Sun Sports 4 Kings Langley 3      Aubrey Cup Final Replay  @ Bovingdon FC         1994/95

Sun break Langley hearts in epic Aubrey Cup replay

The ultimate exhibition of agony and ecstasy was etched on the faces of Sun Sports and kings Langley players four minutes into stoppage time in the Aubrey Cup Final replay on Thursday night.
Throughout the second half Langley had defended doggedly as Sun pinned them back, chasing what looked like an elusive equaliser.
Then, with virtually the last touch of the ball in normal time, Richie Galvin rose like the proverbial salmon to head home.
As Galvin's head rose, so Langley's dropped into their hands.
When Sun went 4-2 up in extra time, there was no reason to expect Langley to respond but, with the wind at their backs, they rallied.
On another night they may well have won 5-4.
On Thursday, they ran into Sun keeper Trevor Davis.
In the first match he denied Langley victory with a magnificent treble save in the last minute.
In the replay he bettered even that, eradicating the memory of his error that gifted Langley their second goal, with a string of top quality saves.
As someone on the touchline said, Davis should not have needed to dip into his pocket in the bar afterwards!
It was a classic game that tested the nerves of all involved, ebbing and flowing with both sides playing their full part.
A more contrasting game to the mind-numbing two hour stalemate a few days earlier you could not find.
And there was punishment for all those who cursed every minute of those two hours in 80 degree heat.
Bovingdon was covered in cloud, there were spots of rain and the night finished in near darkness amid a wind so cold it would have been noticeable in December.
However, cold fingers and feet were forgotten at the end of 90 minutes of pure entertainment.
Sun may well have lost the league title, but this, their third Aubrey triumph in seven seasons, will not be quickly forgotten.
"On the night the Aubrey Cup win meant we forgot about the league, but when it was all over, we were still gutted that the title had slipped away," said Sun manager Roger Cowen.
"I was glad it was abetter game. I told the lads to go for it from the start and I think our early goal opened it up. But after we scored they were the best side. They were dangerous, particularly in the air."
"We dominated the second half but apart from some half chances we weren't really peppering their goal. As time ran out it was a case of just keeping at it. Sun are renowned for not giving up and in the end we got our bit of luck with a very late goal."
"I thought with us going 4-2 up and them still being a bit down after the late goal, we had it sewn up.
But credit to them, they came back. I was unhappy that we let them get a third because that put pressure on us."
"But Trevor was superb in goal. Over the two games he was our best player. It was awful watching the last few minutes but Trevor did the job. His save from Kenty at the end was brilliant."
Unlike the first game between the sides, the replay was slow to start.
After an early booking for Phil Reid, Sun had the first chance of note when Galvin rose well but headed Greg Manning's cross wide.
Then, in the 19th minute, Sun went ahead.
Andy Wood played a free kick in from the left, the ball was headed back across goal and Langley allowed Phil Walker far too much space as he slid the ball under Colin Hunt.
That goal appeared to have a more positive affect on Langley and they dominated the remainder of the half.
Breaking with pace from midfield they attempted to use their height advantage, especially at set pieces.
In the 26th minute a Colin McMillan cross was punched upwards by Davis and Phil Reid headed the loose ball goalwards where Darren Rowe deflected the ball wide.
From Paul Friel's resultant corner Reid was up highest again but this time Davis took off to flick the ball over.
Another Friel corner caused more panic, and this time Davis skied his punch with the ball eventually over the top.
In the 34th minute Langley pressure brought an equaliser.
Stuart Read broke from midfield and attacked the left hand side of the box.
As Davis came out he could have shot but the angle was tight and instead he squared for Stuart Kent to tap in.
Seven minutes later they went in front and David, who was later the hero, was temporarily the villain.
He came from his goal as McMillan floated in a free kick but the ball cleared him and Nick Read was left to head into the empty net.
With the wind behind them and a goal to make up, Sun were bound to pour forward after the interval, and so it proved.
