Sun Sports "A" 0 Bovingdon "A" 0 (Sun win 4-3 on pens)                         1992/93
                                       Sir Stanley Rous Challenge Cup Final

Sun's penalty justice

Justice was eventually seen to be done on Good Friday when Sun Sports "A" lifted the Sir Stanley Rous Challenege Cup on penalties.
Both teams had failed to find the net in two hours of open play meaning the finial had to be settled by the unsatisfactory penalty shoot-out system.
It all added up for an exciting finale for the large crowd, however, with Sun keeping their heads to run out worthy winners of a game they largely dominated but failed to score.
Full credit though, must go to the way Bovingdon defended throughout a game in which their backs were to the wall.
But strangely enough when they did break forward they looked more dangerous then Sun did.
The game was played in awful conditions on a water bound Berkhamsted FC.
The pitch was only just playable and made for an exciting if error strewn game.
The only surprise was that no goals were scored with the attacking team making the mistakes in the penalty area rather than the defensive side.
More than once an attacker had a clear shot at goal only to lose his feet and miss the ball completely.
Sun were totally dominant in the first half but could not apply the final touch.
In the 25th minute Alec Roy crossed to Stuart Kent at the far post but his effort went into the side netting.
This was typical of Sun's luck in front of goal.
The second half started in much the same way with chances coming and going for Sun, the best coming in the 49th minute when Paul Foster's header beat Keith Burgin in the Bovingdon goal but was cleared off the line.
But then on the hour Bovingdon reminded everyone there was more than one team involved when Mark Atkins cracked a free kick against the crossbar.
Further chances came and went as the game dragged into extra time but still the deadlock could not be broken, despite Foster rattling the crossbar in the 1145th minute.
It was just going to be one of those days.
The longer the game wore on the more chances Bovingdon had but the match was always destined for penalties.
The shoot-out started badly for Sun, however, as nightmares of their missed chances swiftly came back to haunt them with the first spot kick being blazed wide while Bovingdon's Dick Walker scored with his effort.
Sun did not miss again, however, while Bovingdon failed to net twice to leave Sports deserved winners.

Sun Sports "A": Fearnside, Howard, Jennings, Roy, Moulder, McKane, Byrne, Lu?, Foster, Kent, Mealing. Substitutes: Barratt and McKane