Non-League and Academy football writer

In the final of this season’s John Taylor Senior Challenge Cup (Middlesex FA), Southall faced Broadfields United at Honeycroft (Uxbridge FC) on Wednesday night. Southall (step 4) are currently in 12th place in the Isthmian League South Central Division, with Broadfields United (step 5) currently in third place in the Combined Counties Football League Premier Division North. Both sides had been on great runs to the final of this prestigious county cup competition, beating sides who are higher than them in the non-League pyramid, and on Wednesday it was Southall who won this county cup competition, 4-0.

I thought that Broadfields started this cup final slightly better than Southall, with the step 5 side managing the first goal attempt of the final. As their captain, Gabriel Piorkowski, had got to a misplaced pass around 20 yards out from the Southall goal, before powering an effort over the goalkeeper (Milan Czerwonka’s) crossbar. However, Southall would soon start to create some good, early openings. And in the 28th minute of the game, and after having created some decent chances, Southall would take the lead.

For the opening goal of the final, Southall player Bright Siaw would receive the ball out on the right-hand side of the pitch. He would then cut inside with the ball onto his left foot, and then from the edge of the Broadfields penalty area, he would whip a really good effort over goalkeeper Finn Rushton, and into the goal, 1-0. Soon after the resumption of play, and after Southall centre-forward Anthony O’Connor had ran onto a good through-ball pass, from just inside of the Broadfields box, he would see his powerful low effort be really well stopped by the outstretched hand of the outrushing Finn Rushton. 

Towards the end of the first half, with Max Howell’s Southall side really playing their passing game very well, the step 4 side would double their advantage in the final. A kick up field from the Broadfields goalkeeper was latched onto by a Southall player in midfield, who then quickly played the ball forward to Bright Siaw, who progressed the ball forward at pace down the right-hand side of the pitch. Bright Siaw would then square the ball for Anthony O’Connor, who from just in front of Finn Rushton, would show some really good, quick feet, before finishing low into the goal from close range, 2-0.

Southall started the second half at a great pace, creating a number of fine early opportunities from which to extend their lead from. In the 50th minute of the game, the skilful Daniel Roberts would play a lovely weighted forward through-ball pass towards Anthony O’Connor, who from just inside of the Broadfields box, would skilfully cut inside, under pressure, onto his left foot, before curling a brilliant effort into the top left-hand corner of the goal, 3-0. And a couple of moments after play had resumed, and Anthony O’Connor was just denied his hat-trick goal. With Bright Siaw having created the chance following a great surging run into the Broadfields penalty area, before Anthony O’Connor’s low effort from close range, was well kept out of his goal, by the outrushing Finn Rushton.

Following on from another good stop from close range by Finn Rushton, this time from Southall player Makael Scott, at the opposite end of the pitch, Milan Czerwonka would have to make a really good save to stop Broadfields forward David Levy’s powerful effort on his goal, from inside of the penalty area. Around five minutes later, David Levy would play a good forward pass towards Gabriel Piorkowski inside of the Southall box, but the alert Milan Czerwonka would rush off his goal-line to stop him from finishing in time.

There continued to be a good pace to this final, and once again Finn Rushton would make two further top quality stops to give his side some hope of getting back into the game. The first of which was to stop Anthony O’Connor’s effort, one versus one inside of his penalty area, and then the second one came as the result of a Southall corner-kick, as Rushton made a strong save to keep out a powerful effort from the edge of the box, by Brandon Harriman-Annous. Then, soon after Southall had been awarded a penalty following a foul from inside of the Broadfields box, Finn Rushton would make an excellent low save to his left, to keep out a well hit effort on his goal from Daniel Roberts.

Before Southall had made it 4-0 late on in the final, Milan Czerwonka would once again show his quality in the Southall goal, as he made a good low save to keep out David Levy’s low effort on his goal, from the left-hand side of the penalty area. But, for Southall’s much deserved next goal of the game, and Daniel Roberts would deservedly get on the scoresheet, after meeting a nice pass across to him, in the centre of the Broadfields box, following some great work and skill with the ball by Bright Siaw. And Roberts would finish emphatically into the roof of Finn Rushton’s goal, 4-0. During the final moments of the game, and impressive Broadfields substitute Abdirahman Sharif Mohamed would skilfully take the ball into the Southall penalty area, before seeing his resulting effort on goal, be well pushed away by Milan Czerwonka.

I thought that Southall were excellent throughout this final, playing their football so well and effectively, as a team, right from the opening stages of the game, against a really good step 5 side, who they had lost to last season, in Broadfields United. Southall’s centre-forward, Anthony O’Connor was my player of the match from this final, with two goals and some excellent movement off the ball and leading of the line. However, Bright Siaw, Daniel Roberts and Ryan Hope were in my opinion, all contenders for the player of the match award. I also thought that Finn Rushton was Broadfields United’s player of the match, with David Levy, in my opinion Broadfields’ best outfield player on Wednesday.

Huge congratulations to Southall on winning this prestigious county cup competition once again, and they won it in some style on Wednesday!