EXTRA time was required to separate Canvey Island (Yellows) and Grays Athletic (Eagles) in the final of the Essex Under 12s Cup supported by GoCardless, but three goals in the additional 20 minutes saw Grays lift the silverware at full time.
Teddy Gutteridge had put Grays in front on 7 minutes, only for Chase Stokes to level for Canvey in the 44th minute. Neither side could then breach the opposition’s defence until Jahmai Henry’s 69th-minute strike, and Harry Tungate and Rojus Jasas (a penalty) added further impact to the scoreline at Concord Rangers FC.
After the match, coach Christopher Gutteridge paid tribute to his squad’s development, explaining: “We’ve had the team together for quite a long time. Four of the boys that actually started today have been with us since Under 7s. So, we started off in, actually, Division A of the Echo League, worked our way through, and we’re doing well this year. To be in our first year of competitive football, to have been crowned champions of Essex, it’s amazing – we are so proud.”
It was box-to-box midfielder Gutteridge who opened Grays’ account with an excellent strike, hammering into the right-hand side of the net from outside the penalty area. And they attempted to add to this advantage throughout the first half, some neat interplay involving Tungate and winger Charlie Andrews seeing the latter shoot just wide, while Tungate’s own swerving, right-sided corner kick bounced off the top of the Canvey crossbar on its way through.
Towards the end of the half, an Andrews free kick was parried into the path of Oscar Fadrowski by Canvey goalkeeper, Laurence Murphy, and Fadrowski buried the loose ball, but he was denied by the offside flag. There was further frustration when Henry progressed forwards and his thumping effort hit the bottom of the crossbar, bouncing just the wrong side of the goal line.
Canvey made a quick impact after the interval as hard-working Captain Stokes brilliantly fired home on the volley following a right-sided corner to equalise. However, other than a Gutteridge free kick being collected by dependable ‘keeper Murphy, there were no further goals, and a tense spell of extra time would be required to decide the contest.
Joint Grays Coach, Daniel Andrews, analysed: “I think we’ve got the team spirit in abundance. There’s several characters in the team that are just the engine of what we’re trying to achieve here. We said to them at full time: Can we go again? Can we dig deep? Find it within ourselves to carry on going? Ploughing along? I firmly believed, today, we were going to win.”
And his prediction started to come true as the impressive Henry ran through and hammered home from just inside the area to put his team back in front. Gutteridge felt that was a key moment in the final: “I think, when we scored the first goal, that settled us down – our nerves. Then, obviously, they got their goal, but I think, when Jahmai [Henry] got the second goal, that was it. And it was a superb goal as well, wasn’t it?”
In the second half of extra time, Athletic confirmed their status as county champions. Industrious midfielder Tungate’s long-range, spinning curler deceived the unlucky ‘keeper and bounced into the net on 73 minutes. Then, two minutes from full time, there was a penalty. Following a foul on Jasas, the Grays player got back up and rolled a spot kick into the bottom right-hand corner.
Having watched such a close game for the majority, Andrews wanted to pay tribute to Grays’ opponents: “I think, once that third goal goes in, there’s only a few minutes left, that’s game, set and match, and at that point we’ve started to relax a little bit on the sideline. I think there’s a lot to be said for the way Canvey Island play.”
“Tenacity, the energy levels, the way they shift the ball quickly from back to front. I was really impressed with Canvey. I must be honest, I didn’t know much about them – we’ve never played each other. It’s the first time we’ve come across them, but I was really impressed. Fair play to them, they gave us a great test today. But we’re one of the best teams around at the moment this year. Anyone that gives us a good game, they’re a good team.”
Gutteridge also commented: “We’re not a team that chops and changes and goes looking and hunting for players. How do we improve? That’s the question we ask ourselves all the time. I think, fitness-wise, we can be a little bit fitter. The technical ability of our boys is unbelievable. They’ve worked hard, they’ve never had nothing given to them – just like Canvey today. I think, if we can stick together and improve our fitness, then I can see us only getting better and better.”
Canvey Island (Yellows): Laurence Murphy, Max Swan, Chase Stokes, Jaxon Grange, Charlie Moon, Henry Cornish, Jacob Barcham, Dylan Coop, Jake Hawkins. Substitutes: Mason Enfield, Bry Dawson, Caolan McGinley. Manager: Tony Stokes.
Grays Athletic (Eagles): Frank Youngman, Ralphie McRandal, Oscar Fadrowski, Charlie Andrews, Max Brown, Teddy Gutteridge, George Love, Jahmai Henry, Harry Tungate. Substitutes: Mattias Ali Balogun, Jensen Kendall, Rojus Jasas. Manager: Christopher Gutteridge.
Referee: Jaiden Weatherby.
Assistant Referees: George Willson and Chloe Barwick.
Fourth Official: Richard Willson.
Attendance: 255.
