Yorkshire 5-4 Panjab – MATCH REPORT (18/11/2018)

YIFA 5 – 4 Panjab FA

From Paul Howard at Ingfield

An inspired Tom Greaves impressed as the Yorkshire international football team capped off their inaugural year with an incredible nine goal thriller against Panjab FA, a win that will give the Vikings a great platform to improve on in the coming years.

Official Yorkshire mascot ‘Rangar The Viking’ lines up with the team before kick off. **Photo: Matthew Appleby**

Watched by a crowd of 612 at the home of Ossett United football club, the Vikings were looking to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat last month against the Parishes of Jersey. It definitely wasn’t the start that the YIFA men wanted, within the first minute a lapse of concentration allowed the Panjab attack through, who finished off a lovely move with a sweet volley at the far post.

Panjab got off to a fantastic start, opening the scoring in the first minute. **Photo: Matthew Appleby**

Despite the setback it only took a few minutes for Yorkshire to reply, Greaves broke through the Panjab defence and rounded the keeper to get his first of the afternoon.

The equaliser sprang the Yorkshire fans into life but Panjab had other ideas. In the 12th minute they found themselves in the lead again, forcing the YIFA keeper Ed Hall into a good save, but it was the Panjab strikers who were most alert and they pounced on the rebound to restore their lead.

Despite falling behind for a second time, YIFA didn’t sit back and gradually got themselves back into the game, beginning to ask questions of the Panjab defence – Lichfield even pulling off a lovely Cruyff turn in one attack.

Yorkshire’s number 7 Cameron Rigby, holding off a challenge from the opposition captain. **Photo: Matthew Appleby**

The Vikings hard work would soon pay off, as Tom Greaves was found in the box again, rising like a salmon to double his tally for the afternoon and bring Yorkshire back into the game in the 37th minute.

YIFA started off the second half as they finished the first and took the lead, Litchfield fired an absolute rocket of an effort from the edge of the box which flew past the Panjab keeper, giving him no chance.

Brodie Litchfield is mobbed by his teammates after his wonder goal. **Photo: Matthew Appleby**

But minutes later it would all turn upside down for Yorkshire as Panjab found an equaliser, and then took the lead in the 62nd minute, as the number 10 bended in a sublime free-kick from the edge of the box to make it 4-3 to the away side.

That wasn’t to be the end of the goal-fest either, three minutes later the Man of the Match, Tom Greaves, was most alert in a goalmouth scramble to level the game yet again for the Vikings.

Greaves’ day wasn’t over just yet, as the Ossett United striker added a fourth to his tally, heading in from a corner to give Yorkshire a 5-4 lead with just under 20 minutes to go.