Old Blokes Can Still Do It!!
Posted by Andy Darnley on 7 May 2015
Masters O40s Trophy Final: Henley 2-3 Cannock.
With Cannock’s Masters Over 40s team starting their third National Cup Final in as many years they were keen to make sure they came away with the silverware as they battled to a 3-2 win. Goals from James Roberts, Duncan Woods and Andy Humphrey were enough despite strikes from Paul Chedzey and Dan Herbert for Henley.
Cannock started the brighter and only the gymnastics of the Henley keeper making an excellent double save early on before making another fine stop to repel a Woods penalty corner. At the other end Jody Measures showed good skills to engineer some space but his low shot was saved by Cannock keeper Jon Chappell (who made a 9 hour round trip to break off his holiday and taste victory!)
Back at the Henley end, Cannock's Rob Davies latched onto an aerial and hit a reverse on the bounce but the keeper got a strong glove on the ball once again. It was looking like there was no way past the Henley goalkeeper but then shortly before half time, James Roberts slipped the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs from a penalty corner to make it 1-0.
A minute after the break Paul Chedzey levelled the scores with a well taken finish for Henley before Woods was kept out once more at the other end.
Woods eventually got the better of the goalkeeper with a splendid goal, diving to get a touch onto a long pass from Chris Mayer to divert the ball into the roof of the net. As the Chase Park side pushed for the winner the umpires sent Cannock’s Raf Moscatiello for two 5 minute slots in the ‘naughty chair’, which reduced Cannock to 10 men. Henley saw their opportunity and Herbert produced a finish on the turn to make it 2-2.
Thoughts started to turn to a penalty shoot-out but Cannock had other ideas and from a well-worked penalty corner, Andy Humphrey bagged the winner, with time running out, to break Henley hearts and send the trophy to Cannock.