The game could have been killed as a contest though, had Phil Reid's 50th minute header from Friel's free kick not been ruled off for a foul on Davis.
After that, it was fairly much one way traffic.
Friel was involved at the other end two minutes later, blocking on the line after Walker sidefooted Manning's corner goalwards.
There was huge frustration from the Sun dug out after an hour when Galvin's cross-cum-shot was allowed to run across the face of goal and out of play as three Sun players failed to get a touch.
Five minutes later Rowe crossed and Walker glanced the ball goalwards.
Hunt parried but was quick to his feet and prevented Doug Taylor collecting the loose ball.
Hunt was then forced to tip over the bar after Taylor had looped a header towards the target.
Taylor carved out a good chance in the 71st minute but his fine cross was volleyed by Galvin when perhaps a header was the better option and the ball bounced wide.
Langley threatened on the break though and Kent should have done better in the 80th minute than firing over after nodding Phil Reid's through ball past Paul Jones.
Sun appeared to have run out of time and ideas but four minutes into stoppage time they won a corner on the right.
Manning centred and Galvin rose above the crowd to direct a header between Hunt and Friel at the back post.
That goal brought delirium from Sun's ranks and, with the wind behind them in the first half of extra time, which was cut to 20 minutes because of the fading light, they continued to attack.
Wood had already curled a 20 yard shot over the top when they regained the lead in the 94th minute.
Galvin controlled the ball in the box and then laid it off to sub Alan Dunton.
His cross beat Hunt and Doug Taylor was there, as so often in the past, arriving in the right place at the right time to head into the roof of the net.
Six minutes later it looked like it was all over as Sun made it 4-2.
Galvin was again involved, forcing his way to the by-line on the left and then chipping towards the back post.
Dunton ran in and headed back across goal and inside the near post.
Conceding three goals in ten minutes could have ended Langley's resistance but they summoned up enough energy to have one last crack in the final 10 minutes.
It was then that Davis took centre stage.
Within a minute of the restart he had dived to hold Kent's low 25 yard yard shot and then dived bravely at the striker's feet when a cross dropped to him.
However, even Davis had no chance with Langley's third in the 103rd minute.
Stuart Read exchanged passes with his brother Nick and then drew Davis off his line before lifting the ball over him and into the net.
Then Davis made the save of the night, diving away to his left to stretch out an arm and flick away a piledriver from Kent that dipped and swerved along every inch of the 20 yards it travelled.
A Paddy Gallagher sliced clearance was tipped onto the post by Davis, Stuart read saw a shot deflected over the bar and then Davis had the last word, diving at Phil Read's feet as he attempted to squeeze the ball in at the back of the post.
When the final whistle went there were scenes of wild joy, mixed with some relief from the Sun bench while Langley could only ponder on what could have been.
"I don't think we have really got over it yet," said Langley manager Kevin Andrews after his side returned from a weekend break in Bournemouth.
"It got to me after the game when someone said they saw our ribbons on the cup one minute and being taken off the next. It made me realise how close we were."
Andrews questioned the amount of stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes.
"I don't know where the four minutes came from but then the standard of refereeing has been very inconsistent this season. I know it sounds like sour grapes but it did have a major bearing on the result."
" We were still down at the start of extra time but then we gave it our all when we were 4-2 down. Their keeper was inspired, he saved one from Kenty that he shouldn't have got near to and, whenthat happens, you realise it might not be your night."
Goalkeeper Davis admitted it was a night he would not forget.
"I can't remember making so many difficult saves in one game," he said, "But I did owe it to the lads after their second goal."
"I had got a bit over confident and completely misjudged it. After that there was no way I was going to lose."
" I think my best save was the one from Kenty in extra time. It caught the wind, which was really strong, and I saw it a bit late but it was rising and that gave me a chance."


Sun Sports: Davis, Rowe, Jones, Dean, Gallagher, Manning, Wood, Taylor, Walker, Galvin, Ash.
Subs: Dunton for Ash, Masters not used.