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AFC Royals started the 2008 Sunday
Intermediate Cup Final strongly, taking a 6th minute lead when Robert
Boyd converted from six yards a cross from the left. Their advantage
was lost five minutes later, however, when a low 20-yard free kick by
Justin Cummins found the back of the net to give
Eureka
an equaliser.
The game then turned into something of a stalemate. Even though
Eureka
gradually began to take control as the second half progressed, they
only looked like scoring on a couple of occasions: when the ball did
eventually cross the line, an offside decision kept the score at one
apiece.
The deadlock was finally broken in the fourth minute of extra time,
when Chris Hubbard broke down the left and produced a quality finish
to put AFC Royals 2-1 ahead against the run of play. Once again,
however, their lead was short lived as, three minutes later,
Eureka
substitute Alex Bramble picked up a loose clearance on the left of the
penalty area and curled home a right-footed shot.
Two minutes after half time of extra time, another
Eureka
substitute, Louis Fazackerly, twice blocked defensive clearances and
took advantage as the ball rebounded kindly into space in front of
him, knocking it home to give his club the lead for the first time.
This seemed to cause AFC Royals to lose their discipline, with Boyd
being sent off for receiving a second yellow card and Brian Hall
following him for a straight red card. Although the remaining nine
players did not give up and although there was the unusual occurrence
of a long throw in by AFC Royals entering the net without anyone else
having touched it, they could not retrieve the situation and
Eureka
lifted the Cup for the first time in the club’s 37 year history.
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