Game 7

 26/10/24 - NSL Junior Cup

AFC 6 - 2 East Leake Robins Reserves

On the back of five league wins in a row, Attenborough faced potentially their stiffest task yet as higher-division opposition visited The Strand for an afternoon cup clash. East Leake Robins Reserves had endured a tough start to their Division Three campaign but a couple of recent victories suggested they would be no pushovers as Attenborough took their first foray into open-age adult football rather than the U23 opposition they'd been facing in the league to date. 

With Reece Caine unable to tear himself away from Harrogate's visit to Meadow Lane, AFC were forced into a change at the back with the versatile Simon Savage stepping into the left-hand side of the now regular back three employed by manager Mee. While Louis Smith's absence up top saw Lakshay Sharma fill the void in the starting eleven and Elliot Foster played his first game of the season in goal.

 
Despite a good match preparation, it still took a while for Attenborough to come to terms with the robustness of sturdier opposition and East Leake took an early lead after Jack Smith was left exposed against a skilful forward. This setback served to sharpen up our boys and the mid-field three of Lewis Caine, Lewie Pearson and Riley Billson showed great application to wrestle back control in the centre of the park. Having established a foothold in the game, AFC just needed to add that extra bit of quality to turn some of their good play into an equaliser. Step forward Lewis Caine. The skipper seized on a wayward clearance from the opposition keeper and expertly lobbed in from 30 yards to give the home side belief.

Just as it looked like the game would be heading into the break all square, Caine was caught in possession and, after Attenborough failed to clear their lines, East Leake secured the loose ball and a hopeful cross was headed into the far corner of Foster's net to give the away side the lead in the 42nd minute.

 
Responding brilliantly, Attenborough set about reversing the scoreline in the manic few minutes that followed. George Pursglove had begun to have some joy down the left-hand side and glided past his man before squaring for Lewis Caine to score his seventh goal in five games. Repeating the trick a minute later, Pursglove then squeezed in from an acute angle to end a topsy-turvy half with AFC 3-2 in front. 

Full of belief, the Blues tore out the traps early in the second half and dominated from start to finish. Lakshay Sharma had performed selflessly up front and, having worn out the oppositon defence, departed the scene for the fresh legs of the returning Ollie Mee. Mee had an immediate impact with an excellent ball through to Pursglove who fired a heavily-deflected shot past the rooted East Leake goalkeeper. It was no more than Attenborough's incessant pressure had warranted.

Shortly after, Luke Smith, who had produced another lung-busting performance down the left, deservedly bagged his first goal of the season as he fired in following a handling error from the opposition keeper to give the home side an insurmountable 5-2 lead. 

Graham Mee made full use of his bench thereafter and all those that came on, including Brad Greatorex for his Attenborough debut, kept up the standard that the starting eleven had set. It was another relentless second-half display from a super fit and honest squad and Ollie Mee added the cherry on top with a sixth goal after he calmly swept into an open net following another defensive mishap from the dispirited visitors. 

foster; j smith, humphriss, savage; luke smith (69’),cuesta-sarris; pearson, caine (c) (36’, 42’), billson; pursglove (45’, 62’), sharma

subs; mee (80’), brownbill, riley, greatorex