Old Windsor win back cup from holders Sabha
East Berkshire Football League: Bumper bank holiday crowd treated to quality final
Old Windsor have won the Slough Town Premier Cup in 2024 after a 2-1 win against Singh Sabha at the 1878 Stadium in Burnham on Good Friday writes Rob Stevens.
The Slough Town Cup is one of the most historic and prestigious competitions in local Saturday adult grassroots football, and once again a crowd of over 400 spectators began their Easter Weekend with some quality football.
Old Windsor first won the competition in 2022, described as one of the greatest achievements in the history of the football club, and goals from both Sam George and Matthew Stockill managed to wrestle back the famous silverware from Singh Sabha, the team that lifted the trophy in
2023.
The first chance of the match went to The Os when a loose ball inside the Singh Sabha box ricocheted into the path of Lewis Corney but, his low shot on the turn was well saved by the feet of out-stretched keeper Hassan Hussain.
Sabha also had an opportunity to take the lead inside the first 10 minutes as Hassan Mahmood cut inside from the right wing but, his low, left-footed shot was narrowly wide of the near post.
George Denton might have thought he had given Old Windsor the lead when his shot to the near post was heading for the roof of the net however, keeper Hussain was quick to react and push the effort over the crossbar.
The Os should have been in front soon after as playerof-the-match James Walton rose unchallenged to meet a Bradley Bichmore corner but headed over the crossbar when he should have hit the target.
In an entertaining first half, it was then the turn of Singh Sabha to be wasteful in front of goal. Mahmoud showed great pace, footwork and trickery to beat two Old Windsor defenders on the right wing but, his shot to the near post was wide when it would have been better to cross the ball into the box.
Chances kept on coming at either end of the pitch; Birchmore tried his luck with a 25-yard free-kick aimed at the far post which dipped late but dropped over the crossbar before Os keeper, Mitch Groves, showed great handling to tip a Jovan Bains free-kick over the bar.
The deadlock was finally broken on 32 minutes and not without some controversy. Walton played a through pass to George, who looked to be in an offside position, but the Assistant Official kept his flag down.
The Singh Sabha defence stopped and keeper Hussain did not put much effort into making the save, seemingly letting the shot from George go through his legs. Sabha protested profusely but the goal was allowed to stand.
Singh Sabha should have equalised before the halftime whistle as Jasraj
Samra crossed low into the box from the left wing and Pritpal Raju found himself unmarked but, his close range effort was scuffed allowing keeper Groves to fall onto the loose ball.
Old Windsor had a halfchance to add to their advantage early on in the second half when Joseph Moore teased a cross from the left wing to the back post but, the out-stretched
George could not connect with the ball.
The crucial second goal arrived in the 55th minute and via substitute Matthew Stockill. A free-kick into the box was flicked on by Chris Tierney and Stockill controlled the ball well at the back post to fire a low shot into the net from the edge of the six-yard box.
Sabha had a chance to half the arrears through a Conrad Joseph free-kick but keeper Groves punched the ball clear, taking no chances as rain began to sweep across the 1878 Stadium home of Burnham Football Club. Old Windsor could have been out-of-sight and with the champagne on ice when Shane Qoloni found himself in a shooting position, central to the goal and 20-yards out.
The in-form forward was unfortunate to slip when shooting and his low effort bounced off the artificial surface before hitting bottom of the right-hand post.
There is always the guarantee of fireworks when these two old rivals come together and the Cup Final match was no different, a red card shown to Old
Windsor captain, Lee Short, set up a grandstand finish inside the final 10 minutes. The Os skipper receiving his marching orders for a second bookable offence, a foul on the right edge of the box. Singh Sabha took full advantage to score from the resulting free-kick when Travis Hodge was clever to pass the ball to Jovan Bains who had found some space inside the box. Bains struck the ball low and across goal into the bottom far corner and past the out-stretched arm of Groves.
The current trophy holders however, could not build momentum on the Old Windsor goal and, in fact it was The Os who had two late chances to secure the win; Dylan Harbridge firing well over the crossbar from inside the box before Kingsley Etefia saw his shot saved by the Sabha keeper.
The final whistle was met with scenes of jubilation from the Old Windsor players and supporters alike who can now celebrate winning the Slough Town Premier Cup for the second time in the history of the Football Club as well as the second time in three seasons.