an all-ticket match, with the media roped off and with the RCMP mounted police keeping the crowd (5 spectators and a dog) under control.

The “Barswood Cup” (a combination of Barsby and Brentwood) was started by Mr Collis in 1927. Every year, this combination of matches (1st leg in Mill Bay, 2nd leg in Nanaimo) draws out the very best that amateur sport has to offer. With Barsby owning the Cup for the past few years, our team was fired up to gain an ascendancy in the opening leg. Barsby countered with a team including some international exchange students, who were extremely talented.

The game began evenly with the hustle and bustle of the Brentwood team counter-balancing the adroitness of the opponents. Indeed, our defence kept the opposition from all but a few close-in chances. The first goal came from Owen G, who brushed past his check on the wing and slammed a great shot past the ‘keeper. Barsby countered before halftime with a well-taken goal of their own. Halftime score: 1 – 1.

However, the opponents were not able to match the fitness and running of the Brentwood team. The second half was minutes old when Jasper G floated a great cross to the far post, where Owen grabbed his second goal. Then, Jasper added another goal of his own, calmly knocking the ball home from 20 yards. The opponents were becoming rattled but they still battled on. They did get a penalty shot for a trip in our box, but the shot was fired over the bar.

Barsby could not stop Brentwood’s surging attacks and more goals arrived in the last 15 minutes. Alex B slammed home a shot from 25 yards out, Connor S notched a good goal and, finally, Raffy G slotted a shot from 30 yards into the bottom corner of the net. The crowd applauded deliriously (thanks, Gord) and the media dashed off to deliver their stories and photos to CNN, Fox, CBC, and Reuters.

Final score: Brentwood 2nd XI: 6, Barsby 1st XI: 1.

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