Wolverhampton Wanderers FC won the Reliance Foundation presents Premier League Next Gen Cup after defeating Stellenbosch FC on penalties. With the Wolves scoring the initial goal in the first half and Stellenbosch netting the equalise in the 46th, the summit match ended 1-1 in regulation time.
In the first half, Wolves displayed greater initiative than the other squad. Oliver Tipton and other members of their backline seized the initiative to start attacking moves, working hard on both ends of the pitch. From the left wing, Roy-Keane Avontuur made some daring runs, but the Wolves’ defence stopped him.
In the 12th minute, Ethan Felix of Stellenbosch fired a strong effort from the right side of the 18-yard box. Joe Young, the custodian for the Premier League squad, made a clean save. With Harvey Griffiths’ incredible left-footed shot from outside the box at the halfway point of the game, the James Collins-coached team gradually gained control of the situation.
Midfielder Owen Hesketh went up to take the corner, and Griffiths met his curling kick superbly and tapped it into the goal to give Wolves the game’s first lead. Hesketh made some deft passes to Ty Barnett and Nathan Fraser, but Stellenbosch intercepted them to keep playing in the second half.
After the halftime break, the defending champs returned with a bit more vigour and plans. They started stretching Wolves’ backline and launching numerous crosses into the box to test them on the sides.
This tactic worked for Stellenbosch since they saw far more of the ball and were successful in keeping the Wolves inside their own half. During one such manoeuvre, Antonio Van Wyk intercepted a crisp pass from the right side and slammed it expertly into the bottom left corner to secure the equaliser and add more intrigue to the game.
Next Gen Cup hero Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
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Later in the half, Wolves made a breakthrough with a counterattack. Nathan Fraser missed the target after heading a nearly perfect cross from Justin Hubner off the woodwork. However, none of the two teams was able to earn the victory, so a penalty shootout was required. Wolves maintained their composure and converted on all five of their penalty kicks. Van Wyk’s first-shot miss, however, prevented the South African squad from winning the Reliance Foundation presents Premier League Next Generation Cup for a second consecutive year.
“I thought it was our hardest game, as we expected it to be. Stellenbosch are such a terrific team!” Wolverhampton Wanderers FC coach James Collins exclaimed after the game.
He added, “My defenders were getting frustrated with me because I told them that they have had an easy tournament and I didn’t expect this game to be easy. They rolled their eyes and said that they had done well. They have done well but tonight was different as the Stellenbosch centre-forward (Van Wyk) was excellent. We knew we had to defend well, which we did.”
“I am so proud of these boys. They have come out here and we have played in this beautiful country for two weeks,” Stellenbosch FC coach Evangelos Vellios said.
“Obviously, it would have been great to have the gold medal around our neck again. But, it is also a great learning experience for these boys. Last year, we won the tournament. This year, we lost in the penalties in the finals. It just keeps us hungry to hopefully come back again one day,” he signed off.
Brief Scores
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (5) (Harvey Griffiths 30’) – 1 (4) (Antonio Van Wyk 46’)
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