Successful spot-kicks again as Chelmsford City win the 2021/22 Champion of Champions Trophy at Gloucester on Wednesday.
Chelmsford City Academy have won the National League U19 Alliance Champion of Champions Trophy with a 5-4 penalty shoot-out victory over Solihull Moors at Gloucester City FC yesterday, Wednesday 25th May.
It was a similar story to the semi-final win with City taking the lead, this time through Academy Player of the Year Freddie Hockey, but being pegged back later on in the second half. Once again City were 100% with the penalties and Aaron Cassie for the second week in a row pulled off an impressive penalty save as the young Clarets won 5-4 from 12 yards after a 1-1 draw in normal time.
An early start for the Clarets as a coach left their home base of Moulsham School at 8.30am to get to the neutral venue of Gloucester City’s Tigerturf Stadium for a 2pm kick-off.
City made two changes from the semi-final with Aaron Lang and Fola Adigun both missing out due to taking their A-Levels on the same day, although Adigun was able to join up with the team and take his place on the bench. Niall Attwood and Nathaniel Konde came into the starting line-up.
Solihull who had progressed through the Northern Section, overcoming Hednesford and Gateshead in previous rounds, started well in the first half with their front players Mahamadou Conteh, Zion Nisbett and Ashton Demulder causing City problems but without causing a shot in anger on Aaron Cassie’s goal.
Nisbett has been called up by St Kitts and Nevis U20s in order to play in the CONCACAF U20 Championships in Honduras next month. Solihull also had in their side Oscar Barry, son of former England international Gareth Barry who was at the match to cheer on the Moors.
The first real shot came around the half-hour mark when Freddie Hockey weaved his way down the left hand side and struck a fierce effort which Moors keeper Jack Myatt tipped round the post. From the resulting corner central defender Matijus Mickalickas got round the back post and fired in a shot but Myatt made a miraculous save to keep the scores level.
City finally found a way through 4 minutes into the second half when after Konde found Kennedy Mupomba, the winger stood a cross up to the back-post for Hockey to squeeze in a header at the near post past Myatt.
Solihull rallied and took off Demulder and Conteh and replaced them with Harry Chesterton and Kian Ryley and the two substitutes turned the game in their favour. Both were involved in the goal as Chesterton’s cross from the left was helped on by Leo Wood who found Nisbett who fired home the loose ball after 71 minutes for the equaliser.
Solihull were playing with a slight wind advantage and forced a number of second half corners but failed to make another way past Cassie. City had a brief chance from an injury time free-kick when captain Dom Forbes’ shot was blocked but after a tight affair, the game went to spot-kicks.
This time City went second which meant they were playing catch-up all the time to Solihull but Freddie Hockey, Matijus Mickalickas and Harry Lloyd were all successful from the spot to make it 3-3.
Then City keeper Aaron Cassie saved Max Martin’s penalty as he dived the right way and stuck a left arm up to beat the ball down and away from goal.
Samuel Tshmiala and Morgan Owen traded penalties which meant that it came down to Kennedy Mupomba. Although Myatt went the right way, Mupomba’s penalty was right in the corner to spark wild celebrations among the Chelmsford City contingent in Gloucestershire.
Captain Dom Forbes raised the trophy aloft in the post-match presentations and congratulations from Chelmsford City FC must go to all at Moulsham High School, The Bridge Academy and coaching staff Mickey Spillane, Elliott Ward, Simeon Jackson and Danny Clare for a fine season.
Chelmsford City Academy: Cassie, Wilkes, Brewer, Lloyd, Forbes (C), Mickalickas, Konde (Adigun 78), Attwood (Tshmiala 87), Hockey, Morritt (Sain 64), Mupomba
Unused Subs: Tokley, Haynes
Solihull Moors: Myatt, Shambrook (Bruck 73), Howell, Martin, Barry, Scott, Demulder (Chesterton 58),Owen (C), Wood, Conteh (Ryley 58), Nisbett
Unused Subs: None
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