Herts FA Senior Cup Final

20th April 2022

Attendance 435

Played at Potters Bar FC

Hadley 0.  Cheshunt 2

The long awaited cup final kicked off on referee Stuart Cheek’s whistle with Hadley in their home kit of red shirts black shorts kicking up the slope left to right from the stand side and with the high ground on their left. The Ambers in their change kit made a number of changes continuing to rotate players in order to try and maintain a level of fitness for the league run in. There were a few familiar faces in the Hadley line up, and their league form, taking Enfield Town to a replay in the FA cup, and their despatch of Ware & Royston in the latter rounds of this competition indicated the gap between step 5 and step 3 may not be as big as it looked.  The first half certainly showed that & the Ambers were fortunate to go to the break at 0-0. Moses Carvalho competed well in the air in the Hadley back line, well supported by Brad Marriott & Dylan Ebengo.  Cameron Ferguson constantly looked to set Solomon Ofori free with a run at the Cheshunt defence and the tricky wide man did well on several occasions, and switched sides regularly to keep Jerry Puemo & Chevron McLean busy.  Cheshunt were not asserting themselves on their lower league rivals & Hadley’s confidence grew.  Neither side produced any major threat in the opening thirty minutes, Cheshunt’s passes were too long and it was clear the midfield did not trust the pitch. For Hadley they had the better of the opening exchanges but had not troubled George Marsh in the Ambers goal until Jordan Edwards struck a goal bound drive towards the top corner, many in the ground thought it was going to be the opening goal, but Ambers keeper Marsh reacted brilliantly reaching up and to his left with a strong wrist to deflect the ball around the top of the post for a corner. 

Cheshunt came out for the second half under no illusion as to Manager Craig Edwards expectations, and hauled themselves back into the match. Joe Re started to get on the ball more, the cross field switch pass became more effective as Ojo and Beckles Richards found space wider. Jamie Reynolds had a shot whistle just the wrong side of the post & Daniel Ojo was unlucky not to connect with a wicked left wing cross that flashed across the Hadley box 2 yards out with defenders unable to touch it for fear of a deflection into their own net. Nick Dib came on for Amadou Kassarate & Kayne Diedrick Roberts replaced Beckles Richards. Diedrick Roberts was straight into the action and his direct runs at the Hadley defence soon had them back pedalling, now sitting a little deeper they were leaving space in front of them for Reynolds, re & Dib to operate in, the Ambers started to take control in the last quarter, forcing a number of corners. 

Cheshunt had to wait until  the eightieth minute to open the scoring & it was Monday’s goal scoring hero Kayne Diedrick Roberts to repeat the feat, capitalising on a poor clearance that looped up over the defence for him to control and rifle a shot into the opposite corner firing across the outstretched Parker in the Hadley goal. Substitutions and a few visits to the field by both physios led to plenty of additional time and Hadley summoned up what energy they had left for a final assault on George Marsh’s goal. Alfano & Ofori combined well to give the Ambers a scare, but for the most part the formidable pairing of Crowther & McKenzie stood firm. With everyone pushed forward Hadley were open to a quick counter attack and the pace of Ojo, Diedrick Roberts saw Mo Camara released on the Cheshunt right, as he advanced to the box had he gone too wide? No, a quick look up & a firm shot inside the keeper & post secured the cup for Cheshunt.

Our best wishes to Hadley who are still competing in two other cups and could secure a promotion to step 4. & trust that Brad Marriott who left the field in the second half with a fractured nose has a speedy recovery. 

Hadley:   Parker, Marriott (Milton), Carvalho, Ebengo, Ofori, Ferguson (Davis), Edwards, Hayes, Alfano, Uribarri (Rosemin), Harold-Egole. subs not used Muhemba, Jupp

Cheshunt Marsh, Puemo, McLean, Kassarate (Dib), Crowther, McKenzie, Beckles Richards (Diedrick Roberts) , Re, Camara Ojo, Reynolds.  Subs not used Ekongo, Miles, Edwards

Picture: Kev1113images