The last day of May and the end to what has been a long season. Friday night saw BotP heading South on the M40. Destination, Burnham FC and the Robin Woolman Memorial Challenge Cup Final between Windsor Royals FC and Pobbers FC. Both teams are members of the Thames Valley Sunday Football League (TVSFL), the organisation that also hosts the Robin Woolman Cup. The TVSL, founded in 1974, currently has four divisions, from Premier League through the Division 3. Tonight's final matched Pobbers, from the Premier Division, with Division 1 side Windsor Royals.
The Robin Woolman Cup is in its second year and was created to honour former referee, instructor, assessor and TVSL Chairman, Robin Woolman, who passed away in 2022. As well as TVSFL Chairman, Robin had also been chair of the East Berkshire Football League and Secretary at Beaconsfield Town (SYCOB). His lifelong dedication to local football was recognised in 2012 when the FA awarded him the prestigious 50 Year Service Award. Last season saw the first competition in his name, won by Singh Sabha Slough.
This season's finalists both saw some high-scoring games on their road to Burnham. Windsor began with a 5-1 defeat of Division One winners King George V and followed that up by beating last season's winners, Singh Sabha Slough of the premier League, 3-1. In the quarter-final they won 4-1 at Division Two Chicken Ranch United before repeating the score line in their semi-final defeat of mid-table Premier side Mtown Rovers.
Pobbers, meanwhile, had a bye in the first round but were then drawn away in every other game. They went on to win 4-3 at Premier League bottom side Datchet. In the quarter-final they won 4-1 at Division Two outfit Pinkneys Green before edging their semi-final 3-2 at Premier Division champions, Inter Versa.
The Robin Woolman Cup is in its second year and was created to honour former referee, instructor, assessor and TVSL Chairman, Robin Woolman, who passed away in 2022. As well as TVSFL Chairman, Robin had also been chair of the East Berkshire Football League and Secretary at Beaconsfield Town (SYCOB). His lifelong dedication to local football was recognised in 2012 when the FA awarded him the prestigious 50 Year Service Award. Last season saw the first competition in his name, won by Singh Sabha Slough.
This season's finalists both saw some high-scoring games on their road to Burnham. Windsor began with a 5-1 defeat of Division One winners King George V and followed that up by beating last season's winners, Singh Sabha Slough of the premier League, 3-1. In the quarter-final they won 4-1 at Division Two Chicken Ranch United before repeating the score line in their semi-final defeat of mid-table Premier side Mtown Rovers.
Pobbers, meanwhile, had a bye in the first round but were then drawn away in every other game. They went on to win 4-3 at Premier League bottom side Datchet. In the quarter-final they won 4-1 at Division Two outfit Pinkneys Green before edging their semi-final 3-2 at Premier Division champions, Inter Versa.
Pobbers threatening Pobbers, in their all yellow kit, got the game under way, kicking towards the car park end in front of a fairly sizeable crowd. They were on the front foot very early on with both Luke Appleton with a flicked header and Josh Kurton with a fizzing strike from the edge of the box, coming close in the opening four minutes,
Windsor Royals, in their green shirts, were struggling to get to grips with the Pobbers passing game on the artificial surface and only seven minutes were on the clock when the yellows went in front. Oliver Murray latching onto a loose ball some 25 yards out and shaping a drive into the far corner that left Royals keeper Gabriel Pinzaru helpless. A great strike from Murray. 0-1
Pobbers were well on top at this point. Their keeper Matt Brophy had so far had little to do with Royals failing to get a strike on target in the opening 20 minutes. Despite their dominance, however, Pobbers were unable to increase their lead. They came quite close in the 17th minute when a nice piece of interplay culminated in Kurton bringing a good stop out of Pinzaru but, aside from that, didn't make the Royals keeper work too hard.
As we hit the midpoint mark of the first half, Royals did finally muster a half-chance when Lex Young, who had looked their liveliest option so far, got in behind the Pobbers defence on the right-hand side of the box. His cut back across the penalty area was just behind Kian Lotz, who then fouled his marker in an attempt to get a shot off.
Two minutes after that Appleton rose well to get a head to a good cross from the Pobbers right, only to see his effort go wide of the same post as his earlier attempt.
