Football: May & Baker Eastbrook Community Reserves hold nerve to win Essex Saturday Junior Cup on penalties

Action from the final of the Essex Saturday Junior Cup (pic: Ponderosa Pix) (Image: Archant)

May & Baker Eastbrook Community Reserves became the 114th side to lift the Essex Saturday Junior Cup with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Wormingford Wanderers, and joint-manager Jordan Harris believes the courage of his players to take responsibility helped them triumph at the Len Salmon Stadium.

Wanderers had edged in front when Martin Curtis netted against the run of play on 69 minutes, May & Baker levelling just four minutes later through an excellent finish from former West Ham United and England youth international Tom Harvey. The sides couldn’t be separated again for the rest of the match, or during 30 minutes of extra time.

The Worms did hold an advantage themselves during the shootout, but failure from the spot for their final two kicks meant the ProKit UK Essex Olympian League Division Three champions claimed the cup. Harris, who manages the team alongside Alec Simm, reacted: “We had six takers. But a few of them couldn’t really walk, so we probably had four and a half!”

“Boys stepped up and we can’t complain. We had one guy miss but he put his hand up and took a penalty. We had to coax a couple but we brought Frankie [Worboyes] on - our joint goalkeeper - for the last kick of the game.

He then stepped up and scored his penalty. It’s all about confidence - if you want to take one, you want to take one.”

Simm and Harris’ ambitious young side, in their first season together, had defeated holders and rivals Chingford Athletic to reach the final. However they were missing captain Jordan Calverley and vice-captain Kane Messenger who were on holiday, meaning they faced a stern challenge from a side who were third in the Andreas Carter Essex & Suffolk Border League Division One, with games in hand as they aim to retain the title they won last season.

Clear cut opportunities were at a premium during the first period, but they were monopolised by May & Baker. George Stanbrook shot on-target from near penalty spot on 17 minutes, forcing goalkeeper Danny Lynn to push wide. Carl Patten curled a 36th-minute header onto the roof of the net shortly before top scorer Darren Seymour progressed into space on the right.

He unselfishly squared inside to young prospect Ben Saunders, whose first-time effort off-balance ended up in the arms of the grounded Lynn. It seemed whatever May & Baker conjured-up the impressive Wanderers goalkeeper was equal to, thwarting them every time. He was a source of great frustration to Harris and his team.

Five minutes beyond the interval May & Baker’s Seymour clipped a right-wing cross to prolific wide man Josh Lowbridge at the back post, whose header back was somehow clawed away by Lynn. He subsequently dealt with another spectacular long-ranger as the pressure built upon his goal once more. However, the deadlock was broken at the other end.

Wormingford had absorbed a fair amount of pressure yet Lee Whybrow’s side, still hurting from a League Cup Semi-Final defeat after extra time the previous Saturday, were keen to make an impact on the final. They had their own impressive pre-match pedigree, having beaten Saturday Junior Trophy holders Flitch United comfortably in the Quarter-Finals.

The match burst into life on 69 minutes when the Worms wriggled into the box and Curtis’ shot on the turn from ten yards beat ‘keeper Jason Roberts, much to the jubilation of the visiting spectators. Yet their glee was matched, and shortlived, as May & Baker’s Harvey struck firmly into the bottom left-hand corner from the edge of the box a few minutes later.

Lynn was at his best again with nine minutes remaining, producing his latest brilliant, diving save to deny Lowbridge’s strike on-target from the edge of the area, and he was a major factor in the match ultimately going to extra time all-square. Though he will have watched in disbelief five minutes into the first period.

Team mate Ash Stoneman, the division’s top scorer, headed straight into the arms of Roberts from a few yards. Stoneman was guilty again on 99 minutes as a stray backpass put him through but he hesitated and Roberts, yet to concede in his ten games this season, proved equal to his tame shot and the ball was eventually cleared. Worms’ Tommy Earle and May & Baker’s Joel Oliver were both then fruitless from distance, meaning penalties.

May & Baker’s Patten and Wormingford’s Stoneman both converted the first efforts for their clubs, though ‘keeper Lynn saved Lowbridge’s second. Every penalty was then successful until Wanderers’ final two which hit the crossbar and were missed respectively, meaning it was May & Baker who were presented with the silverware by Mayor of Basildon, David Harrison.

Penalties: May & Baker - Patten (scored, 1-0), Wormingford - Stoneman (scored, 1-1), May & Baker - Lowbridge (saved, 1-1), Wormingford - Earle (scored, 1-2), May & Baker - Worboyes (scored, 2-2), Wormingford - Curtis (scored, 2-3), May & Baker - Harvey (scored, 3-3), Wormingford - Poole (crossbar, 3-3), May & Baker - Oliver (scored, 4-3), Wormingford - Owen (missed, 4-3).

May & Baker Eastbrook Community Reserves: Jason Roberts, Scott O’Connor, Aaron Chambers, George Stanbrook, Max Owen, Josh Gill, Darren Seymour, Ben Saunders, Carl Patten, Tom Harvey, Josh Lowbridge. Substitutes (repeated): Joel Oliver, Jack Boys, Shane Messenger, Frankie Worboyes.

Referee: Lewis Farthing (West Bergholt).

Attendance: 158.