League Play-Off

Peapack and Gladston
Spectators: 35 (Terracing: 27, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) Rolf Tinsley made the kick off and thus started the match. Louis Spangler charged in rather forcefully in the 3rd minute of the match, and managed to knock his opponent down. The referee showed Louis Spangler the yellow card, and asked the players to shake hands before continuing play. Darell Davila, 4 minutes into the match, dribbled the ball up the side of the field and decided to take a long shot at the goal. Unfortunately, the ball was poorly hit and landed closer to the corner than to the goal. Jerry Brock received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 6th minute. Denny Hammons tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. After 13 minutes, David Cowan mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Peapack and Gladstone and the Decorah players grew even worse after the yellow card. A collision led to Peapack and Gladstone getting a freekick after 13 minutes play. David Cowan hit a great ball. 16 minutes into the match, Decorah's goalkeeper Denny Hammons had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by David Cowan. The audience was convinced that Palmer Bearden's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Orville Roman was relentless in the 21st minute of the game. If Willis Kauffman had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 25th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. In the 28th minute Rolf Tinsley shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Orville Roman saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Palmer Bearden in the 30th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Orville Roman saved Peapack and Gladstone from getting behind. Palmer Bearden fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 34th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Orville Roman having to interfere. When Decorah's Rolf Tinsley in 36 game minutes managed to cut through with the ball in front of the goal, only having to shoot. Orville Roman guarding the goal like a pit bull was extremely focused and managed to reach the ball just by the crossbar before it went in. Rolf Tinsley took the ball and in the 40 minute, shot a rapid shot to the right of a surprised Orville Roman. Orville Roman dived to the right, and did manage to get a hand on the shot, but it still went into the right corner making it 0-1. After the first half Decorah were leading 0-1. They had played with great self confidence throughout the first half and fully deserved their lead.

The wind increased when Jerry Brock made the kick off in the second half. Decorah's Denny Hammons played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Jerry Brock in the 56th minute of play. Denny Hammons took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Jerry Brock, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Palmer Bearden in the 61stth minute had a little luck and got a chance for a shot in front of the goal. Without hesitation aimed to the right of Orville Roman, who managed to lunge to the right direction and made a save. Rolf Tinsley fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 62nd minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Orville Roman having to interfere. 69 minutes into the match, Decorah's goal looked a bit too open when Willis Kauffman came free, but Denny Hammons reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Denny Hammons showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Jerry Brock, who was totally free with the ball in the 71st minute. When Louis Spangler was, once again, overly rough in his play he received his second yellow card and was ordered off the ground. 76 minutes had been played. Louis Spangler kicked well hit freekick during the 77th minute of the match. In the 77th minute of the match Darell Davila sent off a long shot with destination to the right of the goalkeeper, but Denny Hammons skillfully saved the ball. The audience was convinced that Willis Kauffman's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Denny Hammons was relentless in the 85th minute of the game. When the match had gone on for 87 minutes, Willis Kauffman put it in 2-2 from a short distance just to the right of Denny Hammons. If Willis Kauffman had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 92nd minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. Both teams had looked equal from kick-off, and no-one was surprised when the match finally ended in a draw.