Non-League and Academy football writer

On late Saturday afternoon, in the second of two big Middlesex County Football League cup finals taking place at Honeycroft, Feltham Town faced AFC Heathrow, in this season’s Jeff Nardin & Combination Cup final. Both step 10 sides, Feltham Town are currently in sixth place in the Saturday Combination, with AFC Heathrow currently one place and one point above them, in that division. This incredible cup final was won by Feltham Town (6-5) on penalties, after the scores were tied at 4-4, after regulation time.

The first effort on goal of the final, was from Feltham Town player Dieleme Panda Gabriel, whose low effort from distance, was controlled quite comfortably by the feet of AFC Heathrow goalkeeper, Gavin Smith. AFC Heathrow would soon start to find their rhythm in this game, and after Bradley Curran had done well to control a flick on, on the right-hand side of the Feltham penalty area, he would see his powerful effort on goal be gathered by Ethan Day. And not long after that chance for AFC Heathrow, they would take the lead in this final. With AFC Heathrow going forward well with the ball, as Trevon Jacobs passed played the ball forward to the run of Mohammed Belamri, who was in a bit of space down the left-hand side of the Feltham penalty area, before curling a low effort in to the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 0-1.

Feltham Town tried to respond almost immediately after the game had resumed. Woody Scott’s through-ball pass found Dieleme Panda Gabriel, who showed some great pace to get to the ball in behind of the opposing team’s defence. Through on goal and inside of the penalty area, he would then hit a low effort which went narrowly wide of Gavin Smith’s left-hand post. The pace that this cup final was being played at, right from the start, was very impressive, and both sides kept on creating chances. 

Shortly after Chamarde Gordon-Harris’ effort from the edge of the Feltham box, had been gathered by Ethan Day, AFC Heathrow would double their lead. As Mohammed Belamri played the ball across to Trevon Jacobs, on the edge of the Feltham penalty area, and to the left-hand side of the centre of the pitch. Trevon Jacobs would then look up, before curling a brilliant and unstoppable effort in to the top right-hand corner of the goal, 0-2. Despite now finding themselves 2-0 down, Feltham Town weren’t disheartened, and they would battle back well in to the game, quickly managing to get a goal back. As after AFC Heathrow had been unable to clear the ball away from their penalty area, Feltham player Woody Scott would get to the ball on the left-hand side of the box, before hitting a powerful effort in to the roof of Smith’s goal, 1-2.

The game continued to be played and contested well, as both sides were creative with the ball. And a couple of minutes after Bradley Curran had hit a low effort wide of the Feltham goal, from the edge of their box, AFC Heathrow would reestablish a two goal cushion. After getting to the ball close to the edge of the Feltham Town penalty area, Mitchell Page would hit an effort towards goal, which took a deflection off a defender, travelling in to the path of teammate Charlie Hearns, in the centre of the box. The midfielder would then finish clinically in to the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-3. Just before the end of the first half, Feltham Town player Orion Timperley would see his free-kick effort (from the edge of the box) on the AFC Heathrow goal, be gathered by Gavin Smith.

The opening stages of the second half more than matched the pace in which the first half of this final was played at. Following an AFC Heathrow throw-in in to the Feltham box, Mohammed Belamri would hit an effort just wide of Ethan Day’s left-hand post. And at the opposite end of the pitch, soon after, Feltham Town would be awarded a penalty, after Kaleb Joseph had been barged to the floor by a defender, just inside of the AFC Heathrow penalty area. However, Woody Scott’s low, resulting effort on goal, was well gathered to his right, by Gavin Smith. 

The chances continued to arrive, for both sides as this final progressed further. The impressive Bradley Curran would manage to get to the ball on the right-hand side of the Feltham box, before losing his balance, but, he recovered well, and his powerful low effort on goal was then smartly saved by Ethan Day. Around two minutes later, and Feltham Town would get their second goal of the game. Freddie Bendall’s long forward pass would find the run of Dieleme Panda Gabriel, in behind the AFC Heathrow defence. After taking the ball inside of the penalty area, a recovering defender would make a good sliding block. However, on the follow-up and on the bounce, Dieleme Panda Gabriel would hit a powerful effort in to the back of the net, 2-3.

