Non-League and Academy football writer

In the final of this seasons’ Essex Sunday Corinthian Football League’s Corinthian Cup, Senior Division leaders, AC Milano, faced Division Two champions, East London Ballers Reserves, at Victoria Road (Dagenham & Redbridge FC) on Wednesday evening. It was a great evening for East London Ballers Reserves, who became one of the lowest ranked sides to win this prestigious competition, as they won 2-1 against AC Milano.

After quite an open start to this cup final, with some decent openings for both sides early on, it was East London Ballers Reserves who would create the more notable chances during the first half. Following Oluwatayo Felstead’s good cross into the AC Milano box, from out on the left flank, the ball was met inside the penalty area by Junior Milla. His powerful low headed effort from around eight yards out would go narrowly wide of the goal, however. Soon after that chance, and after AC Milano had lost possession of the ball inside their half of the pitch, Mohammed Malik would power an effort over the goal, from 22 yards out.

Before half-time, and after East London Ballers Reserves had continued to compete  really well against the Senior Division leaders, it was the Division Two side who would take the lead. Oluwatayo Felstead would receive the ball some distance out from goal, before playing a well weighted forward pass across the floor, to the run of East London Ballers’ left-back Cole Edwards, who took the ball down the right-hand side of the AC Milano box. Having kept his composure in front of goal, Cole Edwards would finish low and powerfully into the bottom left-hand corner of David Olanrewaju’s goal, 0-1.

During the early stages of the second half, an AC Milano corner-kick would result in the ball falling for Marcel McIntosh at the back post of Jack Webb’s goal. However, Marcel McIntosh’s effort would go over the goal. A couple of minutes later the skilful Akiljo Balliu would show some good skill with the ball, progressing it forward down the left flank, before crossing the ball for Umaru Kabia at the back post of the East London Ballers goal. His side-footed volleyed effort would go over the goal.

Having managed and defended their one goal lead really well up until this point in the game, East London Ballers Reserves would be awarded a free-kick in a promising position (around 22 yards out from goal), which would see Mohammed Bhayat take the free-kick. A talented player and set-piece taker, his powerful low effort on goal was parried by David Olanrewaju, with the alert Mohammed Khan able to finish into the goal from close range and on the follow-up, 0-2.

Having started to really improve in the game before that second goal for the Division Two champions, AC Milano would continue to improve and play their football well after conceding that second goal. They would soon get a goal back in the game, after Mohamed Kidia had met a deep cross into the East London Ballers box. And the AC Milano substitute would head the ball home at the back post, 1-2. Soon after having scored that goal, arguably AC Milano’s player of the match, Akiljo Balliu, would come close to making it 2-2, relatively late on in this cup final. After controlling a lofted ball really well, he would take the ball across to the edge of the East London Ballers box, before hitting a powerful low goal-bound effort which was brilliantly blocked behind by a defender.

AC Milano (they did have a player sin-binned late on in the game) would really push East London Ballers Reserves for a leveller very late on, but they would hold on, having played so well as a team throughout. This really was an incredible achievement for the very talented East London Ballers Reserves, against a very good AC Milano side. To win the Corinthian Cup is a great achievement in itself, but to win this cup competition as a Division Two side is a quite remarkable achievement. And for their team performance, tactical approach to the game and overall play, it was a a real collective effort from all at East London Ballers Reserves.

It was a very difficult decision to pick a player of the match on Wednesday, as there were so many contenders. But personally I’m going to award it to East London Ballers Reserves’ commanding and composed central defender, Jacob Cande.