1st XI Win the SAL Senior Cup

Congrats to our 1st XI who today (28/04/2018) won the SAL Senior Cup with a 2-1 victory over champions Polytechnic.

With Poly having already clinched the league title for the third year in a row, and Winchmore rooted to the bottom of the table, the result could have been viewed as a foregone conclusion. However, this proved to be a magnificent game of football, worthy of a cup final.

Few chances were created in the first half and the teams retired to the changing rooms at 0-0.

Early in the second half, Poly 'keeper Rob Nakielny was injured in a collision with a Winchmore forward . It seemed he was OK and he carried on, but in the 56th minute his injury was apparent in his efforts to collect a back pass and the ball was stolen by Sam Donoghue who slotted home for 1-0. Rob couldn't carry on and was replaced with an an outfield sub standing in as 'keeper.

Sam Russell made it 2-0 in the 78th minute and it looked like the Hill had their name on the trophy. Poly threw everything forward in the final 10 minutes, pulling back a goal in the 86th.

In a tense final period, Poly continued to attack and it looked odds-on that they would have the ball in the net in the third minuted of added time only for Winchmore 'keeper Collins to make a magnificent save.

The game was played in good spirit with little to worry the referee's cards, and Poly were magnanimous in defeat at the final whistle.

There's an excellent video of the match on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0ZnoQM3GXA