Match Report Provided by Tom Lamb, Property Director, Towngate Plc. 19 years on from when this prestigious event first took place, the Yorkshire Property Charity Football Match between the The Property Agents and The Property Professionals returned to the magnificent South Leeds Stadium once again. 

The event was in support of some worthwhile charities…

At an earlier kick off time of 9am, battle commenced…

The Agents side looked familiar from years gone by, and it was apparent they had played together before, and even knew each others names. The Professionals on the other hand had come in force, and struggled to include all those that had turned out in the team photo.

The Agents piled on the pressure in the opening stages, and despite their ageing limbs Iain McPhail and Al Hailey showed their class. It was not long before the deadlock was broken, with a strong break down the right wing, the winger danced past the debutant at left back and just as he looked to slide the ball across the face of goal, he was cynically brought down. A penalty was the only outcome, and Henry King clinically slid it home to make it 1 – 0.

A breakthrough came from the Professionals… 

The game ebbed and flowed from then on with some robust tackling from both teams…. Rob Devoy from The Professionals was definitely in no mood to concede any ground, and it was his pressure that brought about their breakthrough. A weak clearance from keeper Jordan Yorath fell at the feet of Marcus Watson from The Professional team, who took no hesitation in expertly curling a left footed forty yarder into the top corner.

Game on ! It was 1-1 and all to play for… 

Could The Agents take the relentless pressure?

Half time came and saw wholesale changes for The Professionals with a completely new 11 entering the arena. Tom Wheldon – the manager of The Professionals, was keen to introduce fresh legs, and it appeared to be paying off with wave after wave of pressure beating down on The Agent’s goal. A sweetly struck free kick rattled off the bar, and numerous other chances came and went.

A goals a goal… the telling moment came!

Deep into the 2^nd half the telling moment came, when against the run of play, The Agents broke away causing chaos in the defensive ranks of The Professionals, and a scrambled goal mouth melay ended with the ball trickling into the back of the net. No idea who got the final touch, but a goals a goal! …,and now The Agents were back on top taking a 2-1 lead. 

In the ultimate 10 minutes, The Professionals gave it their all to get back on level terms – and in the final act of the game, it looked as if they might have done it.

Rising like a salmon, the game was decided

A corner was given from the right hand flank. ‘Everybody up’  ordered Wheldon from the side lines. Keeper John Gautrey ambled up from the back with glory on his mind, and as the ball floated into the box, his eyes lit up, and rising like a salmon from the penalty spot he planted his header just wide of the far post.

He fell to the ground holding his face… “what could have been!!” The result was in – The Agents jubilantly embraced after taking the trophy for the 5^th consecutive year. It was a hard fought game, and much closer than previous encounters. There’s no doubt the Professionals will be hoping to get their revenge in a years time!

FINAL SCORE 2-1