Hello, and welcome to the Sussex Senior Cup Final, with the most successful team in the competition Worthing facing off against Bognor Regis Town. The game is hosted at The Amex, Brighton, with kick off scheduled at 19:30.
Here are the lineups for tonight’s fixture:
Two changes for Worthing, with the cup-tied Alieu Secka and Liam Vincent dropped for William Tillman and Jesse Starkley. Number 1 Worthing goalkeeper Harrison Male is injured.
Big night for Tillman, with the 17 year old making hs first ever Worthing appearance today, and doing it in some style. Can he be as heroric as Male was in the semi-final?
After almost getting the chance to seal a double promotion, Worthing have had a very good season. This would be a brilliant way to end it, with the disappointing loss to Oxford still in the players mind.
Almost time for kick off…. as the Worthing fans start to sing. Brilliant turn out from both teams.
Players are out. For most of these players, this will be one of the biggest games of their lives.
Kick off! Worthing get the game running.
2 – Worthing keeping possession comfortably here. First chance to get forward through Ollie Pearce but his cross was blocked. Dan Gifford ran up the other end and layed it off for Sam De St Croix but his shot goes straight at Tillman.
6 – Worthing passing the ball around well but not creating anything. Bognor barelt touched the ball.
9 – Bognor starting to come into the game more now. No major chances yet, though.
11 – Gifford makes a good run forward and is taken down on the edge of the penalty area. Brilliant chance for Bognor.
12 – Close! Calvin Davies go towards the keeper’s side but just goes wide. Some of the Bognor fans thought that was in!
15 – Gifford does another nice run and plays through De ST Croix, but he drifted into an offside position.
17 – Good start for Tillman. The 17 year old has passed the ball comfortably and looks to be settling in well with his back line.
19 – Joe Rabbetts starting to attack more down this left-hand side. His cross is blocked and out for a corner. Craig Robson cannot get the right contact on it as it goes out of play for a Worthing goal kick.
21 – De St Croix clips in a nice ball which Tillman gets to before the Bognor attacker. The ref pulls it back for a free kick. Bognor coming alive these last ten minutes.
24 – The Reds starting to pick up the pace again. Still struggling to create any chances with Bognor defending comfortably so far.
27 – Joel Colban plays a nice ball down the right hand side for Reece Myles-Meekums to chase, but is beaten to it by Robson and gives away a foul. Pretty much as close as Worthing have got so far tonight…
29 – Myles-Meekums running forward is fouled on the right-hand side of the Bognor penalty area. A good chance for the ball to be whipped into the box.
30 – Close! Forget cross, that almost went in! Jesse Starkley with a brilliant delivery towards the back post, with Joe Rye unable to turn it in.
31 – Nathan Odokyero finds himself in another really good position, and is once again offside. Unlucky.
34 – Chance! After playing the ball around the box, Gifford goes for goal but his deflected shot narrowly goes past the post.
35 – The corner is a dangerous one. Tillman catches it but cannot hold on. Luckily for the young man one of his teammates clears it out of danger.
36 – Close! Alfie Bridgman is found on the edge of the area. He sets up for a left footed shot with plenty of space goes just wide. Good effort.
39 – Bognor have been the better team this half, creating some really good chances. WIll they regret these chances?
41 – Bridgman is played down the line. After being forced back, he lays off Gifford before his shot was blocked.
43 – Another chance for Bognor, as Bridgman has his shot blocked. Worthing will be wanting to hear the half time whistle before Bognor eventually put one of these chances away.
45 – 1 minute of added time
45 – Save! Gifford plays a brilliant over the top ball forward to Odokonyuero whose shot is well saved by Tillman
Half time – Worthing 0 v 0 Bognor Regis
Slow start to the half, but it was Bognor creating most of the chances, with Tillman coming with some good saves before the whistle blew. Worthing need to wake up here, they are lucky to be going into the break with a clean sheet.
