Non-League and Academy football writer

In the final of this seasons’ Middlesex FA Premier Sunday Cup, FC Trent Park (of the Barnet Sunday Football League), the recent winners of the London Sunday Trophy, faced Middlesex County Football League side Club Assyria, on Sunday afternoon at Bedfont Sports Club. It was the Barnet Sunday Football League side, FC Trent Park, who won a county cup double, by winning 1-0 against Club Assyria, on Sunday.

Club Assyria would create the first chance of this cup final, after a bit of a cagey start to the game. In the 12th minute of the game Club Assyria forward Bilal Butt would cleverly flick the ball on to Basim Mirtahmasebi who took the ball down the left-hand side of the FC Trent Park penalty area, before seeing his low effort on goal be well saved by the outrushing Jon Nicholas. With both sides showing how well organised they were defensively, this made it difficult for both sides to create clear chances. Next, and Bilal Butt would get to the ball following a long throw-in to the edge of the FC Trent Park box, before laying the ball off to Shaun Aram, whose curling first time effort went a fraction wide of the goal.

Shortly after Ricky Tait’s good first time effort on goal (from the edge of the Club Assyria box) was superbly pushed over his crossbar by Osman Hussein, Club Assyria would go on to create one further good chance before half-time. Once again Bilal Butt would show good awareness to flick the ball on for Basim Mirtahmasebi, who in behind the FC Trent Park defence and now through on goal inside of their penalty area, would see his low effort be excellently saved and gathered by Jon Nicholas.

The second half of this cup final was a lot more cagey, and there really was not much in terms of goalscoring chances. However, with 17 minutes to go of regulation time, FC Trent Park would score what turned out to be the winner. Ricky Tait would receive the ball around 20 yards out from the Club Assyria goal, before laying the ball off for Zacharias George Uribarri, who from the edge of the penalty area, would whip an exquisite and unstoppable first time effort towards the left-hand corner of the goal, 1-0. Club Assyria tried to respond before full-time, but the closest that they came to scoring a late equaliser, was from a looping header (from a cross) which dipped just over the FC Trent Park goal.

In a highly competitive cup final of fine margins, it was FC Trent Park who did the county cup double on Sunday. Both sides were very well organised, but for me, in the heart of the FC Trent Park defence, the excellent Niall Redguard was my player of the match. FC Trent Park worked so hard to stop a very good Club Assyria side from getting back into the game late on, all over the pitch. Many congratulations to FC Trent Park on winning this cup final on Sunday. Finally, after a couple of years since I’d last season him play, it was great to see Bilal Butt for Club Assyria, yesterday. He is still a classy player, who is having a very good season for them, in the Middlesex County Football Sunday League.