Match Report
CLUB CLINCH HISTORIC WIN
Sheffield FC 2 v 0 Ajax
Sheffield FC celebrated a historic win over Dutch giants Ajax at Bramall Lane.
Jamie Smith gave Club an early lead with a close range strike, before Vill Powell added a second on the hour-mark.
 It was another remarkable game for Sheffield, with more than 5,000 spectators in attendance, as the world’s first football club continued to celebrate its 150th anniversary.
Ajax brought to Sheffield one of the best youth teams in Europe, with a number of internationals from the fringes of their first-team squad. However, it was Sheffield who started the game brightly as Rob Ward smashed a 25-yard volley straight at the keeper.
The home side opened the scoring on 16 minutes. Gary Townsend’s cross found Chris Dolby, who cleverly beat the defender before sliding the ball past the keeper to leave JAMIE SMITH with an open goal from five yards out.
Sheffield continued to defend well and Ajax were restricted to shooting from long-range. Antonia volleyed over the bar and Lachman fired a low drive straight at Haystead, all in the space of a couple of minutes.
On the stroke of half-time, Sheffield had a good chance to double their lead. The Ajax keeper was penalised for catching the ball outside of the area. Dolby attempted a quick free-catch to catch the keeper off his line, but the midfielder’s attempt was over the bar.
Dave McCarthy’s men continued to pressure and were the better side in the opening stages of the second half. Ward was clean through on goal after another quickly taken set-piece, only to be stopped by the linesman’s flag.
Sheffield began to make a number of substitutions and Vill Powell almost made an instant impact, heading wide a Stewart Copnell free-kick from eight yards.
Powell made up for the miss two minutes later when he was played clean through on goal by Darren Holmes. POWELL’s initial shot was blocked, but the striker’s second attempt slipped under the keeper to give Sheffield a deserved two-goal lead. 
Sheffield almost added a third minutes later. Matt Roney’s perfect cross was volleyed powerfully past the Ajax keeper by Powell, only for the linesman’s flag to again deny the home-side a goal.
Ajax started to push more men forward to try to get back into the game, but again the Dutch side could only manage long-range efforts. On 70 minutes, Zeegelaar clipped the top of the bar from 25-yards out and Sheffield’s substitute keeper Martin Kearney comfortably caught a shot from the edge of the box.
Kearney was again on hand in the 83rd-minute to deny Ajax a goal, diving bravely at the feet of the attacker who seemed destined to score.
Sheffield were able to play out the final minutes of the game and secure a memorable win against one of the greatest European club’s of all time. It was a great performance and a fitting victory to celebrate a special season for the club.
Next up for Club is an away trip to Belper Town on Tuesday (April 15) night in the Unibond League Division One South.
Sheffield FC: Haystead, G. Smith, Boulter, Jones (c), Davey, Winter, Dolby, Roney, Townsend, J. Smith, Ward. Subs: Kearney, Lowton, Powell, Holmes, Copnell, Ingall, Thorpe, Hawes, Boden, Taylor. Unused: Holmshaw, P. Smith.
Ajax: Ouwerkerk, Danso, Tillema, Schell, Antonia, Huijsman, Resida, Lachman, Olijve, Zeegelaar, Van der Meulen, Jongebloet, Burger, Claasen, Apau, Lazic.
Attendance: 5, 173
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