Manderwood Pembrokeshire Football League Division One:

 

Goodwick United 4 - Hakin United 4

 
It was never going to end quietly was it?
 
An early red card, a first half blitz from Hakin, an incredible fightback from Goodwick, an injury time equaliser from Shane Walsh, and confrontations at the final whistle.

But at the end of it all, Hakin United are Division One champions for the 18^th time in their history after a dramatic 4-4 draw at Phoenix Park tonight.
 
They led 3-0 half time, only to find themselves 4-3 down to the 10 men of Goodwick with 20 minutes to go, before Walsh turned in Craig Nicholson’s driven cross to spark bedlam amongst players and supporters of The Vikings.

Even then, the drama wasn’t over, with the home side having strong appeals for a penalty turned away after Nicky Woodrow appeared to handle the ball on his own line.
 

Vikings dominate the first half

 
And yet, at half time there was little sign of the chaos to come after The Vikings dominated the opening 45 minutes.
 
Kristan Bennett’s side went in knowing they needed just a point from the ‘double header’ to retain their title – while Goodwick’s task of having to beat their fierce rivals both tonight and at The Obs on Monday, by a combined aggregate of seven goals, appeared a sizeable one.
 
Within 10 minutes of kick off – it looked nigh on impossible.
 
It took just five minutes for Hakin to lead as Nicky Woodrow released Ben Fawcett in the area, and he in turn set up Justin Harding to fire a low shot home from close range.
 

Rattled Goodwick go down to ten men

 
And barely had the celebrations died down when things got worse for the home side, as Kieran O’Brien went in two footed on Leigh Marchant right in front of referee Tom Bevan – who had little option but to show a straight red card.
 
The Phoenix Boys appeared rattled. Matty Delaney had a long range effort that bounced awkwardly in front of Hakin keeper Adrian Devonald, but it was rare moment of threat as Bennett’s men went for the jugular.
 
Harding was unable to adjust his feet in time when Fawcett’s mishit shot bounced into his path, and home keeper James Gwilt had to be sharply off his line to beat Woodrow to a long ball forward.
 
Gwilt then had to be at his best to push away Harding’s driven shot, and substitute Walsh, on for the injured Jack Wilson, crossed for Fawcett whose flicked effort went inches wide under pressure from Anthony Couzens.
 

Vital goals for Vikings before the break

 
But then just before half time, the pressure told as Hakin struck twice in 90 seconds – and seemingly sealed the title in the process.
 
Woodrow made ground down the right side of the area and chipped a cross to the back post, which Walsh duly nodded back across goal to give Harding the simplest of finishes.
 
And then it was Woodrow himself who made it three, latching onto Fawcett’s ball over the top and expertly dinking his shot on the bounce over Gwilt and into the net.
 
From the final play of the half, it could have been four as Fawcett, again superb throughout the opening 45 minutes, cut past Couzens but then dragged his shot across the face of goal.

It didn’t seem like it would matter. For many, the half time whistle might as well have signalled the end of the contest as Goodwick, with the injured Chris O’Sullivan running them from the sideline, looked dead and buried.
 

Phoenix Boys rise from the ashes

 
But they refused to go quietly – and in a display of sheer guts and determination, came out in the second half and turned things around.
 
Within a minute of the re-start, it was back to 3-1 as Matty Delaney’s corner caused a goalmouth scramble, and the ball appeared to trickle over the line via a deflection off Hakin centre back Marchant.
 
The fightback continued as moments later, Lee Hudgell went clean through, but his powerful left foot shot was straight at Adrian Devonald.
 
At the other end Ryan Wilson had a free kick tipped inches over by Gwilt, before things really got interesting.

Devonald darted off his line and rashly brought down Griffiths, and from the penalty that followed, Adam Raymond sent the keeper the wrong way.
 

Goodwick get level . . .

 
That gave the Phoenix Boys 30 minutes to score twice more, but as they left gaps at the back, it was Hakin who then had two big chances, with Woodrow having his shot beaten away by Gwilt, before lobbing the rebound onto the top of the net.
 
Moments later, Walsh put Harding through on goal, but he could only fire wide of the far post when he seemed destined for a hat trick.
 
It proved critical as 64 minutes in, Goodwick were level as Stefan Hayes’ long throw was flicked on by Wayne O’Sullivan, and Griffiths was waiting at the back post to smash home a right footed half volley.
 

. . . And take the lead!

 
Suddenly, it was Hakin on the ropes and Raymond’s cross was just too high for Jonny Horgan, and then on the 70 minute mark, the turnaround was complete.

Sion Price was too casual with his back pass and Horgan intercepted, only for Devonald to concede another penalty by taking out the winger as he skipped around him.
 
The keeper would have been relieved to only see yellow, saved by the ‘double jeopardy’ ruling – but regardless he was rooted to the spot as Raymond planted the spot kick low into the bottom left hand corner.
 

Hakin come back complete

 
Inevitably, Hakin responded, and Ben Steele’s free kick deflected just wide with Gwilt wrong footed – and then they fashioned two big chances from Camron Thomas corners.
 
Firstly, a scramble ended in Ryan Wilson crashing a close range shot off the bar, before Marchant headed over from point blank range.
 
At that point, it appeared the title race would be going to Monday night at The Obs, but then it was Walsh, just as he did at The Racecourse against Merlins Bridge last Thursday, who grabbed the precious goal.
 
With the 90 minutes already up on the clock, another frantic Hakin attack resulted in Nicholson firing a low cross-shot back into the area, and the unmarked forward was on hand to turn the ball home from six yards out.
 
The home players and supporters were screaming for offside, but Angus Scourfield’s flag remained down as The Vikings celebrated wildly - with Walsh seeing yellow for removing his shirt as he was mobbed by team mates.
 

Tension bubbles over at the end

 
But the contest wasn’t done. From the final play of the game, Hayes launched a long free kick into the box, and another scramble ensued with the ball appearing to hit the arm of Woodrow on the goal line, but referee Bevan ruled no penalty.
 
It was the final act of another memorable clash between the two, and tempers continued to fray after the final whistle with both sets of players involved in a confrontation by the changing room doors.
 
Both sides will now conclude the Division One season at The Obs on Monday, where The Vikings will officially receive the silverware.
 
And despite there now being little on the contest, don’t expect things to peter out gently.
 
Goodwick United: James Gwilt, Stefan Hayes, Wayne O’Sullivan, Scott Delaney, Anthony Couzens (Rowan Nicholson 74), Matty Delaney, Kieran O’Brien, Adam Raymond, Lee Hudgell, Jonny Horgan, Jordan Griffiths.
Subs not used: Steve Dockerty, Steve Blackford.

Hakin United: Adrian Devonald, Jake Merry, Leigh Marchant, Sion Price, Ben Steele, Ben Fawcett, Craig Nicholson, Ryan Wilson, Jack Wilson (Shane Walsh 30), Justin Harding (Camron Thomas 85), Nicky Woodrow.
Subs not used: Bradley Barrett.

Referee: Tom Bevan.
Assistants: Angus Scourfield and Dai Badger.