Marshfield came up just short in their bid to become the first Trowbridge & District League side to win a Gloucestershire County Cup competition. Despite taking a first half lead, Marshfield were undone by two second half goals that earned Bristol Downs, Division two leaders and champions elect Sneyd Reserves a 2-1 victory.
Bristol Downs League side Sneyd Reserves have been crowned 2021/22 Gloucestershire Intermediate – South County Cup champions after they came from behind to beat Marshfield FC on a dramatic Monday night at the Gloucestershire County Headquarters at Almondsbury.
Marshfield bossed the opening exchanges and after just 2 minutes, Ewan Anderson found Adam Taylor with his effort deflecting out for a corner. Taylor was again in the thick of the action on 9 minutes, a delightful ball from Harvey Vellacott, but again Taylor was unable to test keeper Chris Evans.
After more great build up work from Marshfield the ball fell to James Gardner who couldn’t direct his long range effort on target. In the 17th minute Marshfield won a free kick some 25 yard from goal, this time Gardner found the target on for keeper Evans to do well to keep hold of his effort.
At the other end and with what was probably their first effort at goal, Declan Maguire superb overhead effort dropped just wide of the target. Midway through the half Marshfield keeper Cameron Walker produced some heroics to keep the scores level when he showed tremendous agility to turn Ben Wright’s goal bound drive over the bar.
Five minutes later an error by keeper Walker gifted the ball to Pete Atkin who missed the best chance of the game to break the deadlock, when he fluffed his lines with the goal at his mercy.
With the first half drawing to a close both teams had a couple of chances to open the scoring and just as it was looking as if the teams would go into the break goalless, Adam Taylor broke clear and netted to give Marshfield what was a deserved 1-0 interval lead.
Five minutes after the interval, Sneyd Reserves were back on level terms, after Stu Latham had seen his original effort turned onto the bar the ball fell to Declan Maguire who turned the ball home off his knee.
Sneyd Reserves were growing more into the game, and over a smart stop from Marshfield keeper Walker denied Ben Wright from giving the Bristol side the lead, but he could only stand and watch when Pete Atkin fire the rebound onto the bar on 56 minutes.
After being second best for the opening 10 minutes of the second half, Marshfield got their swagger back, unfortunately they were unable to find the end product that would see them reclaim the lead. Ben Morris tried his luck from distance and Callum Duckett saw a shot deflected wide and just as it was looking as if the next goal would come the way of the Trowbridge League side, Will Rice came off the bench for Sneyd and ended the cup hopes of Matt Sheppard’s side.
Within a minute of coming on, Rice raced onto a through ball and after his initial shot was fantastically kept out by keeper Walker the ball fell kindly for him to knock the ball in from close range and give Syned Reserves a 2-1 lead with 15 minutes remaining.
Marshfield went in search of a late equaliser and even though the Sneyd keeper may not have bought his best kicking game to the final, he was alert in all other departments and did really well to keep out Jack Sanderson’s audacious chipped effort in the 82nd minute.
With the clock ticking down and although they threw everything they had at Sneyd looking for a late equaliser, the Bristol side who well organised at the back held firm and there was no way through for Marshfield whose 2-1 defeat saw them come up just short in their bid to become the first team from the Trowbridge League to ever lift a Gloucestershire County Cup.
Here’s how they line-up:
Sneyd Reserves: Evans, Merron, Tulip, Latham, Wright, Maguire, Atkin, Stuart, Horden (C), Sioutis, Milsom, Subs, Wakefield, Godel, Rice
Marshfield: Walker, Vellacott, Smith (C), Morris, Duckett, Harvey, Gardner, Anderson, King, Tarrant, Taylor, Subs, Glover, Sanderson, Christie