Non-League and Academy football writer

In the final of the 2025/26 Geoff Harrison Junior Cup (at Ashford Town FC on Wednesday night), Hammersmith & Kensington Town, of Division 1 of the Wimbledon & Kingston Football League, faced the holders, in Civil Service 3rds, of the SAL. Played at a very good non-League ground, in the Robert Parker Stadium, it was Hammersmith & Kensington Town who won this seasons’ Geoff Harrison Junior Cup final, courtesy of a really good team performance and a 4-1 win.

Hammersmith & Kensington Town would start this game the more creative side, and the more likely to take the lead early on in this final. They started the game positively, and this would result in them creating the first real goalscoring opportunity of the cup final. With Idowu Gbolagade heading narrowly wide of Jack Panton’s goal, after meeting Daniom Tsegai’s whipped corner-kick delivery into the centre of the Civil Service penalty area. Soon after that early chance for Hammersmith & Kensington Town, they would again come relatively close to taking the lead early on. As striker Lee Taggart had received the ball around 25 yards out from the Civil Service goal. After some good skill with the ball to work the space around two defenders, his curling effort would go wide, but not by much, of Jack Panton’s left-hand post.

Despite Civil Service 3rds defending well and in a well organised manner early on, still relatively early on in this final, they would find themselves a goal down. As Tyla Tavernier would, after getting to the ball in a central area of the pitch (around 25 yards out from goal) power a low and accurate effort into the bottom left-hand corner of the Civil Service goal, 1-0. Hammersmith & Kensington Town continued to play their football to good effect. After Lee Taggart had down well to progress the ball down the left-hand side of the opposing team’s penalty area, his powerful effort on goal would be turned behind by Jack Panton. However, the leaders in this final would double their advantage a couple of minutes later.

For their second goal of the game, a Hammersmith & Kensington Town player would progress the ball well to the left-hand side of the Civil Service box, before leaving the ball for the advanced Ryan Moloney, who finished low into the goal, 2-0. And Hammersmith & Kensington Town would go at Civil Service 3rds again, soon after the resumption of play. Lee Taggart’s clever back-heeled pass would find Daniom Tsegai, who took the ball forward at pace down the right-hand side of the pitch, and into the Civil Service box. His powerful resulting effort would rebound off the woodwork, before a teammate’s low effort on goal on the follow-up, was well cleared away off the goal-line by Christopher Jones.

In a highly eventful ending to the first half of this cup final, Civil Service 3rds managed to get a goal back in the game, before then conceding a third goal right on the stroke of half-time. For the goal for the SAL side, Civil Service substitute Ollie Downing would receive the ball out on the right-hand side of the pitch, before taking the ball inside the opposing team’s penalty area, from where he finished clinically into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, from a tight angle, 2-1. And then after a corner-kick had been awarded to Hammersmith & Kensington Town, Daniom Tsegai’s whipped corner-kick delivery into the centre of the Civil Service was really well volleyed into the goal by Idowu Gbolagade, 3-1.

Hammersmith & Kensington Town would start the opening stages of the second half at the same very good intensity that they had played the first half with. Shortly after Ryan Moloney’s looping volleyed effort, following a lofted free-kick delivery into the Civil Service box, had dipped narrowly over Jack Panton’s goal, the leaders would again go close. As Tyla Tavernier showed some good skill with the ball before playing it forwards to Anthony Whyte, who was through on goal and inside the Civil Service box. He would take the ball around the goalkeeper, before seeing his low effort on goal be excellently cleared off the goal-line by Tom Annable. Jack Panton would make another good stop, this time from close range, a couple of moments later.

Civil Service 3rds tried their best to create chances. But, with the exception of Jack Pulley’s looping effort on the half-volley from 24 yards out on goal, which was really well tipped over his crossbar by Jack Moore, it was a dominant second half performance by Dean Banks’ Hammersmith & Kensington Town side. An excellent and skilful slaloming forward run from the influential Anthony Whyte, would see the Hammersmith & Kensington Town forward take the ball into the Civil Service box. With his low effort on goal being well saved by the feet of Jack Panton. However, Anthony Whyte would score a much deserved goal late on, to seal the win in style for Hammersmith & Kensington Town. 

Following some good work with the ball from a Hammersmith & Kensington player down the right-hand side of the pitch, he would then play the ball across to Anthony Whyte, who from inside the Civil Service penalty area, would finish well, into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 4-1. In a cup final where Hammersmith & Kensington Town really limited a fine and very experienced Civil Service 3rds side to very little in terms of goalscoring chances, on the ball Hammersmith  & Kensington were excellent. With their movement off the ball in the final third, skill and passing game resulting in them dominating so much of this cup final, which they deservedly won 4-1. Congratulations to them, on such a great achievement, in winning the cup final in style.

For Civil Service 3rds, their goalkeeper Jack Panton was their player of the match, in my opinion. He made some big saves during the game. For my overall player of the match award, Anthony Whyte (he played very well, and was awarded the official player of the match award), Daniom Tsegai, Ryan Moloney and Eliot Crosbie, were all rightly contenders. However, I’m going to award it to Hammersmith & Kensington Town’s very impressive central-defender, Idowu Gbolagade, who as well as scoring a goal, had a very good game defensively.