There was no floodlight robbery at Cossham Street tonight as Stoke Gifford defeated hated rivals Little Stoke in the final of the Bosley Cup.
On a bobbly, sandy surface, Gifford were the only team playing football and it was no surprise when they went ahead.
James Stephens hit a free kick from the left hand side and Phil Vice headed home.
Although the Village were pinned back in their own half for long periods, Little Stoke’s Plan A (hit the ball into the channels – there was no Plan B) was not paying off.
The second half followed the same pattern and it was a bit of a shock when Little Stoke equalised with 17 minutes to go.
The game appeared to be heading for penalties when with 2 minutes remaining Carl Rutter awoke from an apparent coma following a Little Stoke balls up and lashed the ball towards goal.
A Little Stoke player deliberately saved a certain goal with his hand and was duly sent off.
Stephens had to wait an age to take the resultant kick thanks to much arsing about from the opposition. He took an inordinately long run up and, with the crowd expecting him to smash the ball home, he waited for the keeper to dive to his right and gently chipped the ball down the middle!
So, yet another trophy for ashen-faced supremo Martin ‘The Leg End’ Black to put on the mantelpiece.
Man of the match – shared by Stephens and Vicey who will both be buying all the drinks at the presentation piss up this Saturday night!
