A packed stadium in full voice and an evening kick-off were due reward for Fitzwilliam and Queens’ impressive progress to the Cuppers final, but in truth the match itself was an underwhelming occasion. Neither team was able to control the game for any significant periods and the play descended into an attritional battle dominated by the defences. Queens’ were on balance good for their victory, mainly due to their defence which denied Fitz any out-and-out opportunities for the whole ninety minutes.

Cassell’s goal came in the 79th minute after excellent cross by Bowker and though the header lacked power, it was well-directed enough to elude the goalkeeper Cunningham at his left-hand post. The goal was harsh on the Fitzwilliam centre-halves Bogle and Dunnett, who defended manfully throughout but just reward for the dominant Queens’ midfielders, in particular the industrious Bowker.

The first-half began cagily but evenly, with both sides feeling each other out, but as the half progressed Queens’ began to assert their superiority, spending prolonged periods in the Fitz half and denying their opponents any chances on the counter. The best chances fell to Queens’ forward Haydon, who was unable to hit the target when twice played through, but credit is due to the Fitz back four, who shackled the Queens’ frontmen impressively.

In general however, the half was characterized by a lack of composure and an absence of any apparent gameplan on the part of both sides. Neither team was able to settle into a particular rhythm in attack, with crunching challenges providing the highlights for the commendably enthusiastic fans, who roared their sides on with gusto and some inventive chants.

The second half saw an improvement in quality, with both sides playing with more structure and fluency, but once again it was Queens’ who were on top. The men in green edged possession and territory and their late winner was a fair reflection on the efforts of their three midfielders, who despite their numerical disadvantage surpassed the Fitzwilliam five-man midfield in terms of creativity and control. Despite having ten minutes to find an equalizer, Fitz never looked like sending the game to extra-time, and in the final analysis they may not rue chances missed so much as the failure to carve out any clear-cut openings.

Vince Bennici, the Fitz captain, hailed his side’s determination in coming back form behind several times during the competition to reach the final, and praised the  “hard work and character” of his side. He argued that they had been unlucky to lose on the day but admitted that they had “struggled to create anything in the final third”.

Queens’ captain, Dan Keeley was quick to praise his side after the game, “We’ve had an awesome run of form since Christmas- we’ve scored five or six most of our games, and although we only stuck one in today, I feel we dominated the game and were good for the result.”

All in all the final was one low on quality but high on industry, but Queens’ were the better side and earned their victory putting a wonderful cap on a season which has seen them gain a fully deserved promotion to the first division.

For more photos of the action, click here