U18 FAPL Trophy: Shrops 1-2 Merseyside
Thursday 23 March 2006By ESFA Office
Last Updated:
10/02/2021 11:48:41
Last year's Trophy was shared
by Merseyside and Kent after a 1-1 draw
Monday evening (20 March) saw Merseyside progress to their seventh U18 Inter County Trophy final since the competition began in 1978 as they overcame a resilient Shropshire team at AFC Telford.
Despite Merseyside having the greater share of the possession in the first half, it was Shropshire who managed to break the deadline on the stroke of half time through Steve Blenkinsop (Shrewsbury VI Form College).
Both teams continued to play good football in the second half, but it was Merseyside who were pressing hard for the equaliser. Just as the Merseyside followers were beginning to fear it was not to be their night, Wayne Miles, of Halewood School, popped up with the equaliser on 57 minutes.
The game became stretched after this point, as both teams began to tire in a physical encounter. Craig Noon, who was at the centre of a lot of Merseyside?s best attacking moves and a constant threat to Shropshire, put Merseyside in the lead thanks to a 65th minute penalty awarded by referee, Mark Warren.
Despite Merseyside going down to 10 men in the dying moments of the game, they were able to hang on to their one goal lead and secure a place in the final.
Merseyside will now play Bedfordshire in final of this competition, which is being sponsored yet again by the FA Premier League. Bedfordshire ran out convincing winners against Essex after beating them 3-0 at Chigwell School on Monday afternoon.
Merseyside and Bedfordshire have met in the final of this competition before in 1986. That day Merseyside got the upper hand with a 4-2 win at Goodison Park on Wednesday 30 April.
Details regarding the final will be announced here once they have been confirmed.
