The penultimate match of the season saw Foresters take on Junior Elite (the recently crowned league winners in the Tandridge League) in the Cup Final. Elite started the better of the two sides and dominated possession in the early stages of the match, although equally matched by a strong and organised Foresters side, who gave very little opportunity to the opposition despite their early dominance. On 22 minutes a great diagonal ball from Abbot found Pepper in space, his great half volley finding the corner of the Elite net to send the Foresters into a 1-0 lead. The goal seemed to settle the Foresters who then created several good attacking moves but without adding further to their lead. Elite levelled the score on 34 minutes after a good passing move was finished from close range on the stroke of half time. The second half followed much the same pattern as the first with Elite enjoying plenty of possession with the Foresters defending strongly. Despite several good half chances for both sides it was 1-1 at the final whistle so with honours even it was into extra time. The Foresters were now looking the stronger of the two sides and starting to exploit the space's in the Elite side. With 5 minutes gone a good attacking move resulted in a free kick on the edge of the Elite box, a fine strike from Pickett into the top corner was then disallowed to everyone's amazement for an off side. Foresters bounced back from this 3 minutes later when the ball broke to Dumas on the right hand side, his superbly timed right foot strike finding the back of the Elite net to make it 2-1 Foresters. Elite levelled the match on the stroke of half time of extra time, a fine free kick giving Caira in the Foresters goal no chance. It was 2-2 with only 10 minutes of extra time remaining. In the second period of extra time it was now all Foresters as they pushed strongly looking for a winner. On 72 minutes after a fine pass found Plunkett, his clever chip over the advancing Elite keeper put Foresters ahead once more to make it 3-2 Foresters to secure the Cup. This season has been a fantastic achievement by the Tunbridge Wells Foresters U11 side having already secured runners up in the highly competitive Tandridge A league.
Squad – L.Caira, E.Anderberg, Z.Benton, M.Horlock, L.Credland, H.Robinson A.Howie, S.Messina, F.Abbott, B.Scott, J.Pickett, C.Dumas, W.Payne, O.Plunkett, L.Bonsall, M.Mantle, O.Roche-Whitechurch, J.Pepper
