FA County Youth Cup Second Round Suffolk v Cambridgeshire – Saturday 14th November 2009
Cambridgeshire bowed out of the Competition in the second round after a thrilling encounter at Hadleigh United. Credit must first go to the ground staff at Hadleigh for making the pitch playable after a deluge of rain that hit the country in the previous 24 hours.
The match kicked off in heavy rain and blustery conditions and saw Cambridgeshire playing against the wind in the first half and they got off to the prefect start with Owen Kessack (Cambridge United) firing home from close range. The lead was short lived as Suffolk equalised in the 10th minute through Christy Finch who fired home from 16 yards after a mistake by the Cambridgeshire defence. Suffolk took the lead four minutes later through the same player as he pounced from close range after the Cambridgeshire defence failed to clear.
Cambridgeshire were level again in the 21st minute when James Stevenson (Histon) turned in the area and slotted the ball in the corner from 12 yards. Suffolk regained the lead in the 42nd minute with Christy Finch completing his hat-trick.
Half Time:- Suffolk 3 – 2 Cambridgeshire
After 60th Minutes Dan Harding appeared to have secured Suffolk’s passage through to face holders Birmingham when he finished coolly from close range. However, Cambridgeshire showed a performance full of character with James Stevenson (Histon) reducing the arrears after 66 minutes. Cambridgeshire then threw everything at Suffolk but it looked that this would all be in vain.
However the real drama of the match was just starting as Dubi Ogbonna (Soham Town Rangers) pounced from 12 yards in the 6th minute of additional time to equalise to make it 4 each. Cambridgeshire’s joy soon turned to despair as Christy Finch picked the ball up on the half way line before beating two players and slotting the ball into the far corner to give Suffolk the lead once again in the 7th minute of stoppage time.
A minute later the referee bought this extraordinary match to an end.
Full time: - Suffolk 5 – 4 Cambridgeshire
Credit must go to both sides for producing such an excellent match in awful conditions and everyone at Cambridgeshire would like to wish Suffolk every success in the next round.
Cambridgeshire Team:- Daniel Page (Cambridge University Press), Scott Everdell (Histon),
Dubi Ogbonna (Soham Town Rangers) Zak Mills, Sebastian Baxter (Both Histon), Rogan McGeorge (Cambridge United), William Seymour (Soham Town Rangers), James Stevenson (Histon), Owen Kessack (Cambridge United), Lewis Taffe, Sam Mason-Smith (both Histon)
Substitutes used:- Ryan Ingrey (Histon) for Taffe, Paterson (Cambridge University Press) for Seymour, Turner (Histon) for Kessack.
Subs not used:- Eoin O’Herlighy and Joe Stroud (Both Histon)