So Bank Holiday Monday at the start of May saw me at a cup final at Oakside as rivalsSawbridgeworth Town and Takeley contested the Essex Senior League Challenge Cup Final.
Sawbridgeworth had lost out to fourth place on the final weekend of the season to Takeley and so had an instant chance to gain revenge for this whilst Takeley were going for a cup doubleafter they had won the Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy on Easter Monday.
A decent bank holiday crowd of 342 were in attendance to see what the teams could muster and after five minutes Reece Cosson tested Takeley keeper Ronnie Yates with a long range effort and then five minutes later Gavin Cockman got in down the left and after cutting inside he could only drag his effort well wide of the Takeley net.
Sawbo went closer still in the 17th minute when Yates had to make a superb save from a Matt Frew header at point blank range as the Robins threatened to edge in front in this final.
Just before the half hour mark Takeley woke up and saw a great chance fall to Mitchell Das as after the ball had dropped to him his point blank range effort was saved by Matt Ponter, before moments later Ponter was called into action again, producing another good seventh keep theStation Road side out.
Ten minutes before the break a Sawbo break down left through Cosson saw him lay a ball across goal and this was miskicked before the final effort from Daryl Doolan went way wide. During the build up Das went down for Takeley and limped off with what looked a nasty hamstring injury, and Reece Barrett came on to replace him.
In first half stoppage time Charlie Cole had a decent sight of goal down the left, but he could only blasts high and wide and it meant despite the feisty competitive nature of the contest, there were no goals to show for it at the break.
Half Time Sawbridgeworth Town 0 Takeley 0
Sawbo began the second period like the first and two minutes into it saw Cosson fires a foot over the bar and then in the 57th minute a good run by Doolan saw him square a pass across the edge of the box to Cockman, but the latter’s effort was well wide of the target.
In the 63rd minute Takeley should of taken the lead when a Cole ball across goal, after a great run by George Wappett, saw Barrett somehow put his effort wide at the far post, and in the 71st minute the Takeley defence almost put the ball into their own net, after a ball pumped into their area was just cleared over the bar.
Both teams were looking threatening now and in the 73rd minute the ball broke to Matt Hurley outside the box, but his effort flew over the Sawbo bar, whilst there minutes later Cosson almost got in for Sawbo but Yates slid in to clear away any danger.
With a minute of the ninety remaining a defensive slip from Takeley almost cost then and saw Cockman almost get in but a terrific tackle denied him before he could pull the trigger. It meant the final would go into extra time.
Full Time Sawbridgeworth Town 0 Takeley 0
So could anyone score in the extra half hour. Well in the 100th minute we got out breakthrough, and it came from Takeley, as Cole teed up Barrett to slot Takeley ahead and cue wild celebrations although they knew their was still work to be done.
And in the 105th minute Sawbo came oh so close to levelling when Cosson headed over, thereafter Takeley had chances to seal the deal when Barrett saw a far post header blocked and then Ponter saved from Wappett and Cole as Sawbo pushed up to try and find a leveller.
It wasn’t to be though and Takeley made it a cup double for the season so well played to them for that. It was a keenly contested final though so hats of to both teams for a good battle today.
Full Time Sawbridgeworth Town 0 Takeley 1 (aet)
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