wi4

Hampshire FA Sunday Plate Cup Final 2020

John Moody
AMF UNITED 5 PORTSWOOD UNITED 9

Fourteen Goal Thriller

 

Friday night at the Winklebury Football Complex saw the Hampshire Football Association achieve a trio of 'firsts', the first County Cup Final to be played on their new 3G Pitch, the first Plate final to be staged replacing the old Junior 'B' Cup and the first final to be filmed for the whole 90 minutes by an automatic camera. The Veo Tracking camera needed no camera operative and automatically followed every movement of the ball.

 

To add to historic significance of the match the two finalists presented a fabulous game which in itself created several records. 

 

AMF were out of the blocks from the start and were three up in just 17 minuets, Ben Synan opened the scoring in the 3rd minute putting in a penetrating run and netting as Portswood's 'keeper Adam Neale came off his line to narrow the angle. They went further ahead in the 14th minute when Alex Dere scored from a penalty and could have gone further ahead a minute later but Sam Pollard-Crane blazed a sitter over the bar. They did go three up in the 17th minute however when Layton Tulk ran through the defence and scoring on the rebound as the 'keeper saved his first shot.

 

Portswood were not out of the game and began the fightback in the 24th minute when Ricky Everson slammed the ball home after it rebounded from the crossbar and a minute later they were back in the game when Portswood lost the ball deep in their own half and Clayd Roach collected the gift and scored from close range.

 

AMF went ahead again early in the second half when Portswood's 'keeper Adam Neal let a free kick through his legs when it looked as if he made the save from Clayd Roach. Portswood narrowed the gap in the 53rd minute with a great individual goal from Clayd Roach, his hat trick beating two defenders before turning in the box and scoring from close range.

 

A penalty in the 62nd minute converted by Dale Perry put Portswood back on terms and only a great save by Ben Hodgson from Alex Santos prevented going ahead. Clayd Roach completed his hat trick in the 68th minute when he collected a long ball, ran on and scored into the top corner of the net giving Portswood the lead for the first time.

 

Alex Santos scored Portswood's sixth goal when he lifted the ball over the 'keeper into the empty net. Clayd Roach scored again in the 76th minute picking up an through ball from Cameron Roach, a goal which looked as if it clinched the cup but AMF saw a feint light when in the 82nd minute Layton Tuck scored his second goal only for the light to be put out in the 85th minute when Jaimie Craven scored with a free kick.

 

Despite facing defeat AGM battled on and scored the last goal of the game in the 87th minute with a free kick from Layton Tuck completing his hattrick.

 

Two Portswood brothers shared the individual honours Clayd Roach taking the match ball for his five goals and his brother Cameron, the Player of the Match award for his dominence in midfield and attack, his assists and his drive when his team was three goals down. Clayd claimed his place in County soccer history by scoring ffive goals in a Plate Final setting the target for others to reach in the years to come and Portswood have obviously set a record of nine goals in a Plate final, another target to challenged. Unfortunately AMF must be diasppointed that despite scoring five goals in a cup final, it was a losing score, a record they did not need.

 

Check out the highlights here! 

 

The match was well handled by the Match Officials, Referee James Colley and Assistants Jason Giddings and Matt Corless. The Fourth Official was Declan Skehan.

 

The match was sponsored by Child Trophies.

 

Squads: AMF United : Alex Deere, Linus Ayres, Luke Borley, Ethan Benham, Stan DeSilva, Jamie Pollard, Mike Andrews, Sami Pollard-Crane, Ben Synan, Layton Tulk, Shea Massey, Ben Hodgson, Grant Kemp, Callum James, Jamie Hewlett, Keiran Mountjoy and Aiden Murphy.

 

Portswood United: Shane Weaver, Jerome Obrien, Dan Shepherd, Jimi John, Frasre Weeks, Shaun Brennand, Joe Harman, Adam Neale, Dale Perry, Ricky Everson, Cameron Roach, Steve Stone, Clayd Roach, Jaime Craven and Alex Santos.