On Sunday 8th April at 11am, Devon FA held the Swiftprint Sunday Supplementary Cup Final between Central Aprk Rangers and Activate 2nds.

Activate fielded their first choice eleven, whilst Rangers have five of their first team missing three through injury.

Both sides looked to be well matched against each other with both midfields looking to control the game with neither getting on top. 

Activate broke the deadlock when they attacked down the left and put in a precision cross to Elliot, his first-time shot was parried by Rangers keeper Phil Kirpatrick but his save only rebounded back to Cunningham to fire home at the second attempt. 

Rangers looked a little shocked but skipper, Stirling Woodside, vocally geed his teammates.

Activate came close to restoring the lead  after thirty-two minutes when striker Eoin Donovan cut through the Rangers defence and shoots the ball looked destined for the back of net only for Mark Selley  made an absolutely brilliant goal line clearance to keep the score all square. 

Rangers looked to take the lead themselves when Activate keeper just manages to tip the ball over the crossbar after a Woodside corner is headed goalward by the excellent centre back Alex Yates.  

On forty-one minutes this enthralling match has the crowd on its feet when a long range shot by Activates Nick Graham is comfortable saved by Kilpatrick. 

With halftime imminent Activate retake the lead when Jeff Miller taps home from close range into an empty net. 

Straight from the restart, referee Ashley Horn blows for half time Activate obviously go in the happier of the two sides the Rangers management team will have fifteen minutes to work out their way back into the game.

The two teams take the field for the second half with Rangers and their fans hoping they can fight their way back into the match.  

Activate’s Donovan starts the second half and lays the ball back to Nick Graham who looks up a sends a long ball deep into the rangers half where Liam Donovan collects the ball and takes two strides and hits the ball hard and low and the ball nestles in the back of the net without a rangers player touching the ball many of the spectators were retaking their seats and were not expecting that. 

Rangers shuffle their formation with Skop becoming their target man and it almost pays dividends when their skipper hits a superb shot from wide on the right only for Morgan to pull off a good save to keep Activates two goal lead. 

Sixty-nine minutes in and we see Rangers make another tactical substitution replacing central defender Mike Payne with attacking midfielder Lewis Philips and the move nearly pays off when there is a big goalmouth scramble before the ball goes out for a goal kick.

Rangers win the ball back from the goal kick and the ball is fed into Skop who gets brought down from behind and the ref give a penalty kick. 

Rangers skipper and usual penalty taker Woodside places the ball on the spot walks back turns and hammers the ball in giving Morgan no chance Rangers now look very confident. 

With Rangers now being the dominant team they soon win the ball back when the impressive right winger Ryan Howard who looks to be having his best game of the season gets down the right and sends in a brilliant cross where the tall figure of Sleeman-Keen raises majestically to brilliantly head home the equaliser from seven yards.  

Before the game restarts Rangers substitute winger Danny Hoare for all-rounder James Carr Rangers are now the team most likely to pinch a winning goal and it nearly came on eighty-three minutes when the strong Adam Cunningham (nick name A Train) fires narrowly wide from twenty yards. 

With four minutes left Activate make their final change substituting goal scorer Nick Taylor for Jeff Thompson and into the eighty-ninth Activate force a corner when the ball comes in low there is a scramble and the ball fell for Elliot Cunningham who toe pokes the ball high into the Rangers net will this be the winning goal? 

In added time Rangers carve out one last chance when James Carr strikes from wide on the right and the ball looks goal bound only for Morgan to brilliantly tip the ball around the post and this turned out to be the games last chance.  

The referee blew for full-time, seeing Activate 2nds win 4-3, an incredible game and becoming Swiftprint Sunday Supplementary Cup Winners.

To see a full photo album from the game please click the link below:

central park rangers v activate 2nds photo album

*Photos courtesy of Miracle PR & Photography