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CUP FINALS DAY 2 PREVIEW

CUP FINALS DAY 2 PREVIEW

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This Sunday sees our second cup final weekend take place with two more cup competitions reaching their conclusion at Thurrock FC.

Sunday’s 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 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 £4 each.

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

Premier Division Cup Final – 10.30am Kick-Off
Warren United vs Repton Park

The morning final brings together the third and fourth placed sides in the Premier Division as Mark Dawkins’ Warren side takes on local rivals, Repton Park.

Warren United have reached the final this season on the back of some goal-filled performances, including a first round win against Ainslie Wood (5-2) before seeing off Liberty Stars by the same scoreline in the quarter finals. Their semi-final opponents were Aldborough Hatch where another five goal performance saw them race to a 5-0 victory and a place in Sunday’s final at Thurrock. It continues the rise of a young side who have climbed the league ladder in recent years and seen plenty of their players join the non-league football ranks. James Peagram continues to keep defences busy with another large haul this season of 19 goals in all competitions from 17 appearances. If Repton are to win here, their defenders will need to keep this chap quiet.

Repton Park’s remarkable run to the final on Sunday has seen some spirited performances and no shortage of drama. Having come through their first round clash against FC Continental in a 5-1 victory, the draw was unkind to them as they were pitted against the runaway league leaders, Poplar Boys, in the quarter finals. However, a terrific game saw the sides level at 2-2 at full time before Repton scored twice in extra time to shock Poplar. Moving on to their semi-final, they took on county cup quarter-finalists, EMWA, and were behind and seemingly out of the game at 0-2 with half an hour to go. A miraculous performance in the last 20 minutes of the game however was nothing short of a Houdini act as they scored three times to break EMWA hearts and book a spot in the final. Jayden Ambrose is the top goalscorer this season with his 15 strikes in 13 appearances so far this season.

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, Farai Hallam, is the man with the whistle and will be ably supported by Emile McKenzie and Elliott Justham on the touchlines.

Trophyland Cup Final – 2.30pm Kick-Off
London Fire Brigade vs FC Mexico

The afternoon final on Sunday sees two of the Corinthian League’s new recruits this season face each other for the right to lift the Trophyland Cup.

For London Fire Brigade, Sunday is the second of two cup finals they will be taking part in what has been a successful first season with the Corinthian League. Despite being a vets side with an average age higher than any other side in the league, their footballing ability is not in question and has drawn much respect and admiration from the Corinthian community this season. Alongside their continuing success in national vets competitions, they have also reached both of our cup finals and challenged strongly in the league where they can still finish runners-up behind champions, E4 Rangers. Their run to this final has seen them secure wins against Loves Divine in the first round (6-4), against Napier in round 2 (3-0), the giant-killing of Slaters Arms in the quarter finals (2-1) and finally an edgy extra-time 3-2 win over Chingford Athletic in the semi-final. Having two of the league’s top strikers in Richard Kirby and David Ellis in their ranks, with a combined goal tally of almost 50 goals this season, they will always provide a goal threat.

Sunday is also FC Mexico’s second final in a week after competing in the Division Two Cup Final last weekend. Their cup final action won’t end today as they will take their place in the Spring Cup final in a couple of weeks time. Their league form this season has seen them finish in a decent third place in Division Two which could have even been better if some of those draws had been converted in victories. They have reached this final on the back of some goal-filled encounters including a 7-1 win in the second round against Goresbrook before seeing off Heathside in the quarter-finals, winning 6-0. In the semi-final, they took on another Division Three side in the shape of Wanstead United and, after an even first half, scored the vital goals from a pair of set-pieces to win 2-0 and book their place at Thurrock. The top scorers and men to watch for Mexico this season are Adam Roberts (13 goals) and Rhys Tyrrell (10 goals).

Sunday’s final sees two of the best cup sides this season coming together for a very entertaining cup final. FC Mexico’s higher division status means they start the game as favourites but don’t under-estimate the wise old heads of the Fire Brigade boys who will be eager to impress before hopefully joining their opponents in Division Two next season.

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, Howard Brown, is the man with the whistle and will be ably supported by James Goodman and Simeon Joseph on the touchlines.

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