Capel Plough 3 Walsham 4(after extra time)IN one of the most exciting, controversial and absorbing Alliance Outsourcing Suffolk Senior Cup finals, favourites Walsham-le-Willows eventually triumphed at Portman Road last night.

By Elvin King

By Elvin King

Capel Plough 3 Walsham 4

(after extra time)

IN one of the most exciting, controversial and absorbing Alliance Outsourcing Suffolk Senior Cup finals, favourites Walsham-le-Willows eventually triumphed at Portman Road last night.

Capel Plough from the Metaltec SIL were 2-0 ahead at one time, and led 3-2 in extra-time. But in the end all they had to show was plenty of effort and no mean skill.

Underdogs Capel took the lead in the 21st minute. Nigel Bradford made a rapid dash inside the box and went flying when confronted by Neil Gooderham. Referee Kevin Theobald had no doubts about the foul and pointed to the spot. Robbie Fuller sent Kevin Bugg the wrong with his crisply-struck right-foot penalty.

Capel had their fans on their feet with a stunning second goal in the 40th minute. Bradford played a brilliant long ball that released Mark Jorgenson down the right wing. Bugg was unable to deal with the cross, and when the ball ran loose, it was Bradford who was alive to the situation to smash an unstoppable shot high into the net off the far post.

Ridgeons League Walsham had a lifeline a minute later when Miles Donovan and Dean Folkard competed for a free-kick as the ball went over the by-line. The referee adjudged that Folkard had been pushed, and Gooderham made up for conceding the earlier penalty by converting this one with a confident shot low to Hunt's right.

Within a minute of the re-start Tynan lobbed an effort on to the top of the bar, but his side had more good fortune when Marc Wake netted in the 50th minute. Players from both sides stood in puzzlement for several seconds before it became clear that the goal had not been given - a third penalty had been awarded, this time for hand-ball. Gooderham tried to beat Hunt to the keeper's left this time but a weak shot was comfortably beaten away.

Alan Ross got the faintest of touches with his head to a free-kick from near the half-way line by Gooderham to level the scores in the 62nd minute.

When Marc Wake ended up on the floor in the 66th minute the referee pointed to the fourth penalty. But within a couple of seconds he changed his mind and gave a free-kick just outside the area.

Hunt pulled off a couple of terrific save from Paul Nozedar as Walsham lasted the 90 minutes the stronger although both sides had players going down with cramp.

In the eighth minute of extra-time, plucky Capel re-took the lead after Christopher Pollard had mis-kicked. A composed Tynan found the impressive Ricky Thurlow and he drilled his shot across Bugg and into the net.

Tynan limped off amid loud applause, but Capel were breached in the 104th minute after Carl Deeks found Wake who side-stepped his marker and smashed a 20-yard shot into the top corner of the net to bring the scores level again. In the 111th minute Walsham went into the lead for the first time when David Bloomfield made a fine run to the right by-line, and his perfect cross was headed in at the far post by Nozedar.

Teams

Capel Plough: Hunt, Vince, Horsfall, Bradford, Stevens, M Donovan, K Donovan (Ellul 81), Fuller, P Tynan (Godbold 99), Thurlow and Jorgenson (Mayhew 67). Subs: S Tynan and Percy.

Walsham-le-Willows: Bugg, Pollard, Crown, Gooderham (Partridge 90), Folkard (Nozedar 63), Crawford, Bloomfield, Newman (Deeks 99), Wake, Ross and Sim. Subs: Mustoe and Smith.

Referee: Mr K Theobald. Attendance: 804.