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| Fulwood Triumph In Cup |
Fulwood Rovers 1
Ovendale 36
Zimbrul Siret 0
The League of Champs cup final threw together two sides on the up as Fulwood Rovers faced off against Zimbrul Siret. Just seven seasons ago, both sides were languishing in the seventh tier of the league. Now both in Division 1, neither side had previously reached even the quarter finals of the cup before, and it made for an understandably tense final. However, it was the slight underdogs Fulwood Rovers who came out on top on the day, with Nick Ovendale getting the crucial only goal in a game of few chances.
Both teams were boosted by 3-0 victories coming in to the final, securing their respective league positions with a game to spare and allowing them to focus completely on the cup game in hand. Fulwood's victory at BK Dojjan secured their status as a Division 1 side for another season, having flirted with relegation for much of the season, whereas Zimbrul's win confirmed their promotion to the top flight. Promotion and the 3-0 scoreline was made all the more impressive by the fact it was over the second placed team in Division 1B, Alice In Chains, and was achieved despite playing almost half the match with 10 men. This difference in quality underlined why Zimbrul were many people's favourites to take the cup title prior to kick off.
On the day, however, both sides seemed to retreat into themselves. Zimbrul were content to keep the ball without showing too much attacking intent early on, and Fulwood were happy enough for them to have it. It took until 22 minutes before the first event of note, and even that wasn't a chance on goal. A rare Rovers foray forward earned them a corner and, although Zimbrul keeper Scotty MacElfrish took a clean catch, he was promptly clattered by Rovers defender Jannu Heilala. Heilala went into the referee's book and MacElfrish, although looking decidedly groggy, was considered ok to continue. The first effort was finally recorded at the other end of the pitch as Gervásio Nazário glanced a header across the face of the goal but it was Fulwood who struck the first telling blow. Harold Kendal, who's stoppage time goal clinched Rovers' place in the final, slipped a slide-rule pass in behind Zimbrul's defence and Ovendale latched on to it before curling the ball past MacElfrish and into the bottom corner. 1-0 to the underdogs at half time.
The second half began in a very disjointed fashion before coming to life once again when Fernando Assunção went to ground in Fulwood's box. Referee Al Beback took a dim view of the incident however, and Assunção joined Heilala in his notebook. The decision seemed to momentarily distract Zimbrul and they were almost made to pay by Gavril Cãlin but MacElfrish saved well from his low strike before setting his side off on a counter attack. Jack Rehnberg got on the end of a deep cross and headed the ball goalwards, but Siwert Schillen was on hand to make a routine save - his first of the match. With quarter of an hour remaining, Zimbrul went agonisingly close to an equaliser as Nazário finally weaved a way through Rovers' resolute defence. He beat the onrushing Schillen too with a nonchalant lob, but the crossbar came to Fulwood's rescue. The may have expected an onslaught in the final minutes, but it never really materialised and it was Fulwood who went closest to scoring again in the closing stages. However, Cãlin's header narrowly cleared the crossbar, denying Rovers the comfort of a two goal cushion. However, just the one goal proved sufficient and there were wild scenes at the final whistle as Fulwood claimed the first major trophy in the club's history. Zimbrul Siret will have to wait another year to try again, but with a first season in the top flight beckoning, it's surely been a season both teams will look back on fondly in the future.
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