EL SOL WIN THE SUNDAY SENIOR CUP AT CARROW ROAD

Norfolk FA’s Carrow Road Cup Finals kicked off this morning as El Sol took on Riverside Rovers in a hotly contested Sunday Senior Cup Final.

 It was the first out of four fixtures to take place at the home of Norwich City FC and it was Great Yarmouth based outfit El Sol who became the first victors on the hallowed turf.

Riverside took the lead in the opening minutes of the game through Connor Delaney, but El Sol were able to reply later in the half when Jacob Short was on hand to turn the ball home from close range.

After going into the break on level terms, El Sol turned up the heat in the second half, mirroring their opponents start and grabbing a goal just two minutes in through Connor Ingram. They then proceeded to dominate the game, creating a multitude of chances.

Riverside went down to 9 men through two sending offs in the second period, leading to El Sol being able to exploit on the counter and finding their third goal in stoppage time when Ashley King was on hand to slot home from close range.  

Riverside got off to the best start possible when in the 2^nd minute a dangerous cross from full back Lloyd Greening was headed down at the back post by Jordan Rocastle. The ball fell perfectly for Delaney to strike first time from just inside the box, with the winger catching it sweetly and giving keeper Jack Whatmough no chance.

After feeling their way into the game more, El Sol nearly found the equaliser when from a free kick Harley Clements won the header at the back post, steering it towards the opposite side of the goal. Any touch from another El Sol player would have surely resulted in a goal, however Jordan Forbes being the closest, missed by inches with the ball continuing its path out of the area.

At the half way point of the game, the home side on the day found the goal they were looking for, when a pacey free kick forced Ian Stones in the Riverside goal to make the save and palm the ball into his own six yard box. Short was quickest to react, poking the ball to the right of Stones and putting his side level in the game.

El Sol nearly took the lead in the very next minute, winning possession back from the restart and Connor Ingram striking a drilled ball toward the bottom right corner. Everyone looked on as the ball struck the post and bobbled across the goal line, hitting the other post and allowing Stones to gratefully collect.

El Sol might have had a penalty as the break approached, Clements got to the ball first as a Riverside player challenged, but the Referee was already in the process of awarding a foul against his side for a challenge a split second earlier.

With the last action of the half, it was Riverside who looked like they could take the lead. Substitute Shaun Wones played a lovely pass to put Delaney away down the right hand side, and good work from the winger saw him beat his man with some nifty footwork. He delivered a high cross towards the back of the six yard box where Jason Armes was waiting to try an acrobatic finish. Unfortunately, his attempted bicycle kick caught Clements in the face, with Armes receiving a yellow card and a sore neck for his efforts.

Half Time: El Sol 1 – 1 Riverside Rovers

It was El Sol who got off to the best possible start in the second period, when three minutes in Connor Ingram was put away with a through ball. With the ball running slightly long, Stones came out to clear, but fired straight into the onrushing striker with the ricochet seeing the ball travel back towards goal and bobbling over the line.  

Only a couple of moments later El Sol could have doubled their advantage when Captain Josh Trett was put through on the right hand side with a defence splitting pass. Squaring up to the keeper the number 7 tried to place his shot into the left hand corner but will have been frustrated to watch his effort fly far wide.

El Sol created another good chance when Nick Bailey struck a great cross along the six yard box with Ingram was ready for the tap in at the far post, but an all-important touch from Liam Baker steered the ball out of the striker’s path. Only five minutes later a similar situation occurred when Short played a fantastic ball in the same area, with Declan Allen waiting to strike. This time it was Greening who somehow managed to get a foot in the way and deflect the ball to safety.   

Allen was involved again on 71 minutes having been played through to find himself one on one with the keeper just inside the box. The winger dragged his shot wide, much to his own frustration.

With just over 15 minutes to go, Riverside’s afternoon was about to become a lot more difficult with Liam Baker sent off for a second yellow card, after a late tackle on Ingram.

Ingram was next in the book after a rash challenge on Charlton Halliday, with the game really heating up as it approached the later stages.

As full time approached, Short did brilliantly to win possession on the edge of his own box and drive into the Riverside half. The midfielder passed out to Allen whose cross was aimed for King, but Halliday intercepts and then stops the ball with his hand, receiving his second yellow of the game followed by marching orders.  Keegan Middleton fired the free kick into the wall allowing Stones to easily collect.

With 6 minutes of stoppage time the game wasn’t slowing in pace, Ingram put through was brilliantly tackled by Greening and Short then fouling the keeper resulting in a free kick. Riverside tried to push forward with Rocastle nodding down to Delaney but the latter scuffing wide from outside the area.

Then with another counter El Sol were able to seal the game. Middleton was put away down the left hand side and with Riverside exposed at the back he was able to drive forward and selflessly pass across to King to smash home from close range.

A long range scissor kick from a clearance was the last real effort from a deflated and depleted Riverside Rovers, and El Sol were able to see out the final minutes to be crowned 2019 Sunday Senior Cup winners.

Full Time: El Sol 3 – 1 Riverside Rovers

PHOTOS:A full album of photographs from this fixture can be found here: po.st/DEphoto

Line ups:

El Sol: Jack Whatmough, Harley Clements, Reece Hunn, Jacob Short, Jordan Forbes, Robbie Oldham, Josh Trett ©, Ross Catchpole, Jason Thompson, Connor Ingram & Nick Bailey.

Subs: Elliot Hannant, Declan Allen, Ashley King, Keegan Middleton, Dale Cockrill.

Riverside Rovers: Ian Stones, Jamie Atkins, Lloyd Greening, Charlton Halliday, Scott, Sell, Tyler Riley, Jamie Riley ©, Jason Armes, Connor Delaney, Jordan Rocastle & Liam Baker.

Subs: Warren Nichols, Danny Young, Shaun Wones, Aaron Kay, Robert Fryers.

Referee: Murray Grant
Assistants: Tristen Watson & Adrian George
Fourth Official: Scott Garrod
Attendance: 437
Player of the Match: Jacob Short