Finchampstead Athletic Reserves vs Whitegrove: Junior Sunday League Cup Final

Friday night sees the second of the Bracknell Town & District Sunday League cup finals as Finchampstead Athletic Sunday Reserves and Whitegrove prepare to do battle in the BTDSL Junior Cup Final writes Darrell Freeland.

Kick-off is 7.45pm at Bracknell Town’s Larges Lane ground with both teams hoping to complete the double and join Sunningdale & Wentworth at Sunday League Cup champions in 2015/16.

Finch’ won Division Two finishing five points clear after winning 16, drawing 3 and losing only 1 league match all season.

It was Whitegrove in fact who finished second with 14 wins, 4 draws and 2 defeats in their 20 league matches.

They looked well place to challenge Finch but for a hectic end of the season following a brilliant Berks & Bucks FA County Sunday Junior Cup run in which they were crowned county champions beating P&IC United 4-2 on penalties after the sides were locked at 2-2.

Previous encounters

These two could not be separated in the league encounters drawing 2-2 at the Priory Field back in September before it finished 3-3 in March at Finchampstead.

Goals were shared around in those two matches with Kwame Appiah, Craig Hodges, Daniel Marles 2 and Douglas Scholes scoring for Finch.

Billy Bryce, Ben Poynter 2, Jordan Rettie and Justin Sawyer scored the goals for Whitegrove.

One to watch

Ben Poynter (Whitegrove) – playing on his own ground having scored twelve goals for Bracknell Town this season. He scored six goals for the development side and scored six for the first team in only eight appearances after breaking into the team towards the end of the season.

Road to the final

First Round

Finchampstead Athletic 4 – 0 Berkshire All Stars
Whitegrove BYE

Second Round

Winnersh Rangers 1 – 2 Finchampstead Athletic
Whitegrove 3 – 0 AFC Crowthorne Reserves

Quarter final

Finchampstead Athletic 4 – 1 Wokingham & Emmbrook TMW
Bracknell Forest 0 – 2 Whitegrove

Semi-final

Bracknell Royals 0 – 3 Finchampstead Athletic
Whitegrove 3 – 1 Golden Farmer Rangers Reserves

Prediction

It’s a proverbial coin toss so we are predicting a 2-2 draw with the match being settled either in extra time or penalties.

Either Finch will complete the league and cup double or Whitegrove will win both cup competitions entered this season but something has to give.

Main image: Ben Poynter (left) and Whitegrove captain Lee Kilmartin at the Berks & Bucks County Cup final.

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