After a week off celebrating (can you really celebrate getting older?) my birthday in Wroclaw, this Saturday was a big footballing day. My daughter was making her debut for her new club in the morning (albeit a PSF) and, after a quick cross-county dash, we had the small matter of the Henry Hawtin Memorial Cup Final at 2pm.
This season's final featured last season Witney & District Premier League champions, Stonesfield, taking on Charlbury Town. Both had finished top of their respective groups with Charlbury finishing ahead of least year's Henry Hawtin winners Heyford Athletic on goal difference. Stonesfield then disposed of Heyford in the semi-final whilst Charlbury saw off Chadlington.
Both league encounters last season ended in Stonesfield victories, so they were coming into this game a favourites.
Neither team had seen any problems finding the net in the group stages or the semi-final, so it was going to be interesting to see which defence coped best.
This season's final featured last season Witney & District Premier League champions, Stonesfield, taking on Charlbury Town. Both had finished top of their respective groups with Charlbury finishing ahead of least year's Henry Hawtin winners Heyford Athletic on goal difference. Stonesfield then disposed of Heyford in the semi-final whilst Charlbury saw off Chadlington.
Both league encounters last season ended in Stonesfield victories, so they were coming into this game a favourites.
Neither team had seen any problems finding the net in the group stages or the semi-final, so it was going to be interesting to see which defence coped best.
Jack Newman (6) watches his free-kick go in We did not have long to get the first pointer to this question. Kicking down the slope in the first half, Stonesfield launched a break down the right through Logan Mitchell. His deep cross was met at the far post by Raffy Rice, who stroked the ball back past Archie Bradbury. 0-1 and well under a minute on the clock. What a start from Stonesfield!
The blues continued to look the better side after the goal, with Charlbury struggling to make an inroads. Then, just past the quarter hour, Stonesfield doubled their lead. The roles were reversed from the first goal. Some excellent build up play, cutting through the Charlbury midfield with a series of one-touch passes, the ball was eventually fed to Raffy Rice on the left wing. He sent over a low ball that found Logan Mitchell, who made no mistake at the far port. 0-2. An excellent team goal.
Mike Phipps had still not had to make a significant contribution between the Stonesfield sticks when, on the stroke of the half-hour, the Blues added a third. Bradbury did well in the Town goal, denying Carry Rice twice but, when the ball ran loose a third time, no-one could prevent Mitchell from smashing home his second and Stonesfield's third. 0-3
Three goals up in the opening half-hour. The game was looking to be as good as in the bag, but Stonesfield weren't quite finished, and they'd left the best until last. In the final minute of normal time, they won a free-kick some 25 yards out, slightly left of centre. Jack Newman stepped up, sending a superb curling effort, bending away from Bradbury all the time, into the top corner. The keeper got a hand to it, but couldn't keep it out. 0-4.
HT Charlbury Town 0 Stonesfield 4. A dominant first-half from last season's Premier League winners. In all honesty, it appeared to be about keeping the score down at this point. Aside from a couple of efforts that didn't trouble the keeper, Charlbury had failed to penetrate the Blues defence.
The blues continued to look the better side after the goal, with Charlbury struggling to make an inroads. Then, just past the quarter hour, Stonesfield doubled their lead. The roles were reversed from the first goal. Some excellent build up play, cutting through the Charlbury midfield with a series of one-touch passes, the ball was eventually fed to Raffy Rice on the left wing. He sent over a low ball that found Logan Mitchell, who made no mistake at the far port. 0-2. An excellent team goal.
Mike Phipps had still not had to make a significant contribution between the Stonesfield sticks when, on the stroke of the half-hour, the Blues added a third. Bradbury did well in the Town goal, denying Carry Rice twice but, when the ball ran loose a third time, no-one could prevent Mitchell from smashing home his second and Stonesfield's third. 0-3
Three goals up in the opening half-hour. The game was looking to be as good as in the bag, but Stonesfield weren't quite finished, and they'd left the best until last. In the final minute of normal time, they won a free-kick some 25 yards out, slightly left of centre. Jack Newman stepped up, sending a superb curling effort, bending away from Bradbury all the time, into the top corner. The keeper got a hand to it, but couldn't keep it out. 0-4.
HT Charlbury Town 0 Stonesfield 4. A dominant first-half from last season's Premier League winners. In all honesty, it appeared to be about keeping the score down at this point. Aside from a couple of efforts that didn't trouble the keeper, Charlbury had failed to penetrate the Blues defence.
Stonesfield chances were restricted in the 2nd half With the rain still coming down, the Reds of Charlbury made a much more promising start to the second period. Twice in the first couple of minutes they created decent chances, one of which appeared to clip the bar on its way out.
Maybe Stonesfield had taken their foot off the gas a little, or maybe Charlbury had just upped their game. Either way, it was clear that the second half was going to be much more competitive and evenly matched than the first.
