Chigwell took Essex
Alliance Football League Division One Cup honours after they defeated Three
Colts on penalties following a six-goal thriller at Victoria Road in Dagenham.
This was always a hard one to call, Three Colts finished fourth
in the league, one place and six points behind Chigwell, and with each side
having a win against each other this season, this was always going to be a well
contested final.
Chigwell perhaps were considered very slight favourites if
you had to pick one of the sides, but after each side had seen efforts go
straight at the keeper, Colts took a sixth minute lead in spectacular fashion
as the ball sat up and was smacked over the keeper into the corner from twenty
yards.
Chigwell almost responded immediately when they got in, only
for a last-ditch challenge to thwart them as they were about to shoot, and in
the ninth minute Colts stunned their opponents by going two goals up with another
wonderful effort from outside the box.
It had been an extraordinary start and Chigwell looked shell
shocked, but just past the quarter hour mark this remarkable game continued to
shock and surprise as Chigwell pulled one back after a cross from the left
sailed over the keeper’s head and into the far corner.
Chigwell were now searching for a leveller and saw a corner
glanced wide of the far post, before they then curled over a free kick, it had
been a cracking half hour of football.
Colts then got in down the right, but the cross towards the
striker was brilliantly cleared by a defender, and then nine minutes before the
half Chigwell did find that leveller when a loose ball was poked home from
close range after the keeper had saved the initial effort.
Chigwell now were searching for the lead, remarkable after
finding themselves two goals down inside ten minutes of the contest, and they
sent a volley straight at the keeper before they then attacked down the right,
sent in a dangerous ball, which saw two strikers, keeper and defender all
collide trying to get it, although the flag had gone up anyway.
Colts then fired a decent effort at goal from range but saw
this saved by the keeper, and it meant this superb half of football came to an
end with the sides all square. Breathless!!!
Half Time Three Colts
2 Chigwell 2
Chigwell started the half right on the front foot and saw an
effort struck just over, before they should have gone in front when they saw
two close range efforts amongst a scramble inside the Colts six-yard box
somehow blocked, before another Chigwell attack saw an effort deflected into
the side netting.
The resulting corner ended up going over the bar after Colts
could not clear, but just before the hour mark the inevitable third goal came
for Chigwell as another corner was this time flicked on into the dangerzone and
then headed home from close range, and you felt that Chigwell may go on and win
this by two of three more.
But not a bit of it, as barely two minutes after that goal
this topsy turvy contest saw Colts level when a loose ball was poked into the
corner of the net, and we were all square once again, unbelievable!!!
Chigwell then sent a header straight at the keeper from a decent
position, before another Chigwell chance saw the ball fall to them inside the
box, but the effort was again straight at the keeper.
Another brilliant ball into the Colts box saw Chigwell send
a diving header straight at the keeper, before another effort from Chigwell was
blocked, this after they had broke from a Colts attack which saw them asking
for a spot-kick, it was a remarkable game and hard to keep up with at times!!!
Chigwell then went so close to retaking the lead when
thumping a close-range header against the bar and over, before another Chigwell
effort was blocked, although they claimed it had hit the hand of a defender who
was lying on the floor when he blocked it, however nothing was given.
Another goalmouth scramble inside Colts six-yard box saw the
ball eventually being scrambled clear, and then in stoppage time a Chigwell
free-kick was touched over before another effort saw a looping header almost
find the far corner, but the keeper made the save, bringing this contest to a
close and needing penalties to decide the winners.
The shootout had its dramas too, Colts saw their first
penalty saved, but managed to claw it back to 2-2 after four each. Both keepers were having super shootouts too,
but another save from the Chigwell one meant they had the chance to win it with
their fifth and final kick, and they did just that too win this competition. What.A.Game!!! Both sides need to be applauded for such a
super contest and it was nice to see such wonderful sportsmanship afterwards too,
well done to all concerned.
Full Time Three Colts
3 Chigwell 3 (Chigwell won 3-2 on
penalties)
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