It was bitterly cold, but the endeavour, skills and sporting behaviour of the players in Saturday’s two Primary Schools cup finals at least brought a warm-glow to the parents and football lovers who huddled together at the FB Fields.
The silverware eventually went to the probable pre-match favourites, with Victoria College winning their ninth Senior Cup in the last ten attempts, though they needed late goals in extra time to deny a battling De La Salle 3-1. No less effort was shown in the Minor Cup final either, with Bel Royal holding on to deny a hard-pressing St Saviour’s, 2-0.
Two cracking matches and the players from all four teams can be pleased with their efforts which produced some eye-catching skills and moments of high drama, not least the extra-ordinary performance of De La Salle goalkeeper John Cousins.
VCP 3, De La Salle 1 (after extra time, 1-1 at end of normal time): With VCP fielding a host of Island players, they were expected to dominate this final. But a dogged defensive effort and all-round battling from De La Salle made the battle for the Senior Cup anything but straight forward.
The silky-smooth passing from VCP was a feature throughout, with captain Leighton Collier orchestrating matters with his intelligent head-up approach stretching DLS both left and right.
The early play was certainly all Victoria, but it soon became clear they would be made to earn the right to lift the trophy, with defenders Oliver Hamon, Fergus Boyle and Kyle Wilson challenging strongly in front of what turned out to be an inspired goalkeeper in John Cousins. The latter had already beaten away several good efforts and seen his post rattled by a good drive from VCP’s lively and tricky left-hand side attacker Luca Picotto, before he was eventually beaten.
Collier, displaying a good touch with both feet, also proved he could shoot, with his left-footed drive from the edge of the area escaping Cousins, who was unsighted by a defender.
Victoria poured forward, but Cousins and Co denied them time and time again – and their spirit was lifted still further before the break with a splendid equaliser from Finley Thomson, who lifted a shot from distance into the roof of the VCP net.
Picotto again smacked the woodwork for VCP, but the scores remained level at the break.
DSL were coming more into the game, but it was still the Victoria team that posed the greater threat, with Collier denied from distance by a superlative diving save from Cousins.
Even when the ball was knocked past Cousins, Walker was covering to clear the danger.
Extra time was called, with Cousins soon winning another personal duel with Collier at the far post after a good cross from Picotto on the left.
The decisive goal came in the second extra period, with a cross from the right finding Picotto, who forced a good block from Cousins, but the rebound was driven in low from an angle by the always lively Conor O’Keeffe.
Minutes later O’Keeffe wrapped up the result when he drove an excellent, low, right-foot drive across Cousins and into the far corner. An excellent goal to seal a memorable final.
Victoria College Prep: Monty Cudlipp; Jack Nayar, Eddie Rothwell, Harry MacKenzie, Leighton Collier, Luca Picotto, Conor O’Keefe and Sunny Reid.
De La Salle: John Cousins, Oliver Hamon, Fergus Boyle, Kyle Walker, Finley Thomson, Daniel Pamiter, Nathan Crake-Jones and Charles Dubbely.
Officials, for both finals, were: Ethan Woodley, Harvey Butler and Jamie Le Fondré.
Bel Royal 2, St Saviour’s 0: The earlier Minor Cup final was also in doubt right to the final whistle, despite first-half dominance from Bel Royal, who bossed most of the first half, with a double from Tiago Duarte in the first ten minutes putting them well in control by half time.
But St Saviour, with Lara Vieira and Ewan Brodie starting to get more joy up front, worked their way back into contention and they certainly deserved a score, coming no closer to that when Brodie forced an excellent save from Zak Law from a free kick on the edge of the area. Bel Royal, well led by captain Ronan Baines, held off the threat as pressure grew and both sides roared their approval of each other before Baines picked up the trophy.
Bel Royal: Zak Law; Ben Jones, Harry Ecobichon, Tiago Duarte, Ronan Baines, Rory Baines, Fergus Kinley, Harry Rowlands and Marley Fitzgerald-Wilkins.
St Saviour: Bradley Andrews-Callec; Paul Burton, Ewan Brodie, Lara Vieira, Annabelle Mahrer, Noah Cabot, Marco Goncalves and Jacob Winston-Jones.
