Good Friday Cup Finals

[scflfan]

JOHN O'HARA LEAGUE CUP FINAL
AFC UCKFIELD V THREE BRIDGES @ THE BEACON HASSOCKS 11.00 KO

DIVISION 2 CHALLENGE CUP FINAL
LITTLEHAMPTON TOWN V EAST PRESTON @ MILL ROAD ARUNDEL 19.30 KO

DIVISION 3 CHALLENGE CUP FINAL
NEWHAVEN V IFIELD EDWARDS @ MIDDLE ROAD SHOREHAM 15.00KO

[wibby]

Beware the roadwoks at Crossbush!! (Just East of Arundel). If they are still there it can take an hour queueing on the A27 from Worthing trying to get to Arundel.

[Les-Landier]

The road works at Arundel were lifted yesterday so things should be back to normal.

[octopus]

half time 0-1 to 3 bridges

[scflfan]

Full Time

AFC Uckfield 1 V 2 Three Bridges

[Rea John]

DIVISION 3 CUP

IFIELD EDWARDS 2 NEWHAVEN 1

[Geoff]

Div 2 Cup half time

Littlehampton 0 - 3 East Preston

Update: Full time

Littlehampton 1 - 5 East Preston

Congrats to my boys on the double!

[Playupthealbion]

John O'Hara League Cup Final

AFC Uckfield 1 Three Bridges 2
Rivers 10 (pen) G Manton 88
Peauroux 48


AFC Uckfield suffered cup heartache as they ran out of time while Three Bridges held on to the lead for dear life in the John O'Hara League Cup. Played on a lovely sunny morning at the picturesque Beacon (Hassocks), in the shadow of the Jack & Jill windmills on a great playing surface. Following a run of bad form AFC were certainly the underdogs to the potential league title winners in waiting. Only one change (amidst much speculation !) from the squad available for the semi-final with the skilful Aaron Hopkinson on loan from Lewes replacing the suspended Rich Greenfield on the flank.

Uckfield lost the toss and Bridges elected for them to play into the sun first half. The game started at a frenetic pace with AFC just edging the early exchanges. 10 minutes and a lack of defensive concentration resulted in a contentious award for a penalty when Greg Manton was adjudged to have fouled in the box. Tim Rivers took responsibility and profited from the spot when Betts went to the left and the ball was stroked with precision just inside the right post. A bitter blow for Uckers conceding their 4th penalty in the last 3 matches.  This was the first real scoring opportunity for either side. AFC's first opportunity came on 15 minutes with debutant Hopkinson delivering a searching cross field ball which met Andy McDowell's head only for Simon Lehky the Bridges stopper to collect effortlessly. Uckfield's best spell came in the lead-up to the interval with diagonal balls into the wide areas giving Three Bridges all sorts of trouble as their full backs pushed-on. 3 good opportunities for AFC to score came in the 5 minutes before the break but lacking the clinical finish to restore parity. HT 0-1.

Bridges started the proceedings in the second period but it was AFC that hit the self-destruct button when captain Ben Dartnell fell the opposition player unceremoniously with an over zealous two footed challenge in the "D". The Uckfield bench looked on nervously , as the young match official waved away the appeals from both teams, awaiting the fate of their player. The man in black reached for his pocket and brandished a yellow card for the robust challenge. The free kick just outside the area hit by Nigel Brake draw a save from Tom Betts which he failed to hold and William Peauroux seized on the loose ball to slot home unchallenged  doubling the arrears for AFC. 55 minutes and the spritely Hopkinson was scythed down by the Bridges left back resulting in a caution for the rash challenge. 57 minutes and a tactical change to attack the game saw the pace of Tom Swancott injected into the game at the expense of Ben Dartnell with Dan Pollard assuming the role of captain. Bridges hit the cross bar shortly after the substitution and Betts was called into making a fantastic save 1vs1 with the Bridges forward on 62 minutes. 64 minutes and some great work down the left by Greg Manton saw Jack Divall switch the play to Hopkinson on the the right. The Bridges left back misjudged the flight of the ball assuming it had gone for a throw in when in fact it was recovered by the industrious winger who delivered a delicious ball across the 6 yard box. The ball was cleared out only for James Rhodes arriving late on the edge of the box to shoot over the bar. On instruction from the parent club loanee Hopkinson was withdrawn on 68 minutes for Joe Cuttress. The final 10 minutes saw AFC go for broke with a 3-4-3. Bridges had to man the barricades as AFC applied intense pressure on the opposition goal. 43 minutes and the break-through came from a left hand freekick  played into the far post area resulting in a spectacular volley into the top corner by Greg Manton. It really was game on with the reduction in arrears and AFC in the ascendency. Lekhy protected his side's lead to deny Greg Manton's header in added time. BothJoel O’Hara and Dean Carden made dramatic goalline clearances as Bridges held on by a thread. Unfortunately for AFC the goal came 10 minutes too late and they were unable to compensate for their earlier errors and take the game to extra time. FT 1-2.

