The first cup final of the Harlow and District Football League’s season saw the Division 5 Cup contested by Risden Wood Athletic and New Herald Rovers. Both teams are new to the league this season and although Risden have come through the youth ranks together, Rovers are appearing in their first ever cup final.
Risden started the brighter of the two teams and a long ball out of the Risden defence saw Reece Murray latching onto the clearance, only to see his shot go wide of the Rovers post. Rovers then saw a 25yd shot from Rob Gibbons sail over the crossbar. In the 9th min of the game Murray put Keith Parr through and from the edge of the box, Parr crossed low for Spencer Christmas, who tumbles in the box but the ref waves away very few claims for a penalty. Rovers’ first opportunity came in the 16th min, after some lovely footwork from Joe Wilson on the edge of the area, Wilson fires in a shot on goal only to see Risden’s Ryan Jackson clear the ball off the line. In the 21st min, Red Wilson gets his head onto a cross which almost catches out Risden Keeper Craig Gold, 2 mins later James King puts Red Wilson through on goal but Gold is equal to the shot, Rovers were awarded a free kick on 31 mins, Red Wilson’s 25 yd effort came crashing back off the bar before being cleared by the Risden defence, just before half time, Christmas raced into the Rovers box and squared to Murray only for Rovers Keeper Mint to gather the ball before it reached Murray. End of First Half 0-0.
I n the second half, Risden’s Jack Hamilton found enough space to have a shot from 25 yds but his shot grazed the crossbar, Rovers Rob Gibbons had a shot from the edge of the box, on the hour mark but Risdens Gold had it covered all the way, the game opened up more, when on 65 mins, a ball into the Rovers box was judged, by referee Roger Hollingsworth, to have been handled by a Rovers defender and he duly pointed to the spot, Keith Parr picked up the ball and placed it on the spot, Parr shoots to the keepers left only to see a brilliant save from Simon Mint (who had a fantastic game), Spencer Christmas’s follow up went sailing over the bar. This spurred Rovers on and 3 mins later Rob Gibbons put Red Wilson through again but his shot went wide and a minute later the same player saw his shot from the edge of the box go wide, Rovers were up for this, Parr then had a 30 yd free kick saved by the superb Simon Mint, Mint’s clearance was picked up by Red Wilson, who took on his defender and beat him but dragged his shot just wide. Christmas found himself in a great position in the 72nd min bearing down on goal but Lee Hattersley the Rovers Captain tracked back and cleared with a great challenge, Hatterley was called into action again a minute later when a Keith Parr corner almost found its way into the net but Hattersley was there to clear it from under the bar, Rovers earned a corner in the 80th minute which Red Wilson took and from the corner James King met it with his head but the crossbar was there to rescue Risden once again. The first caution of the game came in the 82nd minute, when frustration got the better of James King and after the whistle, booted the ball into the stand and Mr Hollingsworth had no option but to show the yellow card. Full Time 0-0
In the 2nd minute of extra time, Red Wilson made a weaving run before releasing Richard Tovell who shot wide of the Risden post, in the 95th min Christmas worked his way into the Rovers box and shot but Simon Mint stopped the ball on the line. The game was set alight in the 100th min, when, Risden Substitute Gary Brammer latched onto a cross field pass from Parr on the edge of the box and sent a delightful cross over for Murray to head home, Risden 1-0 up. In the second period of extra time, Brammer had a shot of his own saved by the brilliant Simon Mint, with only 10 mins left on the clock, Rovers threw everything at Risden, the ever present Red Wilson out David Heasman through but Risden’s defence were standing strong, in the 113th min Rovers sent everyone but the keeper up for a corner, Rovers Captain, centre back Lee Hattersley had been told to play up front and it was Hattersley who connected with the corner but his header was saved by Gold in the Risden goal. The final whistle brings the game to an end, with Risden holding on to win 1-0 in extra time.
It was nice to see the New Herald Rovers whole team showing some great sportsmanship after the final whistle.
Report compiled by Matt Bacon, Discipline Officer for H&DFL
Risden Wood Athletic Team
Craig Gold, Matt Wheat, Ryan Jackson, Matt Tyler, Luke Krzoska, Stewart Potter, Scott Clark, Mark Nelson, Reece Murray, Lewis Jackson, Spencer Christmas, Keith Parr, Gary Brammer, Jack Hamilton, Elliot Childs, Dan Cole
New Herald Rovers Team
Simon Mint, Craig Lavery, James King, Ben Parsley, Andrew Mint, Grant Gibbins, Rob Gibbons, Paul Burrows, Sam Scott, Lee Hattersley, Richard Tovell, Joe Wilson, David Heasman, Red Wilson, Christopher Bell, Sean Burchett |
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