Sutton Common Rovers U18 (3) 3 Sbaiti 4 Jones 13 Dobell 34
Worthing (1) 2 O'Brien 2 Chadwick 85
Estimated attendance: 100
New Ground: 349
Admission: Free
Programme: Free
Mileage: 144/8,288
The last time I watched this Final was back in 2017 when Tonbridge Angels lost to Metropolitan Police and also called time on their participation in the Isthmian Youth League. There almost seems a parallel that on the Angels return this season to the competition the best team in the Eastern Division, Sutton Common Rovers, win the Champions of Champions Trophy after a pulsating final against Worthing but, sadly, have also withdrawn from the League for next season.
Bedfont Sports were the hosts for the final and provided a new ground for me. Once the ground has been found, tucked away after the satnav gave up looking, it is nicely appointed with a 3G pitch and pockets of seating on three sides of the ground. And as you can see from the photographs, it is very colourful.
The occasion also gave me the opportunity to offer my good wishes to Steve McKimm, whose son Toby in the Sutton Common goal, proved to be the saviour for his side. After losing his job at Tonbridge Angels, Steve has been installed as the new manager of Carshalton Athletic.
Worthing flew out of the traps and were ahead within two minutes when they ended up with a man over on the left hand side of the box and Kyle O’Brien rifled a shot into the roof of the net.
The lead was only to last two minutes when the Worthing goalkeeper, Adam Nash, had a clearance charged down and Abdul Sbaiti was able to stroke the ball home.
The game’s frantic opening continued and Worthing’s Owen Spicer had a couple of chances, one of which needing a good save from McKimm. SCR’s Oliver Hamstead steered a header wide after 10 minutes but three minutes later from a left-sided corner his header came back from the bar for Tom Jones to score from the rebound.
Sbaiti was proving a real handful for the Worthing defence and he saw an effort cleared from the line by Billy-George Fuller and moments later was denied by a fine save by Nash.
In the space of five minutes, McKimm made a trio of saves to preserve his side’s lead before, after 34 minutes, an intended cross from Cameron Dobell was palmed into his own net by Nash to put SCR 3-1 up.
Worthing wasted a great chance to put themselves back in the game when a well worked move saw Reuben Livesey-Austin put a shot wide from 10 yards.
The two goal lead might have slightly flattered SCR at the break and their defence was to come under severe scrutiny throughout the second period.
By the hour mark, McKimm had made a further four saves, all with his feet, which led to a comment from a Worthing supporter alongside, “goalkeeper’s played well, does he ever use his hands!”
Worthing laid seige on the SCR goal for the last 20 minutes. They struck the post with a Joseph Alman header after 76 minutes and McKimm's feet were further employed to deny Rocco Gamblin.
Five minutes remained when a shot from fully 25 yards by Finlay Chadwick flew into the top corner, giving the West Sussex side the impetus to throw everything and the kitchen sink at SCR. In the last minute, McKimm excelled with a brave save throwing his body in front of a close range shot and, not without scares, SCR saw out the five minutes of added time. Overall, Worthing could probably feel aggrieved that they were unable to take the game into extra time, or to penalties, I never got to the bottom of that ruling.
This game doesn’t bring an end to the season, I’m so close to a personal best of in excess of 141 games that I will shamelessly eeke out the season, but some of the games are going to be without team sheets, etc., which makes writing a bit haphazard. I will record the games with photos and if I can find reports, I will link to them.
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