The underdogs did not disgrace themselves, as many expected, with an excellent performance from the back four expertly marshalled by Powerhouse Dan Pollard, ably assisted by the imperious Greg Manton alongside him and a man-of-the-match performance by unflappable full back Grant Harrison. A cruel defeat for Uckfied who were the architects of their own downfall in a highly entertaining game from a neutral perspective watched by a sizeable crowd. Certainly AFC weren't out played by a very good Bridges side who have failed to score in open play against The Uckers. Good shifts put in all over the park and testament to the losers performance when the winners centre half is awarded man-of-the-match having kept top scorer McDowell at bay. Whilst defeat is always hard to take in a final our support goes to Three Bridges winning the league as that will mean a new season showing for AFC in the Wingrove Trophy ! 

[Sports Fever]

Ifield 2 Newhaven 1 - Report from the Express

UNDERDOGS Ifield upset the odds to beat Newhaven to lift the Division 3 Challenge Cup.


Division 3 leaders Newhaven had begun to assert themselves towards the end of a close first half but they were stunned by goals from Matthew Rendall and Andy Dhiman at the start of the second half.

The Dockers did hit back straight away through Luke Ducchossoy to make it 2-1, but it stayed that was thanks to a gutsy defensive display as Ifield celebrated cup success.

Following Three Bridges’ John O’Hara League Cup win earlier on Good Friday it capped a good day for Crawley’s County League sides.

Mid-table Ifield went into the final some nine places and 29 points behind the current Division 3 leaders.

Yet the first half was closely contested until, in the final minutes Newhaven applied some heavy pressure with Lee Robinson clattering a shot against the underside of the bar.

But it was Ifield who went ahead just a minute after the restart when captain Rendall was allowed a free run at a Dhiman corner and he headed past Dockers keeper Graham Leach.

And 1-0 soon became 2-0 when Ryan Brackpool’s through ball found man of the match Dhiman, who kept his feet under a challenge before dinking a shot into the net.

Newhaven’s response was instant as straight from kick off Robinson cutback for Ducchossoy to blast home.

Dockers top scorer Tyler Goatcher missed two good chances but a determined Ifield were well worth their win and there were wild celebrations for Mark Wright’s men at the final whistle.

[watson]

Div 2 Cup half time

Littlehampton 0 - 3 East Preston

Update: Full time

Littlehampton 1 - 5 East Preston

Congrats to my boys on the double!

Perhaps somebody else can provide a detailed report of the the game only the Arundel Candlelight made viewing the game difficult for me.
Goals from the usual suspects Oatway, Shelley and Gaskin were amongst a one-sided game that just showed a huge gap in the (those with ) and ( those with-out ) sponsors, has on clubs in any Division.

In the words of a curtain Manager from Norway, Maggie Thatcher, Princess Diana, Winston Churchill, we gave your boys one hell of a beating.

Thanks to Arundel Football Club who must have thought all their birthdays came at once with their largest crowd of almost of any season, and the officials Billy Boswell, Ian Short and a Ref Richard Smallwood who was not the crowds favourite by virtually ending the contest in the first 60 seconds of the game by giving East Preston a penalty for a push on a EP player.

A great game to watch if you like following East Preston, well done and look forward to your progress next season.

[octopus]

my dear watson.....................how is it Richards fault did he commit the foul for the penalty ??

[scflfan]

JOHN O'HARA LEAGUE CUP FINAL
AFC UCKFIELD 1-2 THREE BRIDGES @ THE BEACON Crowd 368

DIVISION 2 CHALLENGE CUP Final
LITTLEHAMPTON TOWN 1-5 EAST PRESTON @ MILL ROAD Crowd 524

DIVISION 3 CHALLENGE CUP FINAL
NEWHAVEN 1-2 IFIELD EDWARDS @ MIDDLE ROAD Crowd 317

[watson]

my dear watson.....................how is it Richards fault did he commit the foul for the penalty ??

You quite obviously miss read what was said, to make it clear, i said that the ref gave a penalty in under the first 60 seconds of the game for a push on an EP defender which was IMO the reason why the mainly Littlehampton crowd gave its displeasure, in no way was it Smallwoods fault, he was in the position to give it.
I suggest, you spend a liitle less time underwater Octo.