Report

A closer contest than this one would be hard to imagine.   Eynesbury stole victory in the fifth minute of time added on at the end of the game just as the spectators were preparing themselves for extra time.   By then both sets of players were almost out on their feet as tiredness kicked in after a second half littered with stoppages for cramp on a very heavy surface after a day’s rain.   It is an old adage that ‘neither side deserved to lose’ but on this occasion it was totally appropriate.   Both goalkeepers produced important saves at the right time and both sets of forwards missed gilt edged chances they would have expected to put away and the crowd were kept engaged throughout with a match that was always highly competitive.   Eynesbury’s lifting the trophy for the first time since 2000 was made all the more special when their long serving Secretary Deryck Irons was presented after the match by Hunts FA Chairman Maurice Armstrong with mementos of his incredible 50 years unbroken service in his post with the Club.

Early chances for both sides were missed as Aiden Stockwell just failed to reach a cross in front of a gaping St Ives net and then Jeffrey Black went clear at the other end but blazed his shot over the bar.   Then a bizarre own goal broke the deadlock when Sam Page turned a free kick by Ryan Potts into his own net to give St Ives the lead after 16 minutes.   Eynesbury took up the challenge immediately as Jordan Mason headed narrowly wide from a corner and Ryan Inskip sent a free kick just inches beyond a post with the visiting goalkeeper beaten.   Their pressure paid off and after 32 minutes Jamie Hutchison sent a low right footed shot past Dan Sewell at his near post to level the scores.   Eynesbury keeper Daniel Beall maintained the status quo just before the break with a brave save at the feet of Potts.

Fortunes swung backwards and forwards after the break as both sides pushed for an advantage.   Sewell produced a fine save to deny Hutchison and Potts brought a fine save from Beall after clever play by Cameron Anderson.   As the second half wore on there were increasing delays to deal with players collapsing with cramp attacks and the match lost much of its momentum.   It seemed that the next goal was certain to win the match with breakaway attacking moves providing chances at either end.   Potts twice went close to snatching a winner for St Ives but almost five minutes into added time from a Stockwell free kick Lewis Miller darted into the area to snatch the winning goal.

Eynesbury: Beall, Page, Kokotka, Williams Mason, Miller, Cain, Inskip, Boness, Stockwell, Chapman,Hutchinson, Hunt, Roffey,Jennings and Tant.

St Ives: Sewell, Anderson, Jack Baker, Josh Baker, Black, Earle, Grissett, Kelly, Large, Loia, Potts, Prime, Raine, Smith, Timms and Powell.

Referee: Nicolae Manolescu (Peterborough)

(John Walker)