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SUNDAY FIRSTS WIN THE HUNTS CUP TO COMPLETE THE TREBLE
Stanground Cardea Sports Sunday Firsts overcame a much changed Orton Wanderers and a red card to win the Hunts Cup in the final minutes.
Three days on from a 14-1 Stanground Cardea win over tonight's opposition both sides turned up with vastly different teams and the opening period proved it would be a close contest.
Stanground Cardea had the first real chance of the game as Ian King headed a Josh Staggs cross just wide.
In the 20th minute the reigning and defending champions took the lead. A Ryley Nicholson-Barfoot cross into the box was volleyed in at the back post by Jamie Cogings. 0-1.
The lead was short lived, as Orton went up the other end and winger Charlie Pywell lashed a cross into the box which flew straight into the top corner. 1-1.
Orton were close to taking the lead just before half time, it was Pywell again who forced a save out of Dylan Martin and his parry fell to Joe Kelly to finish but he couldn't beat captain Martyn Fox on the line who produced a superb block.
In the last action of the half Stanground Cardea almost retook the lead, George Staggs swung a ball into the box and Nicholson-Barfoot headed just wide.
HT: Orton Wanderers 1-1 Stanground Cardea Sports FC
Just three minutes into the second half and the game took an unexpected turn when Orton were awarded a penalty and Kyle Hibbins was sent off for Stanground Cardea for a last man challenge, the video of the red is interesting viewing. Follow the below link to 2:15 to watch it for yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A3IbySYLqM
The penalty was taken by Jude Bloodworth but he blasted the ball over the bar and the scores remained level.
It resulted in a nervous second half for both teams with few clear cut chances being created until the best was saved for last.
In the 92nd minute of the game and one of the last pieces of action of the season Kieran Hibbins spun in the centre circle and sent a perfect ball forward to Ryley Nicholson-Barfoot who beat the offside trap, dribbled past the keeper and tapped the ball in to win the cup for Stanground Cardea. 1-2.
FT: Orton Wanderers 1-2 Stanground Cardea Sports FC
A fairy-tale finish to the most successful season in Stanground Cardea's Sunday history. The league, the league cup and the county cup all won, a memorable treble.