Yellamen beaten by Redhill in League Cup Final
Ascot United were beaten 4-2 on penalties by stubborn Redhill in the Combined Counties League Cup Final on Saturday. After a poor ninety minutes which ended 0-0, the match went straight to penalties and Redhill kept their nerve to score all their spot-kicks.
Bathed in sunshine, the sizeable crowd at the neutral venue of Cobham would watch a disjointed half where both sides had a couple of chances but couldn’t find a way through.
For Ascot, Jonny Denton sliced a left-footed half volley high and wide after Taylor Morgan and Ian Davies had been involved in the build-up, although that was fully nineteen minutes into a turgid opening. At the other end, Sam Gray made two outstanding saves to deny Nathan Hogan’s direct free kicks, although Morgan’s shot on the turn crept agonisingly wide of a post as Ascot almost nicked a half-time lead.
The second half was marginally better, although once again it was over a quarter of an hour before any action of note.
Ascot substitute Aiden Higgs screwed wide just after the hour mark when Denton’s free kick wasn’t cleared but all the excited was crammed into a frantic closing spell.
First, Harry Laflin’s shot on the turn was blocked after good work by substitute Duarte Surpanu – 87 minutes played – but Redhill went straight up the other end only for Hogan to shave the crossbar went clean through.
Sam Gray then produced a stunning save to deny Lobsters’ substitute Derick Hayford – George Lock bravely throwing himself in front of the same player’s overhead kick when the ball broke back to him – but Laflin had the best and final chance in the third minute of stoppage time only for ‘keeper Jack Minchin to produce an uncomfortable save to palm his long-range effort over the bar.
Penalties ensued with Redhill leading the way, and Josh Phillips, Ryan Healy, Jack Wadmore and Hayford all found the target whereas Laflin’s opening miss always left Ascot playing catchup. Even though Denton and Sam Evans netted their second and third, Higgs stepped up and skied his effort over the bar to hand Redhill the trophy.
Image is Shaun Preddie attempting a header (shooting-stars.co.uk)
Ascot United: Gray, Lock, Haworth, Evans, Ellis (Surpanu 74’), D. Bailey, Preddie, Denton, Davies (Higgs 57’), Laflin, Morgan. Subs unused: Andrady, Berry, Hodges
