22/05/2026 – REPORT – TOMMY THOMPSON CUP FINAL RESULT

ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE

TOMMY THOMPSON CUP FINAL.

CAVENDISH FC.          3.         (2)       BRADFIELD ROVERS FC.       3.         (4)

(ON PENALTY KICKS)

Date:   22^nd May 2026.                      Venue: “The Crops”, Coggeshall Town FC.

            This was the fifth and final ESBFL Cup Final of the season, the Tommy Thomson Cup, this was played at “The Crops”, home of Thurlow Nunn, Division One South, Coggeshall Town FC and the ESBFL once again extends a big thank you to Graeme Smith, Suzie Wade and their staff for providing the venue, facilities and hospitality, it was also the last match to be played this season.

            This competition started with thirty-five teams drawn from across Divisions Two, Three and Four, there was a preliminary round, Rounds One and Two leading to the Quarter-Finals and then the Semi-Finals, so today we have reached this year’s final, there was no final played last season so it was the current holders, Bradfield Rovers FC who reached the final to defend their title.

            This evening’s finalists were both from Division Two, Cavendish beat Roman Rovers Reserves, Rayne, West Bergholt and Boxted Lodgers (penalties), whilst Bradfield Rovers beat Stanway Rovers EVL Development, Great Bradfords, Gas Recreation Reserves (penalties) and Springfield Reserves.

            Before kick-off the teams carried out the “Respect” handshake and on a warm bright evening and on a rock-hard pitch the Match Officials were Gregory Hart who had Alex Hodder and Lewis Earl as Assistant Referees with Christopher Warren as the fourth Official, the match was watched by over one hundred and twenty-five spectators.

Cavendish kicked off, Wood found Dye, but Ball headed the dangerous cross back to his keeper, Williamson (H), having both keepers with the same surname is going to test my reporting skills! Keeper, Williamson (T) sent a long high ball down field, Glasgow was forced to chase back against Hubbard who gained a corner, taken by Brind, but headed wide by defender Wood, Cavendish kept up their early pressure Childs found Taylor, who lofted the ball to keeper, Williamson (H). Only four minutes were on the clock when Cavendish scored the opening goal, keeper, Williamson (T) sent a long clearance to the left side Taylor gave chase, Hubbard was up in support and when the ball dropped around the penalty spot there was CONNOR DYE to poke the ball home through a crowd of players and between the keepers legs. Cavendish regained possession from the restart, Hubbard sent the ball wide to Dye who raced past Ball but drove his shot wide, his team could have been two goals ahead. When Taylor got the better of Glasgow, another flicked header fell to Dye, who snatched at the chance and the ball went wide, that could have been three goals! Taylor was almost instrumental again when his pass inside found Childs whose weak shot bobbled to keeper, Williamson (H). Bradfield Roves were forced to make an early player change when the injured Farthing limped off to be replaced by Scott, Scott was immediately sent clear until but Wood was quickly back to defend, conceding a corner, taken long by Allington but cleared to Allam whose daisy cutter of a shot was fielded by keeper, Williamson (T)

A long throw in from Glasgow was cleared by Hubbard, a corner followed, taken left footed by Allington, again Hubbard rose to head clear, this time a throw in was awarded, taken by Glasgow to Allington who turned to volley left footed, but wide of the goal. Bradfield Rovers had now settled down and suppressed the early domination from Cavendish who were equally in no mood to defend for the rest of the match. Two consecutive corners taken by Allington followed, both were cleared, until Brind impeded Dixon, Easey took this free kick, Archer headed clear and Finch got involved to send a long-range effort to keeper, Williamson (H). On twenty minutes, Dixon sent to ball forward to Allington who turned to send a low let-footed effort across the penalty area, and a goal kick followed. When Wood was adjudged to have shown a high boot towards Allan, a free kick was awarded, minutes later, Allington got the better of Wood, sending in a low driven cross that was met, six yard out by JACK ALLAM who side footed home for the Bradfield Rovers equaliser. Bradfield Rovers now sensed that more goals would come Farmery gave chase down the right side but keeper, Williamson (T) clutched the ball out of the air, his clearance was picked up by Easey who forced a corner, taken by Dixon but easily cleared.

