Game 24 - The Cup Final

03/05/25 – NSL Development Cup Final

AFC 3 – 2 AFC Warriors

A fantastic morning at Hucknall Town Football Club saw Attenborough top off a promising season in the best way possible, Cup Final success against old rivals AFC Warriors.

Having suffered a harsh reality check away to Warriors in the final league game, Attenborough bounced back with a comprehensive victory that showcased all their talent and growing maturity.

Some big players were back in the squad, all with plenty to prove, Fin Haywood, Simon Savage, Colm Keegan O’Kane and the suspended Ollie Mee all having been missing from the final league encounter and they all stepped up to the plate and added that extra bit of quality to deservedly secure a notable trophy.

Manager Graham Mee was in charge for the fourth final of his long managerial career, all three previously having resulted in defeat at youth level, but he prepared his troops perfectly to peak at the right time following a three-week break since the last game.

It is fair to say the first quarter was a nervy affair and short on quality as both sides fought to assert themselves, but it was George Cuesta-Sarris in the heart of the Attenborough mid-field who grabbed the game by the throat and forced The Blues on top. The final period of the first half then saw some good football by Mee’s men, Simon Savage as ever influential in starting attacks down the right-hand side, linking up to good effect with Ollie Mee, while Luke Smith twice put excellent balls into the box after rampaging down the left and Attenborough went into the break firmly in the ascendency.

It was clear at half time that the players realised the game was there for the taking and they flew out of the traps in the second half, Lewie Pearson following Cuesta-Sarris’ lead and, along with the skipper Lewis Caine, they dominated the mid-field and forced Attenborough up the pitch. Caine then broke free down the right-hand side and squared an intelligent ball across the face of the goal which found its way to Luke Smith to calmly steer the Blues into the lead.

The first goal was always going to be crucial in what had so far been a cagey game, but once the deadlock had been broken the match exploded into life with substitute Harry Morgan firmly at the centre of things. Morgan has added real quality up front since his mid-season signing and, having outmuscled the defence from Fin Haywood’s kick forward, he produced a trademark ruthless finish into the corner to double the advantage after 57 minutes.

Shortly after, Warriors, whose composure had been teetering on the brink, lost control altogether and one of their players received a ten-minute sin bin for dissent. Attenborough tried to seize the moment and seal the contest there and then with a third goal, Will Humphriss going close with a good header, but it was actually the depleted Warriors that grabbed the next goal to jangle Boro nerves, a loose ball from a free kick steered into the corner of the net.

Fortunately, only moments later Morgan was at it again as he pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area and restored the two-goal advantage following good work down the left from Luke Smith. The drama wasn’t over though as with fifteen minutes remaining Lucas Stentiford was deemed to have brought down his man in the penalty area and Warriors pulled another goal back despite the best efforts of Haywood.

Considering the magnitude of the situation, Attenborough showed great composure to see out the final few minutes without conceding any notable chances, the centre-half pairing of Humphriss and Reece Caine barely having put a foot wrong all game, and it was Warriors once again that cracked under the pressure with George Pursglove, who did some excellent work down the right to help his side see the game out, getting pushed over the railings and resulting in a second sin-binning of the match which all but sealed Attenborough as NSL Development Cup Winners.

The final whistle saw some tremendous scenes of celebration in front of our loyal supporters, with Graham Mee drenched in Champagne and carried aloft around the pitch, before Lewis Caine lifted the trophy and capped off a successful campaign.

haywood; savage, r caine, humphriss, keegan o’kane; pearson, cuesta-sarris, l caine ©; luke smith (49’), pursglove, mee

subs; morgan (57’, 67’), stentiford, sanderson, greatorex, riley