GREAT BARDFIELD 1 WITHAM PHOENIX 3

Braintree Sunday League Division Three Cup final

The first of this season’s cup finals took place in the Braintree Sunday League with Witham Phoenix rising to the occasion at a wet and windy Halstead Town to lift the Division Three Cup with a 3-1 win against Great Bardfield.

Having been locked at one goal apiece at half-time at Rosemary Lane, Phoenix stretched clear after the break with two more goals that earned them the silverware.

Their goals all came from Connor West, who capped his hat-trick display with the man-of-the-match award, while Bardfield’s strike late in the first half came from Ben McGlashan.

West opened the scoring early for Witham with a well-placed goal, but Bardfield came back strongly and Phoenix had Aaron O’Shea to thank for maintaining their lead with a save from Chris Dixon.

On the half hour mark, Bardfield went close to an equaliser when Philip Smith curled in a shot which hit the post and Witham defender Darren Stokes blocked the follow-up shot on the line.

However, Great Bardfield got their reward two minutes before the break when McGlashan slotted home the equaliser.

The second half started with both teams playing some attacking football, but it was Phoenix who went back into the lead in the 66th minute when a cross-shot by West ended up in the back of the net.

Bardfield did hit the woodwork again when Billy Andrews’ free-kick cannoned off the bar, but it wasn’t to be their day and West completed his hat-trick in time added-on at the end to make the silverware secure.