Whereas, in the first half, Stonesfield had played through Charlbury with some style and ease, this was not happening in the second half and, with the increased security at the back, came a renewed vigour going forward.
Twenty minutes into the half, Charlbury got a reward for their renewed endeavour. It came in somewhat fortunate circumstances, but they all count. Substitute Alex Croft sent a low free-kick into the edge of the box which took an unfortunate deflection off a Stonesfield defender before skidding past a wrong-footed Phipps on his near post. 1-4.
Ten minutes later Town were left cursing their luck as Toby Ball clipped a glorious effort over Phipps only for the ball to come back off the bar and to safety. Five minutes after that, with ten remining, Charlbury came close to a repeat deflected free-kick performance but this time Phipps was able to recover and drop on the ball bravely as a striker also lunged to poke it over the line.
If wither of those efforts had gone in, the 83rd minute powerful header from Stefan Lang, off a left-wing corner, would have been even more significant. As it was, it made the score 2-4 with seven minutes of normal time remaining. Too late?
The answer was yes. Stonesfield saw out the final few minutes without any more major scares.
FT Charlbury Town 1 Stonesfield 4. Stonesfield somewhat coasted through the second half after taking a four goal lead at the break. Credit to Charlbury who certainly gave Stones a game in the second half. If one of the efforts that hit the woodwork had gone in, who knows?
The teams will meet again in two weeks, when they open their league campaigns at Nineacres Recreation ground, but for now:
Congratulations to Stonesfield. Henry Hawtin Memorial Cup winners 2025!
Also, a big thank you to Rob Smith and all at Enstone Sports for organising another great tournament. These things don't just happen, they take a lot of time and hard work by teams of volunteers.
Charlbury Town: 1.Bradbury, 21.Robertson, 8.McCallum, 2.Goode, 6.Nimmo, 20.Lang, 10.Aikens, 12.Nutt, 3.Hawley, 15.Ball, 11.Sweet. Subs: 17.Fitzgerald, 19.Croft, 5.Piotrowsky
Stonesfield: 1.Phipps, 2.Brand-Wiggins, Harris, 4.Wynn, 5.Newman, 7.Barker, 8.Connelly, 9.C.Rice, 10.R.Rice, 11.Mitchell. Subs: 12.Salter, 14.Ladbroke, 15.Hart
Maybe Stonesfield had taken their foot off the gas a little, or maybe Charlbury had just upped their game. Either way, it was clear that the second half was going to be much more competitive and evenly matched than the first.
Whereas, in the first half, Stonesfield had played through Charlbury with some style and ease, this was not happening in the second half and, with the increased security at the back, came a renewed vigour going forward.
Twenty minutes into the half, Charlbury got a reward for their renewed endeavour. It came in somewhat fortunate circumstances, but they all count. Substitute Alex Croft sent a low free-kick into the edge of the box which took an unfortunate deflection off a Stonesfield defender before skidding past a wrong-footed Phipps on his near post. 1-4.
Ten minutes later Town were left cursing their luck as Toby Ball clipped a glorious effort over Phipps only for the ball to come back off the bar and to safety. Five minutes after that, with ten remining, Charlbury came close to a repeat deflected free-kick performance but this time Phipps was able to recover and drop on the ball bravely as a striker also lunged to poke it over the line.
If wither of those efforts had gone in, the 83rd minute powerful header from Stefan Lang, off a left-wing corner, would have been even more significant. As it was, it made the score 2-4 with seven minutes of normal time remaining. Too late?
The answer was yes. Stonesfield saw out the final few minutes without any more major scares.
FT Charlbury Town 1 Stonesfield 4. Stonesfield somewhat coasted through the second half after taking a four goal lead at the break. Credit to Charlbury who certainly gave Stones a game in the second half. If one of the efforts that hit the woodwork had gone in, who knows?
The teams will meet again in two weeks, when they open their league campaigns at Nineacres Recreation ground, but for now:
Congratulations to Stonesfield. Henry Hawtin Memorial Cup winners 2025!
Also, a big thank you to Rob Smith and all at Enstone Sports for organising another great tournament. These things don't just happen, they take a lot of time and hard work by teams of volunteers.
Charlbury Town: 1.Bradbury, 21.Robertson, 8.McCallum, 2.Goode, 6.Nimmo, 20.Lang, 10.Aikens, 12.Nutt, 3.Hawley, 15.Ball, 11.Sweet. Subs: 17.Fitzgerald, 19.Croft, 5.Piotrowsky
Stonesfield: 1.Phipps, 2.Brand-Wiggins, Harris, 4.Wynn, 5.Newman, 7.Barker, 8.Connelly, 9.C.Rice, 10.R.Rice, 11.Mitchell. Subs: 12.Salter, 14.Ladbroke, 15.Hart
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