The Polytechnic sixth team reached the final
of the AFA Cup after the most dramatic of 3-2 victories in
the semi-finals.
Rowles's men were 2-0 down against Winchmore
Hill with half an hour remaining but came back to lead
3-2.
However disaster struck in the final minute
in the form of a penalty awarded to the opposition; R2 save
it but the linesman said he took too many steps off his
line.
After a debate R2 readied himself again to
face a second kick, which went the other way - but so did he
to brilliantly seal a place in the final.
There was cup heartache for the first team
after they lost 1-0 away at Broomfield in the Middlesex/Essex
Cup quarter-finals.
The 2s had a pulsating end to their own
match, also against Winchmore Hill: 2-1 up with four minutes
remaining, they conceded two quick goals - but went back up
the other end to equalise for a 3-3 draw in
Chiswick.
The 3s started slowly against Old Salesians
in Kingston, going two goals down before suddenly finding the
fight to take the game to the home side.
A supreme Spear clipped goal into the top
corner following an intricate move between Busman and Symcox
gave the Poly hope - and the latter had an equaliser
disallowed for offside against Spear soon
afterwards.
The fifth team were spanked 5-0 by Actonians
6s at home while the 7s fared somewhat better, hammering
South Bank Cauco 5s 8-0. After going out of the AFA and SAL
cups at the quarter-final and semi-final stage respectively
in the last fortnight, the result was long
overdue.
The goal difference was boosted with the
three prolific forwards bagging all eight goals - Lyons and
Williams hit hat-tricks and Philips scored a brace - but the
most impressive factor was the clean sheet kept against a
team who started the day third in the division.
The
8s won 1-0 at Carshalton in the AFA Cup, enjoying a great start
with a goal in the first 10 minutes.
Constant pressure in the first half made it
look like the game would be wrapped up in the second, but
Carshalton then stopped the Poly playing until the final 15
minutes.
However the Poly's greater experience paid
off, allowing them to soak up the pressure and launch some
well-crafted counters to remain on course for the
final.
The
ninth team produced a desperately lacklustre performance at
home to HSBC, losing 6-1.
An early strike from the visitors was
equalised but the Poly never found any rhythm, while more bad
news was to follow when wing talisman Holmes Reed reported
back from his skiing holiday with a cruciate ligament
injury.