Grime Praises Character After Shootout Victory in JCP Construction NCEL League Cup

Leeds UFCA head coach Steve Grime hailed his side’s resilience and character after they edged past Worsbrough Bridge Athletic on penalties to progress in the JCP Construction NCEL League Cup.

After defeat to Route One Rovers at the weekend, Grime was delighted with the way his players responded - battling to a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes before holding their nerve in a tense 5-4 penalty shootout win.

“The boys were fantastic tonight,” said Grime. “It was a different proposition to what we faced against Route One Rovers. Worsbrough played a very direct style, and we had to deal with a lot of balls into the box. I thought the lads stood up to that challenge brilliantly and competed from the first whistle.”

Despite conceding early, Grime was pleased with the response from his side - who showed strong character to turn the game around.

“We went a goal down after two or three minutes, which is never ideal, but the boys rallied, competed, and got ourselves back into the game. We worked hard to go 2-1 up, which showed real determination and belief.

“We knew they’d come out in the second half and throw everything at us, and they did. They got their equaliser from a cross, but we dug in during the latter stages, defended well, and saw it through to penalties.”

In the shootout, debutant goalkeeper Luke Jackson emerged as a hero - pulling off a crucial save to help UFCA progress.

“Luke was superb on his debut,” added Grime. “Saving a penalty in a shootout on your first appearance takes a lot of character and composure. He was fantastic, and so were all the lads who stepped up and took their penalties.”

With momentum back on their side, Grime is keen to carry the positives from this cup win into the league campaign.

“This win gives the boys a real boost. We move on now to the league on Saturday, but tonight has shown that this group has resilience and a will to compete. That’s exactly what we’ll need as we push forward this season.”