Posted

CUP FINAL PREVIEWS: Division 3 Cup and Division 4 Cup

CUP FINAL PREVIEWS: Division 3 Cup and Division 4 Cup

For our latest news and updates, please enter your email address

This Sunday marks our third weekend of cup finals season with another busy schedule of matches taking place at Thurrock FC.

All of our showpiece cup finals will once again be taking place at Thurrock FC’s wonderful Ship Lane ground, just a stone’s throw from the M25/A13 & Lakeside. There will be bar and refreshment facilities available on the day which you are all welcome to make use of.

All of the clubs involved have been allocated tickets which they are required to sell so please contact your clubs for tickets in the first instance. We also have a supply of tickets on the turnstile on the day at a cost of £5 each.

We now look ahead to each of the games and provide some insight into who might be crowned cup winners on Sunday.

Division 3 Cup Final – 10.30am Kick-Off
Wanstead United vs FC United of Hornchurch

The morning final brings together two sides who are making a return to Thurrock after being cup finalists during last season also.

Plaistow-based Wanstead United have had another great season and will come into this game with great belief. As the reigning champions of this cup competition, they will be eager to extend their league and cup form to take home this cup once again. Daniel Hennessey’s team are also just one victory away from sealing the league title in a special season so far. Their road to Thurrock campaign saw a narrow quarter-final win at home to Alliance United (3-2) before taking on their main league title rivals, Upshire Reserves, in the semi-finals. Shaun Clarke scored two goals and Bradley Drisdale one as they saw off the Waltham Abbey side in a 3-1 victory to book their place at Ship Lane once again. Jason Branche’s 22-goal haul this season marks him out as the man to watch for United.

In the opposite dugout, FC United of Hornchurch will be out to rid the tears of last season’s cup final defeat to FC Mexico with another backs-to-the-wall performance. Their season has been quite remarkable as the first part of the season saw Hornchurch fall towards the bottom of the table with the performances not matching the potential. However a great turnaround before the festive period and into the new year saw renewed hope and belief, culminating in their cup run to Sunday’s final. Their run to the final saw a walkover win over Partizan CMC in the quarter-final before travelling to east London to face AC Milano Reserves in the semi-finals. An astonishing game saw them behind with just ten minutes to go before Billy Rungay broke Milano hearts by scoring two late, late goals to send his side through. With five players having scored six goals or more, it’s safe to say that goals can come from anywhere in this team.

This is sure to be an exciting game with goals very much on the cards for both sides you would imagine. Wanstead United’s league position and general form suggests, at least on paper, that they would be favourites particularly given their big-match experience. However, who can rule out FC United of Hornchurch putting in one more big performance to close their season on a bright note.

Congratulations to our appointed match officials on this final, a reward for the continued hard work put in by our referees across the season. Newly promoted, Alphie Ibrahim, is the man with the whistle and will be ably supported by Adam Chester and Chris Cleeve on the touchlines.

Division 4 Cup Final – 2.30pm Kick-Off
Central Colts vs SL Menfica

The afternoon final on Sunday sees a David vs Goliath clash as Division Four’s runaway champions and newly crowned Trophyland Cup winners SL Menfica take on cup final debutants Central Colts at Ship Lane.

For Central Colts, this final marks a watershed moment for a club who were only formed in the summer of 2015. Despite a difficult first season in which they finished bottom of the table, Scott Turner’s side came back stronger this season with new recruits and new enthusiasm to progress the side on. A marked upturn in performances in the league saw them collect many more points than their first campaign while saving the best of their form for the cup competition. In group A, they saw off Grey Area (8-0) and local rivals Heathside (2-1) but despite defeat to Oak Royals, they still finished top of their group as they set up a semi-final clash against Hornchurch Oakmont. That semi-final was a nervy, closely-fought clash as they ran out 3-2 winners against Oakmont with Tunde Olagunju scoring twice and Kelvin Malcolm once to book their place at Thurrock in Sunday’s final. Tunde’s sixteen goals this season have made a real difference to this Colts side and he is the man to look out for.

SL Menfica make a quick return to Thurrock after having already secured the Trophyland Cup title just three weeks ago in beating FC Mexico 1-0 and Sunday’s match means they are just ninety-minutes away from completing a remarkable treble. With just a single league game to play, they could also end the season having won every match they have played, another superb feat. Their run to this final has taken in Group B wins at Hornchurch Oakmont (9-0), Epping Forest Falcons (1-0) and Goresbrook (5-3) which saw them through to a home semi-final against Grey Area in March. A largely one-sided match saw a comfortable 6-1 win for the Aveley-based side as Lewis Clark’s brace and goals from Connor Wheatley, James Dobson, Joshua Troy and Richard Beard booked their return to familiar surroundings at Ship Lane. With four of the boys having reached double figures in the goal scoring stakes this year, you can’t see this game being goalless!

SL Menfica have to be the day’s overwhelming favourites to secure the inaugural Division Four Cup crown given their long unbeaten record and goal-scoring capabilities. But Central Colts can go into the game with no fear and no expectation and maybe that will just give them the freedom to express themselves on the biggest footballing stage of their lives. Whatever the result, they can both look back on their seasons with a lot of pride.

Congratulations to our appointed match officials on this final, a reward for the continued hard work put in by our referees across the season. Emile McKenzie is the man with the whistle and will be ably supported by Simeon Joseph and James Allaoui on the touchlines.

Other News Articles

Return to news list