Thirty minutes had now elapsed, the score was level and both teams had shown some enterprise and there should have been more goals to talk about, Allington, the competitions leading goalscorer, always looked dangerous when he had the ball at his feet, a sharp turn and run past Archer saw Glasgow rise to head the ball over the crossbar, the danger signs were there again. When Dixon raised a high foot against Finch, a smart move involving Taylor, Childs and Hubbard ended when keeper, Williamson (K) intervened, Farmery gave chase to the clearance and keeper, Williamson (T) was forced to save. Defender, Brind was shown a yellow card for a rash tackle, over on the side line, this was on Dixon who was not impressed, Allington took the free kick, sending the ball high and long to the far post where SAM GLASGOW rose to head emphatically into the net. The game remained end-to-end, Dye set up Hubbard who volleyed over the crossbar, whilst Stratton tried to muscle his way through when play reverted to the other end and was only stopped when Stratton fouled Wood. On forty minutes, Taylor crossed to Childs whose far post header went out for a goal kick, Finch tested keeper, Williamson (H) with an effort that bounced awkwardly in front of him. The long clearance from keeper, Williamson (H) was controlled by BEN ALLINGTON who then proceeded to send a fine left footed volley past the despairing dive of keeper, Williamson(T) and the half ended with Bradfield Rovers in the ascendency having gone a goal behind before hitting three in reply before half-time, so would those early missed chances by Cavendish prove crucial!

HALF-TIME:    1 – 3.

            Brind, for Cavendish, on a caution, but injured, was immediately replaced before the restart by Price, Allington and Dixon worked the ball forward to gain a corner off Archer, Dixon took the corner kick, Hubbard headed clear but only to Allington who made space before shooting wide. The Allington, Dixon combination led to Dixon being caught offside then Allan and Scott linked up to set up Dixon who volleyed wide. The pressure from Bradfield Rovers remained unchanged and when on a break forward, keeper, Williamson (T) was yards outside his penalty are to head clear, this had left the Bradfield Rovers defence short of numbers which allowed Hubbard to control the ball before finding CONNOR DYE who ran on to score. At this stoppage, Cavendish took off Archer and sent on Purcell, Dye missed another goalscoring chance when put through by Finch, then Bradfield Rovers made their second change with Griffin making way for Moore. Wood fouled Allington, but Dixons free kick was straight to keeper, Williamson (T), the play switched again, Childs forced a corner off Ball, taken by Finch and punched clear by keeper, Williamson (H) to Wood whose shot was well wide.

            Right, that’s an hour played, Bradfield Rovers looked comfortable even with a single goal lead but credit to Cavendish, they kept going and sensed there was more to play for, Dye linked up with Taylor and Finch, who was always prepared to chase any forward ball, from one seemingly lost cause he regained possession and sent in a cross that was fumbled by keeper, Williamson (H). Tayor had the ball in the net from a cross from Dye but the goal was ruled out as a free kick had been given, a fraction of a delay in the referees whistle would probably have allowed the goal to stand and a few grumbles were heard, there is no VAR at Coggeshall, yet, Taylor took the free kick himself, left-footed but just missing the target. Just before the seventy-minute mark, the ever-dangerous Allington made a rapid attack, on his own, Wood defended well and sent the ball up field where Easey was adjudged to have handled the ball on the half-way line. With the match stopped, Cavendish replaced Frost with Howe, from the restart, Wood had to defend against Allington, a goal kick followed and Cavendish moved forward to gain a corner off Glasgow, taken by Finch but too high and long.