To be fair to Royals, they began to get more of a foothold toward the end of the half. Brophy had to get down sharply to field a deflected Marcus Ball cross before, on 38 minutes, Matteo Giacobbe made the keeper work even harder with a low drive that was heading for the bottom corner before Brophy threw himself to his right to make the save. Lotz then had a shot deflected over before heading the resulting corner just over.
A much more promising end to the half for Windsor, but they still trailed at the break.
HT Windsor Royals 0 Pobbers 1. Despite being a goal down, Windsor would probably be fairly happy to still be in it. Pobbers could and should have been further ahead. Would they be made to pay for not increasing their lead when they were on top?
Windsor Royals, in their green shirts, were struggling to get to grips with the Pobbers passing game on the artificial surface and only seven minutes were on the clock when the yellows went in front. Oliver Murray latching onto a loose ball some 25 yards out and shaping a drive into the far corner that left Royals keeper Gabriel Pinzaru helpless. A great strike from Murray. 0-1
Pobbers were well on top at this point. Their keeper Matt Brophy had so far had little to do with Royals failing to get a strike on target in the opening 20 minutes. Despite their dominance, however, Pobbers were unable to increase their lead. They came quite close in the 17th minute when a nice piece of interplay culminated in Kurton bringing a good stop out of Pinzaru but, aside from that, didn't make the Royals keeper work too hard.
As we hit the midpoint mark of the first half, Royals did finally muster a half-chance when Lex Young, who had looked their liveliest option so far, got in behind the Pobbers defence on the right-hand side of the box. His cut back across the penalty area was just behind Kian Lotz, who then fouled his marker in an attempt to get a shot off.
Two minutes after that Appleton rose well to get a head to a good cross from the Pobbers right, only to see his effort go wide of the same post as his earlier attempt.
To be fair to Royals, they began to get more of a foothold toward the end of the half. Brophy had to get down sharply to field a deflected Marcus Ball cross before, on 38 minutes, Matteo Giacobbe made the keeper work even harder with a low drive that was heading for the bottom corner before Brophy threw himself to his right to make the save. Lotz then had a shot deflected over before heading the resulting corner just over.
A much more promising end to the half for Windsor, but they still trailed at the break.
HT Windsor Royals 0 Pobbers 1. Despite being a goal down, Windsor would probably be fairly happy to still be in it. Pobbers could and should have been further ahead. Would they be made to pay for not increasing their lead when they were on top?
Lex Young about to make it 1-1 Pobbers began the second half in good fashion when Connor Shingleston curled a free-kick goalward, forcing Pinzaru into an early stop. However, it was the Windsor contingent who were soon celebrating. Only eight minutes into the second period, Royals were awarded a free-kick some 25 yards out. Lex Young took responsibility with a fine strike that took the smallest of knicks before flying past Brophy to make it 1-1.
The goal signalled a complete change in the pattern of the game. Suddenly it was Windsor who were on the front foot. Pobbers, previously looking very confident as they stroked the ball around, were misplacing passes and looking decidedly shaken by the equaliser. It could have got a lot worse for them just before the hour mark when Alex Jackson's glancing header beat Brophy but came back off the foot of the post. Royals were certainly having their best period of the match. However, they couldn't find the all-important second goal and the game slipped into something of a flat period, which helped Pobbers to re-group.
The Premier League side gradually played their way back into the game and only a last-ditch defensive block prevented them from re-taking the lead on 67 minutes. Defender Stefan Bennet then looped a header just over before the yellows had the ball in thr net with 13 to play, only for the assitant's flag to deny them.
That disappointment did not last too long though. A minute later a deep cross from the right was too high for Pinzaru but perfect for the leaping Luke Appleton who, after putting two headers wide, made no mistake this time. 1-2.
Windsor tried to respond again. Substitute Lawson Jones had a golden opportunity ion the 81st minute but guided his header into the arms of Brophy. Alex Jackson then swivelled to blast an effort over Brophy's bar in the 87th minute, with time running out on the Royals. Their task was then made even harder when, after being caught on the break, left-back Chris Stocker was forced to haul down Shingleston, denying Pobbers a goal-scoring opportunity in the process. After a brief discussion with his assiatant, referee Nick Phipps showed the Royal the red card.
