Coppice United were crowned AMT Lawyers Football champions after a thrilling 4-3 victory over holders Halifax Hammers.
This years final was held at Ewood Park, the home of Blackburn Rovers and lived up pre-match expectation when the highest scoring team in the cup – Halifax, going up against a team who up until had not conceded a single goal.
It was also a match between the 16-year tournament’s most successful sides with both Halifax and Coppice having won the cup three times each.
Despite going down 2-1 and missing a pebnalty Coppice ran out 4-3 winners and held on to win the cup for the foruth time.
The trophies were presented by Blackburn Rovers first team coach, David Lowe, Under 23s manager Damien Johnson and first team players Willem Tomlinson and
The special awards and winnerws trophies were presented by Rizwan Navid, Partner at AMT and Avess Ahmed.
Match Report
Amazingly, this was the first time these two sides had met in this tournament.
Despite starting with real intent free-scoring Halifax were behind for the first time in the tournament through a penalty.
It seemed to increase their tempo and Waller, Smith and Pervez proved to be a real handful for Coppice in those early twenty minutes.
The pressure paid off after some good work down the right by Pervez led to Coppice scoring an own goal. It was such an ignominious way for Coppice to concede their first goal.
Five minutes later Naveed could do little to save a fantastic shot by Awais Khan which ended a great move by Halifax. The champions were back ahead and looking every bit as menacing as they had in earlier rounds.
Coppice were inspired in that first half and hit back twice through player of the tournament Andrew Stafford. The first of which was another stunning strike from 30 yards which moved ferociously in the air leaving keeper Yasar helpless.
Conner Berry getting the other. After forty minutes the score was 3-2 and game on again!
Minutes into the second half and Coppice got the crucial fourth.
This time some poor defending saw Conner Berry roll the ball into the net. Coppice had a chance to make it five but Stafford hit the ball too well and smashed it into the post.
Five minutes later Lee Smith made it 3-4 with low shot into the corner.
With still 30 minutes left Halifax piled forward for the equaliser.
What they found in front of them was a goalkeeper who was willing to give his whole body to the cause and a defence creaking but standing strong.
Yasar Ali, Tufail Baloch, Zain Shabbir and Waqas Younis were immense.
On another day Gitteh and Shazad may well have bagged two goals each but in this final under the floodlights of Ewood Park it was Coppice who would reclaim their title they last won in 2012. Since then they have been beaten in three finals the last of which was in 2015.
For Halifax the amazing run of eight straight victories stretching back three years had to end one day but four goals was simply that one goal too far.
Player of the Tournament: Andrew Stafford (Coppice)
Young Player of the Tournament: Haroon Ahmed (Fishwick Rangers)
Best goal: Talha Patel (AFC Preston vs Euro Garages)
Best Save: Naveed Butt (Coppice vs Bolton)
Leading scorers: 3 Lamin Getteh (Halifax) & Andrew Stafford (Coppice).
Leading scorers team: Halifax Hammers (13)
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