            On seventy-five minutes Cavendish scored a deserved equaliser, a defensive error by Bradfield Rovers let in Howe and from his driven cross CONNOR DYE reacted quickest at the far post, to net his third goal of the match and set up, what should be a frantic last fifteen minutes. A long free kick taken by Taylor, bounced once before going out of play, Purcell and Dye set up Finch who was still foraging away up front, his pass wide to Taylor was hit wide of the goal. When play switched to the other end keeper, Williamson (T) was quickly out to smother the ball at the feet of Allington whose close control and pace had been a feature of this close contest. Bradfield Rovers replaced Dixon with Simpson with ten minutes remaining and Cavendish made their last change with Melia making way for McLaughlin. A shot from Easey failed to trouble keeper, Williamson (T) but his poor clearance should have been punished as it fell to the unmarked Easey who shot wide! A cross from Scott was headed back to his keeper by Wood, and the match official indicated that four minutes of added time remained, Finch chased down Ball to gain a corner, Childs did likewise with keeper, Williamson (H) also having to leave his penalty area to clear to Glasgow who put the ball out for a corner, did we ever find that ball! Once a new ball was sourced, four had been used so far, Finch, eventually took the corner which was cleared by Glasgow at the near post, the final whistle was blown, and we entered a penalty shoot-out scenario!

            This had been an excellent match, contrasting styles, some good goals and plenty of effort, but going to penalty kicks always seem to a bit of a lottery, but someone has to win!

FULL TIME:     3 – 3.

PENALTIES:

Cavendish FC                                                                Bradfield Rovers FC

J. Hubbard                    scores  1-0                               B. Allington                   scores  1-1

S. Howe                       misses  1-1                               J. Farmery                    scores  1-2

K. Purcell                      saved   1-2                               C. Stratton                    scores  1-3

J. Wood                         scores  2-3                               J. Allan                         scores  2-4

BRADFIELD ROVERS FC WIN BY FOUR PENALTIES TO TWO.

            After the match ended, John Campany, ESBFL, Chairman gave a short speech congratulating all three teams on their efforts during the match, thereafter he asked Jim Culleton, President, Mid-Essex Football League to present the mementoes and cups to the match officials and both the runners-up and winners, the latter celebrating as teams do these days in front of the ESBFL winners banner.

Turning to my choice of Star player, for a Cup Final, I usually choose one from each team, for Cavendish FC, and despite Dye scoring a hat-trick, I’ve gone for Lloyd Finch, never gave up, chased everything and everyone, setting a fine example to his team-mates. For Bradfield Rovers FC, I’ve gone for Ben Allington, two assists and a fine volleyed goal to add to the forty-three already scored this season, making him the ESBFL leading goalscorer for the season, the league records now also shows him as having assisted in twenty-six goals as well, an impressive return.

Teams:

CAVENDISH FC

Colours:                        Red & Black striped shirts, Black Shorts and Red Socks.

Team:

Tom Williamson., Thomas Archer., Callun Brind., Alfie Frost., Jake Wood (C)., Jordan Melia., Connor Dye., Jack Hubbard., Harrison Childs., Lloyd Finch., Haydn Taylor.

Manager:                      Christopher Coyston.

Assistant Manager:       Steve Willis.

Used Substitutes:          Soloman Howe., Christian Price., Paul Mclaughlin., Kamron Purcell.

Unused Substitutes:      Nathan McNicholas.

BRADFIELD ROVERS FC:

Colours:                        Sky-Blue Shirts, Claret Shorts and Sky-Blue Socks.

Team:

Harvey Williamson., Tom Farthing., Sam Glasgow., Dylan Griffiths., Steven Ball., Jevon Farmery., Ross Easey., Jack Allan (C)., Patrick Dixon., Ben Allington., Christopher Stratton.

Management:               Ryan Dawson & Sam Day.

Used Substitutes:          Finlay Scott., Joshua Moore., Tom Simpson.

Unused Substitutes:      Oliver Davis., Kian Mistry-Shah.

MATCH OFFICIALS:

Referee:                       Gregory Hart.

Assistant Referees:       Alex Hodder & Lewis Earl.

Fourth Official:              Christopher Warren.

STAR PLAYER:            Lloyd FINCH                           (CAVENDISH FC)

                                    Ben ALLINGTON                    (BRADFIELD ROVERS FC)