MEMORIAL CUP FINAL PREVIEW
PIG & FIDDLE BATTLE FC DEVIZES FOR MEMORIAL CUP SUCCESS
This coming Sunday afternoon will see the First of this season’s Shoesrtings-chargrill sponsored Chippenham & Bath Football League Cup Finals with Twerton Park, home of Bath City FC hosting the first ever Final of the PJL Rail Services Ltd sponsored Memorial Cup.
The competition which replaces the WG Parr Trophy that had been on the League calendar since 1975 is Dedicated to the Memory of those associated with both the Chippenham & Bath Football Leagues.
This season saw the First round losers in the Knockout Cup enter the Memorial Cup and we are down to the final two teams from the 16 that started out last November, we should see a keenly contested match between Premier Division stablemates PF Loco FC and FC Devizes United who beat their Bath based opponents 4-2 in their league outing earlier this month.
On the back of their league success it would be fair to say that FC Devizes United will start the Final as slight favourites, Devizes who exited the Knockout Cup 5-2 at the hands of fierce rivals AFC Melksham breezed through their Memorial Cup ties, beating First Division, Olympic Victoria 13-3 in the first round, Jamie Walters netted a 5 timer, both Gabe Costello and Jack Coward helped themselves to 3-apiece, Kian Fulford and Declan McStravick added the others.
Next up for Devizes were Forest Renegades and the Second division outfit were outplayed by James Stobbart’s who triumphed 11-1. Jamie Walters again top scored with 3, Kian Fulford and Kamran Muhid bagged 2 each, Gabe Costello, Kieron Gleed and Kassa Anderson shared the other 3.
Standing in their way of a final appearance was Trowbridge Athletic, even though the Third division side put up a brave showing they eventually lost 6-0, Jamie Walters took his tally for the competition to 11goals with another hat trick, Charlie Strickland, Gabe Costello and Kieron Gleed were also on target.
After suffering a Knockout Cup exit at the hands of Second division Spires Athletic who beat them 4-2, PF Loco FC found themselves drawn away at Third division, Pewsham in round one, and despite making hard work of things Pete Davies and Olly Embletons’ side managed a 2-1 win thanks to goals from James Book and Jordan Jenkins.
In the quarter-finals, Loco faced another third division side Biddestone Athletic and this time around there was no messing around as they crushed their opponents 11-0, Nico Inglis scored a hat trick, Joe Lacey (2), Finlay Norris, Angus Williamson, Aaron Fowler, Zygmunt Kandratowicz along with 2 own goals made up the 11-goal tally.
Second division, Hourglass FC played their part in a thrilling semi-final when they pushed Loco all the way, having taken a 2-0 lead through goals from Sam Espley and Nico Inglis, Loco had to be at their defensive best after the break as Hourglass went in search of an equaliser, which never arrived as they help out to book their afternoon out at Twerton Park.
If the final is half as good as last year’s WG Parr Trophy Final between Beeches FC and Audley FC that Beeches won 4-3 after extra time and after playing almost an hour with 10 men, it could be another cup classic for those who head to watch the game that kicks-off at 2.00pm.