Stitch 3 Sixty Devon Sunday Supplementary Cup Final

Headway 2nds  2 - 1  Activate Sunday (aet)

Played at Coach Road, Newton Abbot 28/04/2019

Following an even opening half in which both sides strived for the ascendency strong defensive performances, particularly from Headway’s centre back, James Williams, and Ryan Lowton for Activate kept the shackles on the strikers of both teams. However, two excellent finishes ensured that the half didn’t finish goalless.

First to strike, in the 27^th minute, somewhat against the run of play, were Headway, Ash Evans putting a cross onto the head of Josh Zimmerman, whose finish gave Jack Pullinger in the Activate goal no chance. The equaliser came in the 39^th minute, Elliot Cunningham getting on the end of a low cross from Nick Graham to chip the ball over the advancing Headway keeper, Jason Peters, into the far corner.

Activate had had most of the half and it was thanks to Peters, saving shots from Jordan Richards, Cunningham and Jeff Miller in the first quarter of an hour, that Headway were still in the game. Headway did manage to pose a threat in the 4^th minute when Zimmerman crossed to Evans whose shot was well saved, and in the 24^th minute drew a brilliant save from Pullinger, who dashed across his goal to block as Zimmerman got on the end of Evans’ cross five yards out. Both defences were proving difficult to beat and the half time interval came swiftly with the score at one goal each.

The second half started with Activate doing all the pressing, but they couldn’t find a way through a Headway defence well marshalled by Williams. He had clearly identified Cunningham and Graham as a strong attacking pairing for Activate and along with his centre back partner Lloyd Quinlan, closed them out whenever the ball was played into them.

With almost an hour gone Headway finally got on top but, although they had good opportunities they were unable to find the all important second goal. Evans, when clean through in the 58^th minute, put his shot wide with only Pullinger to beat. Two minutes later Zimmerman had a 15-yard shot well saved. In the 77^th minute Liam Westlake saw his shot blocked by Lowton and a minute later Zimmerman heads a chipped cross from Evans just wide.

Two minutes from the end of normal time Headway’s captain Aaron West got on the end of a cross from the right but saw his effort well saved by Pullinger. So, with the match ending with a one all stalemate we entered 30 minutes extra time, the first period ending with Zimmerman getting on the end of a right-wing cross only to see flag raised for offside as he placed his effort into the far corner.

Zimmerman was not to be denied however and three minutes into the second period got his second and what proved to be the winning goal, receiving a pass from Evans to smash his shot home from ten yards, giving Pullinger no chance. In the first minute of added time Pullinger denied him his hat-trick, blocking his shot after he had again been put in by Evans and so the match drew to a close with Headway victors by two goals to one.

Star player James Williams (Headway 2nds)

The next final is the Throgmorton Devon Premier Cup Final  between Torridgeside and Bovey Tracey at Coach Road on Thursday 2^nd May kicking off at 7.15pm.