The final Essex Alliance Football League Cup Final of the season took place on Tuesday evening at Victoria Road and it was potentially going to be the best of the lot as Premier Division winners Jolof Sports Club took on runners up Old Esthameians in the Premier Division Final.
Jolof won seventeen of their twenty league games to win the title by eight points but Old Esthameians were no mugs either, having pipped Chingford Athletic to the runners up spot.
And the first chance arrived with barely a minute gone and it was Old Esthameians who saw a close range header well saved before moments later they sent another effort wide. Jolofs first chance came on ten minutes when they sent a shot just wide of the far post.
On the quarter hour mark Old Esthameians curled one just over the bar and midway through the half it was Jolofs turn to have an effort at goal, striking a decent shot wide of the post from just inside the box.
However despite these chances the game was being played at a slow tempo and wasn’t really living up to its pre match billing. On the half hour a great ball in from Old Esthameians saw an effort on the stretch diverted towards goal but saw Jolofs keeper tip over brilliantly.
But then in the 34th minute the deadlock was broken as a Jolof Sports corner was headed home and saw the Premier Division champions edge in front in this tight competitive contest.
Old Esthameians probably felt hard done by to be behind and they came so close to levelling it up five minutes before half time as a close range volley hit the underside of the bar and bounced out although it looked close to being over the line.
And two minutes before the break Old Esthameians went close again as a loose ball fell to them but the effort went just wide before a ball across goal from Old Esthameians just invaded them then another effort was saved by the Jolof keeper. It meant Jolof went into the break with a slender lead.
Half Time Jolof Sports Club 1 Old Esthameians 0
Old Esthameians began the second period on the front although they could still not find a way through. Ten minutes into the half Jolof found themselves in but saw a defender get back to block, although the Old Esthameians defence were claiming offside which fell on deaf ears.
Another good save from the Jolof keeper in the 57th minute from a close range header denied Old Esthameians again before two minutes later Jolof went close as a ball across goal eventually saw an effort tipped wide from twelve yards, before the corner went right across goal and somehow missed everyone.
Just past the hour mark a shot from Old Esthameians was saved at the near post but in the 65th minute they found a deserved leveller as a poor free kick was not cleared and saw Esthameians convert from close range and it was all square.
But Old Esthameians were to kick themselves no doubt as with fifteen minutes remaining a simple ball through their defence saw Jolof run onto it and loft home beyond the keeper and the Champions had the lead once again.
Moments later Jolof found themselves in again but this time their effort hit the side netting as they looked for that third goal that would surely seal their win. They passed up three more opportunities to seal the deal in the final ten minutes whilst Old Esthameians were trying their best to get back into the game.
But just as it looked like a Jolof victory Old Esthameians struck in the 94th minute, hitting an effort into the bottom corner with the last kick of the contest, to take the final to penalties. And with the momentum all with Old Esthameians after that they unsurprisingly won the shootout 4-2 to take the Premier Division Cup crown in dramatic style.
Full Time Jolof Sports Club 2 Old Esthameians 2 (Old Esthameians won 4-2 on penalties)
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