Bradstow Albion FC 3 - 1 Drink Warehouse FC

Bradstow Albion edged out their Thanet rivals Drink Warehouse to record their very first triumph in the Kent Reliance Kent Sunday Premier Cup in an enthralling contest that finished off Kent FA’s Grassroots Cup Final Weekend in glorious style that only matched the incredible weather!

  

Inspired by a stunning display from keeper Marc Beresford, Albion ran out deserved winners courtesy of two great finishes from Elliot Payne and after Zac Thomas clinically put Warehouse back into the game, Xvavier Henson shot into the bottom corner to give Bradstow a two goal advantage that Beresford’s heroics kept in tact until the final whistle left players from both sides strewn over the Gallagher playing surface after they gave their all!

Bradstow Albion boss Bobby Alamouti kicked almost every ball with his team.  “It was tough!” he admitted to KSN, “I’m just glad that I was only on the side-lines.  I can’t believe what we’ve done today – it has been such a long time since a Thanet side has got to the Final, let alone win it!  We’re all over the moon…  When the game was at 2-1 we did have some nervous moments but always knew that the next goal would be pivotal and thankfully we got it.  Marc (Beresford) got the Player of the Match but I thought that Timbo (Tim McCarthur) was outstanding in the middle!  I somehow think we might have a few drinks tonight…”
Best early chance fell to the stripes of Drink Warehouse FC as Thomas forced Beresford into his first terrific save – a fine full-length tip round the right post!

  

But is was Albion who took the lead just before the half hour as Payne’s free-kick seemed to catch Nick Hill in the Warehouse goal out as the keeper couldn’t keep the ball out.  The lead was doubled moments later as the Warehouse defence couldn’t deal with a whipped ball in from the right and Payne had the time and space to drill the ball home beyond a despairing Hill.  Naturally enough Albion were growing in confidence and it was only a fine stop with his right boot by Hill that denied Adams from extending the lead still further. 

But then the game changed on the stroke of half time as Luke Harper nodded a long cross down for Thomas who made no mistake from four yards.
Warehouse so very nearly levelled ten minutes into the second half when Danny Wisker’s side footed volley (from Thomas’ knock down) flew a yard wide with Beresford motionless.  Shortly afterwards, the Albion keeper pulled off a great save to deny Steve McDonalds header from a corner as the game began to get more and more stretched.

Yet out of absolutely nothing Albion extended their lead when Henson cut in from the left and sent over a ball that deceived Hill and nestled in the bottom corner of the net with the keeper motionless!

Warehouse rallied again but again Beresford was equal to it making a stunning save to deny Andrew Bailey’s downward header at a corner.  The keeper went even better with twelve minutes left as he magnificently saved Bailey’s brilliant overhead kick that seemed to be arrowing towards the bottom corner.

When Beresford was beaten by Wisker’s low drive that bounced off the inside of the right post only for Harper to slam the rebound into the side netting, you really did sense that it wasn’t going to be Warehouse’s day!  And so it proved, despite a late couple of corners for Warehouse, one of which even saw the keeper Hill all the way in the opposing penalty area, it wasn’t enough.

BRADSTOW ALBION FC – Marc Bereford, Shane Suter, Jamie Wehrle, Mitchell Hughes, Luke Wheatley, Xvavier Henson, Tim McArthur, Paul Downer, Elliot Payne, Dan Gonzallez-Bello, Matty Adams
Subs – Ryan Gardner, Sam Hobbs, Dave Pitcher, Kane Hemmings, Nick Bagley

DRINK WAREHOUSE FC – Nick Hill, Luke Green, Steve McDonald, Andrew Bailey, Mat Evans, Ben Haynood, Danny Wisker, Charlie Jones, Chris Lewis, Harry Alexander, Zack Thomas
Subs – Luke Harper, Josh Peachey, Dan Coombs, Dean Steel, Garry Vizzard

REFEREE – Jack Owen
ASSISTANTS – Liam Vitoria & Myles Hewson
FOURTH OFFICIAL – Richard Joss