Worthing players coming out first for this second half. Can they break the dedlock and go onto win this cup final? Or will Bognor carry on from the first half and eventually put away one of their chances?
Kick off: Bognor kick off the second half of this Suffolk Premier Cup Final
46 – Good start for Bognor, carrying from where they left off from. Gifford crosses the ball but it is blocked for a corner. They go short from the corner, and eventually give away a free kick.
48 – Chance! Worthing create two really good chances. The first one is blocked before Starkey’s volley goes just wide. Better from the Reds.
50 – Kane Wills is played through down the line, but keeper Matt Rowley gets there before him. At the other end, Bognor work the ball to Odokonyero who lays it off to Bridgman. His shot is blocked and deflected over for a corner, which comes to nothing.
52 – Rodari plays through Pearce but it is over hit and Rowely collects. Pearce was also offside to add insult to injury.
53 – First card of the game goes to Myles-Meekums after going in late on De St Croix.
55 – Important touch by James Beresford, directing it back to Tillman while preventing Bridman with a one on one with the youngster.
56 – OFF THE BAR! Harvey Whyte plays through Gifford whose left footed shot strikes the crossbar and out of play for a goal kick. It just is not going in for him today.
58 – Sketchy moment as Tillman comes out of his goal, with his clearance deflecting off Bognor player and out for a Worthing throw.
Forst subs of the night for Worthing with a double change:
60 – Bognor players surround the ref after convinced that they should have had a penalty. Mohammed Dabre wins a fouled by Whyte after a nice piece of skill just after the incident. Whyte was booked.
63 – This is becoming much more of an open game, with both teams creating chances. Still yet to see a goal, but how long do we have to wait for?
65 – Wills passes to the edge of the box from the corner, but Mykes-Meekums’ scuffed shot goes high and wide, to WAAAYYYYYY!! chants from the Bognor fans.
67 – Rowley comes to claim the ball for Bognor, but is not aware of how fast it is going and just keeps hold of the ball inside of the box. That would have been a blunder and a half
68 – Chance! Bridgman is through on this right hand side but his left ffotd shit is weak and goes straight to Tillman.
69 – OFF THE BAR!!! How haven’t Worthing scored? Free kick by Pearce almost catches Rowely out at the near post as it hots the bar. Worthing come again, and it comes to Colbran 7 yards out but he skies his shot into the empty seats. Wasted opportunity
First change of the evening for the Rocks:
72 – Worthing come again but Beresford cross is too close to Rowley as he comfortably catches the ball.
74 – Dabre goes in late on Whyte who wins a free kick. Unfortunately for Bognor, it does not come to anything
75 – Offside – Odokonyero is found in the penalty box, but the flag goes up before he gets his shot off.
77 – Myles-Meekums works the left side and gets a corner.
78 – NO GOAL – Offside! The corner is cleared, but comes to Mo Jammeh whose second shot goes into the bottom left hand corner but it deflected off Pearce who was in an offside position in the incident.
Final change for the Reds:
80 – Ten minutes left of this cup final, still time for some late drama but for who?
83 – Sub for the Rocks:
85 – Starkey is brought down very close to the penalty area, but the ref says no foul. Adam Hinshelwood and the Worthng staff are furious below me.
Along with that, tonight;s attendance at The Amex is 2,954. Brilliant support from each fan base tonight. Which fanbase will be leaving happier though?
88 – Dabre is played through by Jammeh but a recovering Joe Rabbetts kicks it out for a corner before he can shoot. Corner comes to nothing
Substitution for the Rocks:
90 – 5 minutes added on.
90+3 – Dabre comes forward with the ball but loses it after trying to perform a piece of skill. Could that be their last chance?
90+4 – Chance! The substitute Joshua McCornick gets through the Worthing defenders, with his cross deflected on goal. Tillman produces quick reflexes to stop it going in.
