Report

Great day for the cup final slightly clouded with outbreaks of sunshine.  Cagey start between the two teams as they know each other so well from this season.  1-0 to the flyers excellent start from the flyers via Carly after being slotted through and scoring from close range.  Excellent end to end football early on with saints hitting the woodwork and some how the ball went in front of the goal and stayed out.  Carly again via a corner just puts the ball wide.  Saints are beginning to up the pressure and a goal line scramble is cleared by the flyers.    However, the pressure begins to tell a further close quarter scrap ends in a shooting opportunity for Saints which they score to make it 1:1.  Excellent game today not a lot between the teams this was always going to be close and it is turning out that way.  Saints continue to pressure and Amy makes an excellent last girl tackle to prevent saints having a shot on goal.  14 minutes in a long range effort from Lucia goes over the bar.  End to end football and Jess hits the post near the end of the first half.  As the half ends saints up the pressure and the flyers defence keeps us in it with some excellent last ditch tackles.   1:1 half time nothing to separate the teams. 

Start of the second half sees a flowing move from the flyers they look so slick when they put the passes together this time between Jess and Carly which goes close.  Saints build up the pressure again with two corners cleared by Jess all hands to the pump with the second ended via a wild saints shot.  Pressure continuing to build on the flyers and this time carly helps clear the lines.  Flyers return fire with a shot from a corner from Jess that the  excellent saints keeper saves.  Flyers have to defend again and the defence stays firm as they have all season.  Flyers build up the pressure near the end of the second half with several corners which are all repelled via the excellent saints keeper.  Near the end of normal time violet makes a vital save tipping the ball around the corner to prevent a certain goal for saints.  Flyers nearly snatch it at the end with another flowing move which goes just wide via the boot of Jess.  Flyers defence see the match out to extra time with a great clearance from Julia.  End of normal time arrives and extra time looms with most pundits expecting this one to go to penalties although any goal scored now will surly win it.   

Extra time starts, five minutes each way.  Flyers start strong with two corners but no breakthrough, then saints return fire resulting in a great clearance from Amy.  Start of the second half of extra time results in a flyers chance that goes just wide.  Again, saints attack and the flyers defence repels with Amy putting in a great block.  Again the flyers attackers help out in defence and Jess clears.  The end of exra time comes with a great Lucia run and chance just missed and saints going close firing across the goal as extra time ends.  Penalties it was with confusion as to where the penalty spot was impeding flyers in particular.  Saints go first and hit the post.  Jess goes first for flyers and the saints keeper saves.  Emily from saints scores crucial penalty number two.  Carly goes second for flyers and saints keeper stands firm to save.  Violet makes an excellent save to deny the third saints penalty keeper.  Comes down to Lucia to keep flyers in it and she shoots wide to bring the end to an excellent game which saints narrowly win 1:0 on penalties.  Seems unfair to have best of three for a season long cup tournament but there you have it.  Flyers can be very proud of themselves coming so close to doing the double, would have settled for that at the start of the season, roll on next season.

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