Sunday saw me over at Mayesbrook Park for a couple of
2019/20 Essex Sunday Football Combination finals that were unable to be played last
season due to the early finish because of Covid-19, so both the Beitler and
Morfey Cup were up for grabs with Beckton Gas, Something For Nothing, Debden
Sports and Hillford all in action.
First up was the Beitler Cup Final which saw Beckton Gas
take on Something For Nothing in the lunchtime showing:-
Beitler
Cup Final 2019/20
Beckton Gas
2 Something For Nothing 6
The general consensus before kick off in this one was that
SFN were the big favourites to win this final, they had won and drawn in the
league this season whilst Beckton Gas had lost three out of four of their
matches so far, including a 7-1 loss at leaders Essex Motors (Hornchurch) last
time out, whilst SFN had stuck five past Hainault Athletic two weeks ago in
what was their last outing before this game.
And in the 16th minute SFN grabbed the lead after
Oscar Walton climbed the highest to power a header into the net to give them
the lead, and you felt they were on their way to a comfortable win, but not a
bit of it, as Beckton Gas fought back to level in the 27th minute after
Charlie Owen curled a lovely effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the
box.
However, they were only level for six minutes after a lovely
deft chip from Cyril Pluche went in off the post, and it meant the favourites
led at the break but had been made to work hard by a tough and determined Beckton
Gas side who were still right in this contest.
Half Time Beckton Gas 1 Something For Nothing 2
Did I say Beckton Gas were right in this contest……well they
most certainly were and started the second half well and levelled it final up
once again four minutes after the restart when Joe Bellamy saw his free kick
find the bottom corner although the keeper should of probably saved the effort,
but this final was proving to be a lot closer than most had imagined.
SFN didn’t panic though, even if they had to also deal with
losing their keeper to injury and seeing Walton, scorer of the first goal,
having to don the gloves for the remainder of the contest, and continued to play
their lovely style of play and just past the hour mark won a penalty after a
foul just inside the box given by the assistant on the far side, and De Shaun
Folkes slammed home the spot kick to restore their lead for a third time in
this one.
The game remained in the balance until the final ten minutes
when SFN finally ran away with the contest, netting a fourth with nine to go
after the keeper failed to deal with a cross, Rich Manu was on hand to fire
home, and then it was five with three minutes to go as David Prenga was played
in and he composed himself before firing home.
And a sixth and final goal came four minutes into stoppage
time after superb football from SFN ended with Micah Innocent firing across the
keeper into the far corner and capping a good hard earned win for them against
a very hard working Beckton Gas side who more than played there part in a very
decent final.
Well done to Something For Nothing though, Beitler Cup
winners for 2019/20.
Full Time Beckton Gas 2 Something For Nothing 6
Onto Game Two of the day and the Morfey Cup final which would
be contested between Debden Sports and Hillford:-
Morfey
Cup Final 2019/20
Debden
Sports 0 Hillford 7
These two had met in the league at Debden Sports Club a
month ago and saw Hillford all three points in a 2-0 success in a game that
could have easily gone the other way, so many expected a decent final here
between two good sides.
Debden had won their other league game this season, a 3-2 home
win over South Ilford Catholics, whilst Hillford had won all four of their
league games so far this term netting sixteen times and not conceding once, so
Hillford went into this one as favourites on paper at least, but most expected
a close and tight affair.
And Hllford began in the most perfect way after a cross to
the far post saw Sam Norey head home in just the second minute, and Debden were
already up against it very early on.
The half though then reverted to type for a majority of the
opening period as the tight and well contested affair most had expected
happened, and as the half entered its final few minutes you felt it would only
be a one goal lead or maybe Debden could force a leveller to go in at the half level
if they could somehow break that mean Hillford backline.
But, the last six minutes of the half saw Hillford establish
a four goal lead at the break which no one saw coming, and made it almost an
impossible task for Debden to recover from.
Hillford made it two in the 39th minute when a free kick into
the six yard box saw the keeper fail to deal with the cross and Norey bundled
over the line from a yard out, and then it was three four minutes later as
Chris Power literally powered an effort into the far corner.
And the six minutes of madness ended when Sean Greaves made
the most of another keeper error to fire through a crowded penalty area into
the net, and Hillford had already pretty much ended this contest in the opening
forty five minutes. It was close for 39
minutes, then the last six minutes saw Debden fall apart as Hillford capitalised
and go into the break 4-0 up. It was a
rather unexpected end to the half that’s for sure!!!
Half Time Debden Sports 0 Hillford 4
To be fair to Debden they came out determined to grab a goal
or two back to make this final more of a contest they hoped at least, and they
struck the bar and saw two other efforts saved or go wide as they at least were
giving it a go, but that was as good as it got for them as Hillford made it
five in the 64th minute when after Hillford had seen a penalty
appeal turned down, Norey completed his hat-trick when his wonderful effort found
the top corner from outside the box.
Dan Vale was then given a straight red for Debden three
minutes later for an off the ball incident which I missed (sorry!!!) as things
were going from bad to worse for Debden, and things got even uglier for them
when Hillford added a sixth just three minutes after that when Greaves grabbed
his second of the game by driving an effort across the keeper and into the far
corner.
The remainder of the contest rather went through the motions
as both sides knew this was more than over now, but there was still time for
Hillford to add a seventh and complete quite a day for them when Joseph Lana stretched
to divert a cross into the bottom corner with two minutes remaining.
So, after a pretty tight first half, Hillford outclassed
their opponents from the 39th minute onwards, and at their fourth
attempt at winning a trophy they pick up the Morfey Cup for 2019/20 so well done
to them indeed!!!
Full Time Debden Sports 0 Hillford 7
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