ROB STRIKES GOLD FOR ELEANOR TO BREAK WELDON HEARTS

Both sides made history when they met at Sixfields on Tuesday evening. For Weldon, it was their first ever Cup Final appearance, and for Eleanor their first since departing the Town League for Combination football.

Having seen the Premier Division title slip through their fingers, Weldon arrived at the venue looking for redemption, with the cup representing their last chance to salvage something from a season that had promised so much, yet delivered so little.

Things began brightly for Weldon who threatened to overwhelm Eleanor’s defence. Michael Chong opened the scoring for Weldon on 7 minutes, both creating and finishing the chance himself. Finding himself in the centre of the area Chong knocked the ball down and past his marker before calmly rolling the ball inside the far post.

Subsequent chances fell to Richard Moore and Paul Djeneralovic, but neither player could find the target, blazing the ball over. Moore wasted his chance after a good run, while Djeneralovic could not capitalise after being found by Gary Owen’s free-kick.

Eleanor began to exert themselves in the game but could not turn their possession into a chance on goal as the well-marshalled Weldon defence snuffed out their moves every time. Weldon should have doubled their advantage on 43 minutes but a double block on the goal line from Jack Karare denied Chong and Paul Doherty.

Having survived that attack Eleanor pushed out forcing their opponents onto the back foot, but again, the Weldon defence held firm.  It seemed that only a fluke or a moment of inspired play could breach the Weldon rearguard, and so it proved on the stroke of half-time. Finding himself some 35 yards from goal Eleanor’s Lloyd Skidmore tried a speculative shot, swinging his left foot at a loose bouncing ball. The effort may have been borne of desperation, but the contact was clean and true, and the ball sailed over the head of Weldon keeper Mark Mallard into the back of the net.

Despite the late setback, Weldon came out for the second half determined to put the game beyond their opponents.  Just seven minutes after the restart Richard Moore had the ball in the Eleanor net for the second time. His headed strike however was ruled out for offside. The resultant free-kick was played long up the field and fell to Rob Goldring. His neat takedown and burst of speed beat the Weldon offside trap, and it took a smart sliding challenge from Gary Owen to prevent him from giving Queen Eleanor the lead.

Both sides eased off the pressure soon after, with the flow of the game broken up by cheap free-kicks and several substitutions. With five minutes of normal time remaining, the Queen Eleanor defence seemed to collectively hit the self-destruct button, and presented Weldon with a gilt-edged chance to win the game. Weldon substitutes Graham Clarke and Anthony McClear were given the time and space to manoeuvre their way through their opponents rearguard at will, before McClear’s through-ball found Richard Moore.  He turned away from marker Tom Caton and burst into the penalty area. Eleanor full-back Steve Botterill lunged in with a desperate last ditch tackle which succeeded only in bringing Moore down as he prepared to shoot. From there the outcome was inevitable. Weldon were awarded the spot-kick and Botterill’s game was at an end as he saw red.

Chong stepped up but sent a weakly struck shot along the ground and down the centre which Eleanor stopper Max Collins easily cleared away with his feet, and forcing the game into extra time.

The first period passed without incident, as cramp and fatigue began to take their toll on both sides. However, two minutes into the second period Rob Goldring put Eleanor ahead. A deep cross field pass found him on the left-hand side of the field. Goldring neatly collected the ball and profited when his marker appeared to lose his footing just inside the area. Goldring turned outside before firing in at the far post. Just two minutes later Goldring had the chance to double his tally and put Eleanor clear, but this time he was denied by Mallard.  Andrew Lambert wasted Weldon’s best chance midway through the half, going for glory and firing well wide when he had teammates who were better placed. Despite a series of three corners on the cusp of full time, Weldon could not force an equaliser as Queen Eleanor claimed the prize.