Review of the Cup Finals played on 24th & 26th May.

Mountfield Rovers in their first season with the league became the first team to make the finals of the Paul Bailey /Graham Wright Memorial Trophy and the Harold English Memorial Cup, something that has never been done in the forty four seasons both competitions have been running.

Their first quest of the magical double started at the Vestacare Stadium in Oldham, the home of Avro FC on Friday night, their opponents Bramhall FC.

The game started with a bang and ended in a crescendo. Two minutes into the game Bramhall had a free kick just outside Mountfield’s penalty area, Martin Lennon’s shot should have been a simple save saw keeper Zak Oliver saw him drop the ball allowing Ben Sleath to accept his ‘gift’ and put his team ahead.

Mountfield recovered their composer and had a lot of the ball but found Bramhall’s defence too strong and when they did get through they found Jake Wyatt in defiant mood denying them a couple of scoring chances.

At the other end with Mountfield waiting for the offside whistle saw Oliver redeem himself by denying Lockmane Raked a goal scoring chance. Dan Street thought he had levelled the scores but was robbed of his glory by the offside flag.

Early in the second half Bobby Smith should have done better with his chance put but it wide of Wyatt’s goal. But in a two minute spell on the hour the game was turned upside down with a double from Mountfield’s Ollie McFayden, his first a chip over the stranded Wyatt, his second a well struck shot.

Luke Berry then brought a good save out of Wyatt with his effort. Alex Roughley had a chance to level the scores but shot wide from a good position. Luke Berry put a shot wide at the other end before the grand finale.

Bobby Smith hit a ‘screamer’ into the top corner of the Bramhall net, then a shot from Danny Kayobe that hit both posts before settling in the net put the game beyond doubt.

For his two goals and his overall display Ollie McFayden was named MOM.

First part of the double completed.

Thirty nine hours later at Edgeley Park the home of the Stockport County, the EFL Division Two Champions they faced Offerton Green runners up in the Premier Division who were looking for a hat trick of cup wins.

In the opening five minutes both keepers got the feel off the ball with comfortable saves.

The first real threat on either goal saw Daniel Boateng force Offy’s Ritchie Torkington into a smart save. Offy hit back and went a goal in front on the fifteen minute mark, a long ball out of defence saw Luke Butler win the race to retrieve it and from the left hand side of the area saw his right foot shot take a deflection giving keeper Zak Oliver no chance.

Then Kris Fawcett who told me before the game that he was retiring hit the roof of the Mountfield net with his shot while at the other end Torkington had to be at his best to keep out a Joseph Siemasko goal bound shot.

Then just like Friday a five minute spell changed the game.

Offy failed to clear their area allowing Lucas Berry to score. Lucas Berry and then Ethan Robson forced good saves from Torkington but his defence let him down when they allowed Berry his chance to put his side into the half time lead.
Both teams made half time substitutions. Dieter Downey went on for Jamie Pickering and Mountfield sent on Ollie Harrison for Ethan Green.

Within a minute of the restart Luke Butler hit the post and from the rebound Jonny Hurst only yards out lost his balance and failed to poke the ball home from two yards, a big let off for Mountfield.

The game evened up with Offy having more of the ball without threatening the Mountfield goal.

Boateng’s cross was headed wide by Jack Gill, Berry looking for his hat trick was once again denied by Torkington.

With twenty minutes on the clock Mountfield netted their third, the industrious Boateng found Ollie McFayden with a neat pass who gave Torkington no chance with a neat finish.

It could have been better if sub Danny Koyobe had not put his shot over the bar after Torkington had parried a McFayden shot.

In the closing minutes Oliver made his first serious save from a Jonny Hurst shot then flicked a Henry Jackson free kick over for a corner.

It was a deserved win for the new boys, Lucas Berry who was unlucky not to complete a hat trick was named the MOM,
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This report contains the words, thoughts and opinions of Keith Coates and not necessarily those of the SDSFL.