Senior Cup SF Bungay Blue Brantham Ath Res pink April 2018 1

Bungay secure spot in Senior Cup Final

BUNGAY Town are through to their first Suffolk Senior Cup Final for 55 years.

BUNGAY Town are through to the final of this season’s CNet Training Suffolk Senior Cup thanks to an emphatic victory over Brantham Athletic Reserves.

The Black Dogs booked their place in the final courtesy of a 7-1 win in Friday’s last-four tie against their Essex & Suffolk Border League Premier Division opponents at Walsham-le-Willows FC.

Seventeen-year-old Tom Hunter bagged a hat-trick as the Hadley & Ottaway Anglian Combination Division One side came from behind to complete a comfortable victory.

Brantham Athletic Reserves were a well-beaten side long before the end, but had taken the lead against the run of play with their first effort on goal after just nine minutes.

Goalkeeper Jordan Smith appeared to be caught in two minds as to whether to catch or punch clear Aaron Lehain’s right-foot volley, and the ball ended up in his net.

Bungay’s Josh Knights saw a powerful shot deflected over, before he set up the equaliser for Dom Mirner in the 17th minute.

Knights’ first touch was a poor one which forced him wide as he collected a cross from the left, but with his second he squared the ball across goal for Mirner to tap home.

Knights then cracked an effort against the Brantham crossbar before Hunter smashed the ball home from just outside the penalty area via the underside of the bar in the 23rd minute.

Canham added a third in the 35th minute, curling home with his left foot from just outside the box, and goalkeeper Sam Felgate saved with his legs as the same player capitalised on a mistake by Oliver Brown.

Experienced Brantham centre back Jack Wignall and Canham were both injured after their momentum took them into the fencing surrounding the pitch, but were able to continue. Wignall is pictured above heading clear from an early Bungay free-kick.

Felgate came rushing out of his goal to stop Hunter, but was powerless to prevent the left winger from making it 4-1 almost immediately after in the 58th minute.

Matthew Friend headed off the line after Felgate had spilled a corner and John Riches hooked the ball goalwards, but the fifth goal arrived two minutes later after 72 minutes.

Aiden Chaplin, who had just been booked for a foul, could only head the resultant free-kick into the roof of his own net.

Riches blasted home the sixth from the edge of the penalty area with ten minutes remaining, and Hunter completed his hat-trick in injury time.

 

The Teams

Bungay Town: Jordan Smith, Ryan Cook, Jamie Weston (sub Sam Olley, 49 mins), Tom Daniels, Craig Hunting, Shaun Whiteman, Dom Mirner, John Riches, Ash Canham (sub Sam Wooldridge, 60 mins), Josh Knights (sub Brannan Soloman, 73 mins), Tom Hunter. Unused subs: Shaun Flint, Brandon Ling.

Brantham Athletic Res: Sam Felgate, Justin Davies (sub Aiden Chaplin, 29 mins) Matthew Friend, Oliver Brown, Ashley Wood, Jack Wignall, Aaron Lehain (sub Ross Gunn, 65 mins), Miles Wallace, Franky Selwyn, Daniel Rowe, Adam Wilson (sub Ben Manners, 51 mins). Unused subs: Kyle Roling, Joel Andrews.

Referee: Paul Kent.

Attendance: 48.

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