Feltham Town were having a good spell in the game, and the momentum was now with them. Then, they would go very close to making it 3-3, after Orion Timperley had volleyed an effort wide of Smith’s goal from close range, after connecting with John Humphrey’s ball across the face of the AFC Heathrow goal. Yet, it was AFC Heathrow who went on to get the next goal of this final. Aaron Shorter would win a bouncing ball right on the edge of the Feltham penalty area, before quickly passing the ball forward to Chamarde Gordon-Harris, on the right-hand side of the box. Gordon-Harris would then show good composure, with a fine finish in to the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 2-4.

Feltham Town would once again have to battle their way back in to this game. Dieleme Panda Gabriel would hit a powerful effort from inside of the AFC Heathrow penalty area, which went just over their goal, AFC Heathrow would then go forward with the ball. Next, Bradley Curran would win the ball after stepping towards it in midfield, and he would then evade a Feltham Town player’s challenge, as he went forward with the ball, eventually passing it forward to Rafiq James, on the left-hand side of the penalty area. James’ powerful effort would take a slight deflection off a defender, before whistling narrowly wide of Ethan Day’s left-hand post. 

During the latter stages of regulation time, and Feltham Town were awarded another penalty, after Kaleb Joseph had been tripped inside of the penalty area. Up stepped Feltham Town substitute Bartosz Krygier, who clinically found the bottom left-hand corner of the goal from the penalty spot, 3-4. Next, AFC Heathrow player  Dylan Campbell would see his powerful low effort (from right-hand side of the Feltham box) in the penalty area, be well kept out by Ethan Day. And then in the final moments of the game, with Feltham Town continuing to believe, a long throw-in was taken by Jeevithan Thilaganathan, which went in to the centre of the AFC Heathrow penalty area. Following a scramble inside of the box and on the goal-line, Bartosz Krygier managed to get the ball over the line and finish from close range, 4-4.

The atmosphere and noise from the Feltham Town supporters was impressive, as Bartosz Krygier scored that incredible, dramatic leveller, in which was the pretty much the final kick of the game, in the final moments of stoppage time. Penalties would follow, to decide who would be the winners of this season’s Jeff Nardin & Combination Cup final. 

The first two penalties for each side were taken and scored in clinical fashion. However, after Feltham Town player Kaleb Joseph’s penalty was saved by Gavin Smith, the advantage was now with AFC Heathrow. The next two penalties for both Feltham Town and AFC Heathrow were scored, taking it to 4-4. But, AFC Heathrow’s fifth penalty (taken by Brooklyn Bekaraze) was excellently kept out by the diving Ethan Day. Woody Scott, and then Romaine Hylton would score the next two penalties, respectively, taking it to 5-5.

After Jeevithan Thilaganathan’s excellently taken penalty had found the roof of the goal, Jahbarae Brown would now have to score the next penalty for AFC Heathrow. His effort however, would hit the crossbar before going over, prompting some great celebrations from the Feltham Town players and supporters, as their name would now be on the cup! In what was a truly incredible cup final, which was played between two sides who gave their all, and who showed real quality throughout, it was Feltham Town who won this final by the narrowest of margins, on penalties. 

This final had absolutely everything about it, and although AFC Heathrow, who played some really good football, would lead by two goals until late on in this game, Feltham Town never stopped believing. It was a dramatic final, which was very end to end at times, and closely fought. But, that incredibly late leveller by Bartosz Krygier, really did sum up this final, in the sense that you just couldn’t predict how it was going to go. Many congratulations must go to all connected with Feltham Town, on winning the final. Real credit must also go to the AFC Heathrow team, who also gave their all, and who came very close to winning the game. However, this was Feltham Town’s day, and a very special moment in their relatively short history, so far.

For AFC Heathrow, I thought that the highly creative and all action Bradley Curran, was their player of the match. He covered a lot of ground, would drive forward with the ball well and with fine skill, as well as being very creative. Special mentions must also go to Trevon Jacobs and Mohammed Belamri, for their impressive performances, in what was a really good team performance from AFC Heathrow. My overall player of the match award, and despite influential performances from players such as Woody Scott, Bartosz Krygier, and Dieleme Panda Gabriel, I’m going to award it to Feltham Town’s number four, Jeevithan Thilaganathan. He worked very hard in the central areas of the pitch, making some strong challenges, and asserting himself well on the game. Jeevithan Thilaganathan was also involved in Feltham’s very late equaliser, and he scored a really well taken and important penalty, after regulation time.