Wolves 3 Social Club 3 (Social Club won 4-2 on penalties)

Young Men’s Social Club clinched a berth in the semi-finals of the Shield competition with a stunning late comeback to tame Wolves in a customary battle royale between the arch rivals at Goose Gosling Field on Saturday night.

After the two teams battled to a 1-1 deadlock after 90 minutes, Wolves appeared to have the match in the bag when boasting a 3-1 lead with mere minutes left in extra time.

But the never-say-die attitude of Social Club held firm and the Bluebirds were able to draw level with literally the last kick of extra time when captain David Jones Jr somehow managed to find the back of the net with a free kick from 20 yards. Despite Wolves instituting a six-man wall, the ball ricocheted off a defender and beat the goalkeeper.

Shattered at having tossed out a simple victory, Wolves were horrendous from the penalty spot, missing badly on two of their first three kicks, while Social Club were the picture of perfection, converting all four with Zanikae Hendrickson planting home the winner.

“It’s always a battle when we play Wolves, so we know it’s a fight until the end,” said Bluebirds coach Michael Smith at the end of the drama. “We knew what would happen and we told our players, ‘You've got to fight. You’ve got to just fight to the finish’.

“It wasn’t anything tactical or technical, it was all about fighting to the end and that’s what we did.”

The two teams had earlier waded through an initial period that provided only dull flashes of quality, one being exhibited in the 63rd minute by Jinario Johnston during a sprawling run from inside left, where he ghosted past two defenders before sending in a purposeful cross that David Jones nudged past a hopelessly exposed Gatwoine Minors in goal.

Seven minutes later Wolves stormed back and levelled the score from the penalty spot, with Sergio Richardson converting after a surging Troy Tucker was fouled in the area.

Wolves appeared the fresher outfit in extra time with the injection of Atinori Butterfield reaping fruit, the lanky forward striking twice in quick succession n the 93rd and 101st minutes to kick-start extra time and shake the rafters i.

From impregnable strength came collapse, as a critical miskick by centre-back Jason Davis allowed Giniko Butterfield to score on a breakaway and that was immediately followed by a deliberate offence by Minors, who escaped with a caution for handling outside the box.

Jones then made his opponents pay the ultimate price for error in the most stunning fashion.

Meanwhile, left to rue what might have been was Wolves coach Torry Davis, who could barely believe what had transpired in the match’s final moments to eliminate hopes of a successful defence of the Shield.

“We were lacking in focus and concentration at the end,” Davis said. “At 3-1 up, I did not think there was any way we could lose the match with five minutes left. It’s always a dogfight between the two clubs, but this was our game to take.

“It was a moment for our guys to dig deeper to pull us through and that’s something you can’t coach.”

The Bluebirds now join St David’s, Paget and Ireland Rangers in the final four of the second tier’s premier knockout cup competition.

SCORERS

Wolves: S Richards 70, A Butterfield 93, 101.

Social Club: Jones 63, 120+2, G Butterfield 118.

TEAMS

Wolves (3-5-2): G Minors 5 -- J Davis 5, K Smith 6, M Ming 5 (sub: A Evans, 109 min) -- M Ming 6, T Tucker 7, A Brangman 6, M Mello-Cann 5 (sub: S Richardson, 64), R Saggar 5 (sub: R Ford, 53 5) -- K Brangman 5 (sub: A Smith, 84 6), S Velasse-Paul 6 (sub: A Butterfield, 84 7). Substitutes not used: T Davis. Booked: Minors, A Brangman.

Social Club (4-4-2): K Cann 5 -- Kel Butterfield 5, K Singh 5 (sub: Z Hendrickson, 97 5; K Smith 5, C Woolridge 5 -- N Armstrong 5 (sub: M Simmons, 40 6), J Johnston 6, B Swan 6, N Williams 6 (sub: S Jennings, 97 5) -- D Jones 7, G Butterfield 6. Substitutes not used: Kes Butterfield, J Fubler, M Rudo. Booked: Woolridge.

Referee: M Wyer