Fairlop Rovers 3 Old Esthameians 1

Essex Alliance League Fenton Trophy Final, Monday 16th May

Monday night saw me at Brisbane Road, Leyton Orient, for the first ever Essex Alliance League Fenton Trophy Final and saw a Harry Oliver brace help Fairlop Rovers record victory over Old Esthameians to complete a league and cup double.

This competition was created this season for teams who play in Divisions Two, Three and Four of the Alliance, and Fairlop Rovers had won the Division Two title to gain promotion to Division One next season, whereas their opponents, who also play in Division Two, will most likely end the season in fifth spot (they have one game left against second placed Rainham Working Mens Club) and are sixteen points behind their opponents.

How did the sides do against each other in the league season, well, in the game at Old E’s at the end of October, Rovers netted a 9-2 win, whereas the game scheduled to take place at Rovers only a week or so ago saw a home win awarded after Old Es failed to fulfil the fixture and in doing so saw Rovers clinch the title as a result, so it didn’t look to clever for Old Es heading into the final looking at their two (or one) game against their opponents in the season.

This is a cup final though so you never know what may happen, and Old Es could end the season with some silverware I they could pull off a surprise, whereas Rovers were looking for a league and cup double to cap a fine campaign, and one of these sides would be the first name to go on this trophy as well.

Shall we see how both teams got to this final, below is how they did it…

Preliminary Round

Flyers U21s 0 Old Esthameians 2

First Round

Fairlop Rovers 10 Avondale Rangers 4

Old Esthameians 9 Emerson & Upminster A 3

Second Round

Lymore Gardens Reserves 1 Fairlop Rovers 12

Ryan U23s 3 Old Esthameians 4

Quarter Finals

Fairlop Rovers 2 Loughton Lions 2 (Loughton Lions won 3-2 on penalties, however after protest from Rovers, they were awarded the tie and progressed)

Royal Forest 2 Old Esthameians 3

Semi Finals

Fairlop Rovers 1 Rainham Working Mens Club 1 (Fairlop Rovers won 4-3 on penalties)

Old Esthameians 3 Unitey 2

Rovers certainly had an interesting path to the final, after netting twenty-two goals in their first two ties of the competition, they were then knocked out by Loughton Lions on penalties but after a protest they were reinstated and sent through, and then needed another shoot out win against RWMC in a top two clash in Division Two to make this final.

Old Es had to play one extra game to make this final, starting in the Prelim Round and they netted their fair share of goals too as they progressed although were also involved in some close encounters too, with their three latest ties all being decided by the odd goal, but Old Es managed to come out on top in all those fixtures to set up their chance of silverware at The Orient.

Anyway to that final, and it turned out to be a pretty entertaining encounter, both teams created chances galore as both keepers were put through their paces as well as the defences too, although it wasn't a good start for Old E's and their keeper after a mishap allowed Oliver to steal in and nod a header beyond him and trickle towards goal and over the line despite the keeper and his defenders best attempt to get back to it and prevent it crossing the line.

And with only three minutes on the clock you feared the worst for Old E's, but backed by a very noisy support they responded well to going behind and levelled just past the midway point of the first half when a lovely ball into the box found Les Moyo who stretched to provide a decent finish and level up this final.

More on that atmosphere, it was electric, and with over 400 people present and all sat together in the middle of the stand behind the dugouts, it felt loud, and they were being treated to a decent final which remained all square until Rovers took control early in the second, firstly regaining the lead when Oliver emphatically converted a spot kick eight minutes into the second period, and then on the hour mark came an outrageous piece of skill to increase that lead.

Jack Kibblewhite was the man to take a bow, as he produced a wonderful Rabona kick across goal and into the far corner from inside the box, bringing a wow from most people inside the ground, it was a superb piece of skill and one that handed Rovers a two goal cushion heading into the final half hour.

Could Old E's possibly get back into this final? Well, the game sadly became a bit stop start and scrappy after many players kept going down with cramp, which is normal for sides not used to paying on such a large playing area at a football league ground, so this did affect the game the closer it got to the end.

Old E's did there upmost to try and get back into the contest, but they could not find a second goal that may have caused some alarm for Rovers, and in trying to win a penalty last on, Old E's striker Neil Robinson was given a second yellow for simulation, meaning they would end the game a man light.

It mattered not though as Rovers certainly did more than enough to be the first side to have their name etched onto the Fenton Trophy, and also completed a double after they had won the Division Two title only days before, so not a bad season for Rovers you could say, although they were made to work hard for it by a Old E's side who certainly can be proud of their performance.

Full time Fairlop Rovers 3 Old Esthameians 1