Essex Andrews Under-14s Cup Final: Braintree Town 0 Dagenham & Redbridge 2
Dagenham & Redbridge lifted the Essex Andrews Under-14s Cup for the first time as Preshanta Paul’s late brace helped to earn them a 2-0 victory over Braintree Town.
Paul fired home following Archie Tamplin’s deep free kick with seven minutes remaining to give Daggers the lead, and he netted again in the 67th minute to secure the silverware for the Metropolitan Essex outfit, who had claimed the Eastern Junior Alliance (EJA) Peter Cline Trophy less than 48 hours previously.
Daggers also have the opportunity to add the EJA League Challenge Cup on Sunday to complete a unique knockout hat-trick. “I don’t know if there have been many teams that have won three cups in a year,” declared boss Glenn Tamplin.
“Hopefully we can make a little bit of history and go on to win our last cup final on Sunday.”
Tamplin, who has combined his role with the Under 14s team with ownership, and latterly management, of Billericay Town’s senior side, added: “Winning the first one was important, which then made this one very important. We felt confident and we had belief in ourselves.”
“I think it was tough for the boys having a game on Friday evening and then Sunday morning, but at 13 they should be able to play a couple of games in three days.
“There was a lot of pressure with injuries because we had two very good players injured today, but the players that came in stood up and did their jobs.”
After a bright start from Braintree, Daggers grew into the game and Lewis Eaton tested Town gloveman Sam Kingston after a quarter-of-an-hour with a speculative long-range effort.
Agostinho So Nanque Jnr began to exert an influence on the game and, in the 20th minute, he held off an Iron defender before dragging a shot wide of the left-hand post.
Within seconds, team mate Gabriel Ipanga had rounded Kingston, but Town skipper Tom Watkins covered well to shepherd the ball out of play.
So Nanque Jnr’s powerful header from a Tamplin corner was brilliantly clawed away from goal by Kingston a couple of minutes later.
The entertaining encounter continued as So Nanque Jnr galloped onto Tamplin’s pass and attempted to get around Kingston, but was let down by a poor touch with the goal gaping.
Despite their exertions on Friday night - Daggers had been taken to extra time by Whitton United before prevailing 1-0 - Tamplin’s team became stronger as the game went on.
So Nanque Jnr angled a shot wide in the 45th minute before Kingston superbly tipped the rampaging forward’s centre away from the onrushing Ipanga in the next attack.
Substitute Luke Zabulionis lifted a cross into the six-yard box for Paul on the hour mark, but he nodded over, although he would atone for that miss just a few moments later.
Tamplin’s set-piece from just inside the Braintree half wasn’t claimed by Kingston and, after the ball ricocheted around the penalty area, Paul slammed in to put Daggers ahead.
Antoh Boateng could have doubled the lead in the 66th minute, but he nodded another Tamplin delivery over, and instead it was left to Paul to secure the spoils.
The Newham schoolboy picked up possession around 20 yards from goal and drilled his shot underneath Kingston into the left-hand corner of the net to make it 2-0.
There remained time for Kingston to turn away Jamie Drake’s well struck attempt during stoppage time, but there was no stopping Daggers from collecting their first County Cup crown since 2008.
Daggers: Charlie Ford, Joshua Exley-Banks, Antoh Boateng, Lewis Eaton, Archie Tamplin, Jamie Drake, Preshanta Paul, Harrison Topliss, Agostinho So Nanque Jnr, Gabriel Ipanga, Samuel Bayon. Substitutes: Luke Zabulionis, Henry Paul, Alfie Ley.
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