Full time: Worthing 0 v 0 Bognor Regis Town
90 minutes cannot separate these teams, it comes down to penalties.
Worthing much better in that half, but like Bognor could not put their chances away. Tillman impressed in net for the Reds, producing some great saves. At the other end, Dabre was denied a goal with it being offside.
Here we go……. Worthing to take first.
Miss – Worthing 0 v 0 Bognor Regis Town – Pearce
Rowley making a brilliant save, diving to his right to stop the penalty
Goal – Worthing 0 v 1 Bognor Regis Town – Odokonyero
Sent the keeper the wrong way, solid penalty
Goal – Worthing 1 v 1 Bognor Regis Town – Colbran
Smashed it down the middle
Goal – Worthing 1 v 2 Bognor Regis Town – Gifford
Hammered down the middle
Goal – Worthing 2 v 2 Bognor Regis Town – Wills
Calm pen, sends keeper wrong way
Goal – Worthing 2 v 3 Bognor Regis Town – Olaniyan
Great pen by substitute, keeper guesses right way but no saving that.
Goal – Worthing 3 v 3 Bognor Regis Town – Akanbi
Bounces in off the bar
Goal – Worthing 3 v 4 Bognor Regis Town – Robson
Really nice pen, keeper cannot get to it.
Goal – Worthing 3 v 4 Bognor Regis Town – Vincent
Needed to score, and he did.
Miss – Worthing 3 v 4 Bognor Regis Town – McCormick
He has hit it over. Worthing back in it
Goal – Worthing 5 v 4 Bognor Regis Town – Jammeh
Slow run up, good pen
Goal – Worthing 5 v 5 Bognor Regis Town – Figueira
Good pen
Goal – Worthing 6 v 5 Bognor Regis Town – Myles-Meekums
Sends keeper wrong way
Goal – Worthing 6 v 6 Bognor Regis Town – Dockerill
Keeper goes right way but cannot reach it
Goal – Worthing 7 v 6 Bognor Regis Town – Dabre
Top bins!
Goal – Worthing 7 v 7 Bognor Regis Town – Rabbetts
Sends keeper wrong way. This is tense!
Goal – Worthing 8 v 7 Bognor Regis Town – Rye
Even more Top Bins!
Miss – Worthing 8 v 7 Bognor Regis Town – Whyte
THE CAPTAIN PENALTIES IS SAVED BY TILLMAN!!!!!!
WORTHING ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!
For the first time since 1999, the Reds have won the Sussex Senior Cup, brilliant scenes here at the Amex.
Commiserations to Bognor, thought they were brilliant tonight but regreted those missed chances in the first half
First choice and back-up keeper unavailable? No prblem for Worthig:
Tillman was solid from the first minute, keeping calm on the ball and making some vital saves. This will be a day that he will never forget. Unbelievable story!
The referees get their medals, and are booed by the Worthing fans.
Worthing now come forward to collect their medals, being applauded sportingly by Bognor players.
The captain lifts the trophy to very happy Worthing fans. What a night for them. Thanks for joing me tonight. I am Lucas Michael, and I will see you for the next one!
Ratings:
Worthing: Tillman 9 Colbran 6 Wills 7 Racine(C)6.5 Rodari 6 Pearce 7.5 Starkley 7 Rye 6.5
Beresford 6 Akanbi 6 Myles-Meekums 7
Subs –
Bognor Regis Town: Rowley 7 Dockerill 6 Rabbetts 6.5 Davies 6.5 Black 6 Robson 6.5 White(C) 6.5 De St Croix 6 Odokonyero 7 Gifford 8 Bridgman 7
Subs –
MOTM: Tillman
Questions:
Tillman (penalty shoot-out hero) starting his first ever proffesional game at the age of 17. How do you think he did and how was he before the game?
Very quiet first half. What did you say to the players at half time?
Before the game, was the game against Oxford City still on the players minds? Did that affect the result in the end?
