Punjab United (0) 0
Cockfosters (1) 2 Lutaaya 12 Da Cruz 86
Cockfosters win 3-1 on aggregate
Attendance: 1,209
Admission: £5
Mileage: 48/4,483
NO SAMOSAS ON WEMBLEY WAY
Nine years ago, I walked into the then named Elite Venue, merely as an end of season groundhop, as Punjab United were celebrating promotion from the Kent County League. Romantics say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and delicious, free samosas certainly endeared the club to myself and fellow hopper, Jim Case, for whom Punjab was to become his second club.
Back in 2017, despite admission being free, a headcount only amounted to 45. Today, for an unimaginable FA Vase Semi-Final, there were more people in the queue outside than I’ve ever seen inside the presently named Steve Cook Stadium, renamed in memory of the club’s legendary groundsman.
The Gravesend-based club’s preview stated that the ground capacity was 1,000 but 1,209 squeezed into the ground with the final people in the queue entering 20 minutes after kick-off.
This semi-final second leg was evenly balanced after last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Spartan South Midlands League Cockfosters, who are based in the London Borough of Enfield.
A stiff wind that blew down the slope and the prize of a Wembley appearance ensured that the game was never going to be a classic and ultimately it was Cockfosters that just had that little bit more nous who earned what will be a mere 12 mile journey to play under the arch.
Punjab were handed the questionable advantage of the slope and the wind in the first half but failed to adapt to the conditions with pass after pass being overhit and many of goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney’s punts from his hands carrying the full length of the pitch.
After 11 minutes, a superb block from Punjab’s Wayne Bushell was required to deny Kendall Gymafi, but from the resultant corner, the visitors took the lead in a spectacular manner. The corner was headed clear and as the ball dropped on the right side of the penalty area, George Lutaaya hooked the ball high over his head and, as almost everyone expected to see the ball sail away over the bar, it dipped under the bar at the far post. It was either a superb piece of improvisation or a complete fluke, only George will know.
Punjab needed to take advantage of the conditions and went close on the half-hour when Jack Hopkins saw his effort cleared from the line and, just before the break, there were heads in hands as a corner led to a scramble in the six yard box the ended with the ball drifting agonisingly wide.
The second half was one in which Cockfosters showed their defensive resilience and game management as they drew every last second out of the game whilst Punjab were unable to craft much in the way of opportunities.
The game was settled with four minutes remaining when the flight of a long throw from Matt Shaw was misjudged by Beeney and Jandir Da Cruz was on hand to plant an easy header.
It has been a wonderful run for a popular club in Punjab United, but Cockfosters deserve their day where they will meet AFC Stoneham, from the Southampton area, who would probably enter the final as favourites.
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