A minute later, from the resulting free-kick, Pobbers applied to final nail in the Windsor coffin when Luke Appleton matched Young's earlier strike with a beauty of his own, hitting the top corner from 22 yards, giving Pinzaru no chance. 1-3
FT Windsor Royals 1 Pobbers 3. In the end a deserved victory for Pobbers. Windsor staged soemthign of a comeback earkly in the second half and, if the Jackson header that hit the post had gone in, who knows what may have happened. A really entertaining game to finish the season, both sides were a credit to their league.
You can see a few shots and short videos on the game on the TVSFL X feed (@tvsfl), including a behind the goal shot of the Windsor equaliser from Slough Town and Windsor Royals fan Scot McNeish (@darthscrote)
Windsor Royals: 1.Pinzaru, 3.Stocker, 16.Stratton, 4.Neville, 12.Cuthbert(c), 8.Dreelan, 23.Jackson, 19.Ball, 11.Giacobbe, 7.Young, 9.Lotz. Subs: 13.Chandler, 21.Jones, 17.Crotch, 22.Lancaster, 14.Dhanda
Pobbers: 1.Brophy, 17.Appleton, 9.Bennett, 5.Crouch, 15.Edwards, 10.Kurton, 8.Mann(c), 2.Munt, 14.Murray, 6.Shingleston, 11.Turner. Subs: 7.Clark, 16.Dawes, 12.Hart, 3.O'Reilly, 4.Rawlings
Ground Number: Revisit
Att:
Entrance: £7.00
Programme: N/A
The goal signalled a complete change in the pattern of the game. Suddenly it was Windsor who were on the front foot. Pobbers, previously looking very confident as they stroked the ball around, were misplacing passes and looking decidedly shaken by the equaliser. It could have got a lot worse for them just before the hour mark when Alex Jackson's glancing header beat Brophy but came back off the foot of the post. Royals were certainly having their best period of the match. However, they couldn't find the all-important second goal and the game slipped into something of a flat period, which helped Pobbers to re-group.
The Premier League side gradually played their way back into the game and only a last-ditch defensive block prevented them from re-taking the lead on 67 minutes. Defender Stefan Bennet then looped a header just over before the yellows had the ball in thr net with 13 to play, only for the assitant's flag to deny them.
That disappointment did not last too long though. A minute later a deep cross from the right was too high for Pinzaru but perfect for the leaping Luke Appleton who, after putting two headers wide, made no mistake this time. 1-2.
Windsor tried to respond again. Substitute Lawson Jones had a golden opportunity ion the 81st minute but guided his header into the arms of Brophy. Alex Jackson then swivelled to blast an effort over Brophy's bar in the 87th minute, with time running out on the Royals. Their task was then made even harder when, after being caught on the break, left-back Chris Stocker was forced to haul down Shingleston, denying Pobbers a goal-scoring opportunity in the process. After a brief discussion with his assiatant, referee Nick Phipps showed the Royal the red card.
A minute later, from the resulting free-kick, Pobbers applied to final nail in the Windsor coffin when Luke Appleton matched Young's earlier strike with a beauty of his own, hitting the top corner from 22 yards, giving Pinzaru no chance. 1-3
FT Windsor Royals 1 Pobbers 3. In the end a deserved victory for Pobbers. Windsor staged soemthign of a comeback earkly in the second half and, if the Jackson header that hit the post had gone in, who knows what may have happened. A really entertaining game to finish the season, both sides were a credit to their league.
You can see a few shots and short videos on the game on the TVSFL X feed (@tvsfl), including a behind the goal shot of the Windsor equaliser from Slough Town and Windsor Royals fan Scot McNeish (@darthscrote)
Windsor Royals: 1.Pinzaru, 3.Stocker, 16.Stratton, 4.Neville, 12.Cuthbert(c), 8.Dreelan, 23.Jackson, 19.Ball, 11.Giacobbe, 7.Young, 9.Lotz. Subs: 13.Chandler, 21.Jones, 17.Crotch, 22.Lancaster, 14.Dhanda
Pobbers: 1.Brophy, 17.Appleton, 9.Bennett, 5.Crouch, 15.Edwards, 10.Kurton, 8.Mann(c), 2.Munt, 14.Murray, 6.Shingleston, 11.Turner. Subs: 7.Clark, 16.Dawes, 12.Hart, 3.O'Reilly, 4.Rawlings
Ground Number: Revisit
Att:
Entrance: £7.00
Programme: N/A
Royals looking for another equaliser
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