Gillingham Green Lift the Junior C Cup!

MEDWAY BOROUGH FC 1-3 GILLINGHAM GREEN FC

It was the first final of the day at The Gallager Stadium in Maidstone today, and it was a spectacular one! It was a day to remember for Gillingham Green’s Bradley Jeffery who scored a wonderful hat-trick to secure the win over Medway Borough. 

Medway Borough got us underway for the first half of the Junior Cup C Final, but it was Gillingham Green who came out more attacking with a fast chance coming in the first seconds from Bradley Jeffery. Jeffery made a splendid run and managed to end it with a fantastic cross, but it was too easy for Dan Jelley who made a comfortable save. 

Borough then responded with a fast chance for themselves on the 4th minute with nice play from Mike Hamilton allowing him to lay the ball of for Jamie Frewin, but his shot was too easy for Richard Luetchford in goal. Green then charged up the other end and almost scored when Ryan Sokolov got one on one with Jelley. However, the Borough defence were quick to respond and stopped Sokolov in his tracks on the 6th minute. 

Green then had another great chance coming from Ashley Poppy who played in Sokolov. Sokolov ran into the box but a heavy touch took the ball away from him, but he managed to recover and keep the ball in. However, Sokolov’s cross fell to no one on the 13th minute. Borough then took the ball up the other end and forced an incredible save from Luetchford! Borough’s Frankie Kennedy forced his way through the defence and fired a shot straight towards goal, but Luetchford managed to keep it out and force it up the other end on the 18th minute. 

Luetchford’s save gave some motivation to the Green players as they picked the ball up from Luetchford’s clearance and carried it up the field! The clearance fell to Jeffery who brought the ball down and carried it forward past the defence. He then got one on one with Jelley and coolly placed it past him straight into the goal on the 18th minute! 

Then two minutes later, Jeffery scored again! It was an unbelievable goal as he managed to get one on one again with Jelley but this time instead of blasting it straight past Jelley, Jeffery took it around him and then calmly placed it into the net to make it 2! Borough then had to respond and almost did on the 21st minute when a great corner came in and found the head of George Stockey, but his header just floated over. But then when Borough had a chance, Green would come back, and attack and they looked to have finished the game off as Jeffery got through on goal again! He ran straight through the defense as if there was no one there and then hammered it home to make it three for Green and three for himself on the 22nd minute! 

Hamilton then tried to pull one back for Borough straight from kick-off as he pushed his way forward, but his shot just squeezed past the post on the 23rd minute. Borough then had another quick chance again coming from Hamilton who crossed the ball into the box, and it was met by Luetchford but he didn’t get the ball cleanly, forcing him then to make a goal line save.

The half then died out as both teams struggled to create any clear-cut chances, however Green had the best chance out of the ones both teams created when a good free kick swung in towards Sokolov. However, Sokolov’s header just whistled past the post on the 47th minute. 

Referee Harry Clifford then blew his whistle to bring the first half to an end with Green fans believing that they had the cup within their grasp! 

Green got the second half underway and almost scored straight away with a chance coming from none other than Jeffery! A lovely through ball by Bradley White to Sokolov allowed Sokolov to run into the box and square the ball towards Jeffery, but Jeffery’s shot just wasn’t good enough this time as Jelley made a comfortable save on the 46th minute. White then tried for a goal himself as he ran straight through the middle of the defence, however his shot just flew wide on the 48th minute. 

Borough then managed to get their first chance of the half and they snuck into the goal on the 51st minute! A great free kick from Jamie Frewin flew into the box and Green just couldn’t get it out. The ball then fell to super sub Kyran Campbell who poked it into the net! 

Green then pushed their way forward with another chance from Jeffery who almost made it four after a one-two fell back to him, but he couldn’t wrap his foot around it to get a good connection on the 55th minute. Sokolov then had the chance to make it four after a mistake at the back allowed him to run in on goal, but his shot was too easy for Jelley on the 56th minute.

Borough thought they got another goal back on the 70th minute after some good play was finished off but the goal was disallowed for offside! Borough then got another chance to get one back when Louis Kennedy struck a wonderful shot, but it rattled off the crossbar on the 74th minute! Joe Beer then tried to create something special for Borough as he pushed the ball past the center back, but he couldn’t run onto the ball as it rolled straight into Luetchford’s path on the 77th minute. 

Green then pushed out of their half and tried to end the game when White ran onto a through ball. White then snuck the ball around Jelley who was miles off his line but the touch to take it around Jelley was too heavy and led the Borough defence to recover easily on the 78th minute. Borough then hit the crossbar again on the 83rd minute when Hamilton fired the ball towards goal, proving that it just wasn’t Borough’s day! 

Green got the last chance of the game and they could’ve made it four again! A ball in from Josh Hedges fell to Ollie Millen but his shot was blocked.

Harry Clifford then blew his whistle bringing the game to a close and to the delight of Green fans. It was a fantastically fought game with both teams having strong chances, but one team had to come out on top at the end of the game and it was Gillingham Green who did in this match! 

Medway Borough FC: Dan Jelley (Captain), James Fisher, James Colclough, Nathan Wheal, Kieran Hudson, Louis Kennedy, George Stockey, Jamie Frewin, Frankie Kennedy, Mike Hamilton and Lawrence Simmonds. 
Subs: All Subs were used via the revolving sub system. 
Subs: Kyran Campbell, Mitchell Wheal, David Anga, Lloyd Fellowes and Joe Beer.

Gillingham Green FC: Richard Luetchford, Tommie Mara, Jamie Hajialexandrou, Dan Simmonds, Robbie Summerhayes, Jake Simmonds (Captain), Ashley Poppy, Ryan Sokolov, George Wilkins, Bradley White, Bradley Jeffery. 
Subs: All Subs were used via the revolving sub system.
Subs: Matt Smith, Josh Hedges, Aaron Stebbeds, Ollie Millen and Ollie Speer.

Man Of The Match: Bradley Jeffery (Gillingham Green)

Referee: Harry Clifford
Assistants: Roger Beake and Peter Cole.
Fourth Official: Michael Skerratt