For the third time in four years Surrey United Mens Premier had earned the right to play in the League Championship Final and had the tough task of meeting a red hot ICFS Inter team who had three days earlier clinched their division to earn their berth in the final. Unfortunately, United came up with one of their poorest performances of the year and were unable to successfully defend their title losing 3-2 in overtime.

The game was a loosely played affair with not a lot of goalmouth action but United nevertheless opened the scoring in the first half of regulation time when defender Martin Schaefer joined the attack played a quick one–two with Rob Wilson and volleyed the return pass from twenty yards out past a stunned Inter keeper. From virtually the second half kick-off Inter forced United back on the defensive and United were forced to defend desperately. The non-stop sustained pressure for Inter finally paid off when fifteen minutes from time they snagged the equalizer when poor marking at a corner-kick enabled an unmarked Inter player to sneak in unchallenged and head home from close range. With the game now in overtime Inter took the lead when again from poor marking at a corner-kick the headed knock down was forced home from close range. United responded immediately when within a minute their keeper tipped a clever Todd Stauber chip onto the cross-bar and with the keeper now fully prostrate in the net United’s Dave Hleucka reacted quickly and unchallenged he headed the rebound into the net. However, United never really looked like staging a comeback and Inter won the game when poor marking left the Inter substitute clear to tap home the winner after a fiercely struck free-kick had defelected across the face of the goal.

Surrey United Masters are once again the League Cup Winners defeating Surrey FC Rangers in a very convincing 4-1 win in very windy, wet conditions at John Oliver Park in Delta on Sunday. The team played with conviction and determination and deservedly went one goal up on a truly magnificent effort by Murray Howes at a corner-kick when he out-jumped the Ranger defence to power a header into the back of the net. United increased their lead before the half ended The second goal came from the ever hard working Kelly Bey who went into a hard fought tackle winning the ball just outside the penalty box and steering ii into the empty net. Rangers came out flying after the restart and after some sustained pressure they reduced the deficit when the unlucky United defender Steve Reed deflected the ball into his own net. However, Surrey United showed their true grit and fought back tenaciously to deservedly restore their two goal advantage when Howes added his second of the game. Shortly afterwards United missed a great chance to increase their lead but failed to convert a penalty shot. However, late in the game United added the icing on the cake scoring a fourth goal from Mike Marini to register an emphatic victory.

We selected Murray Howes of the men’s masters team as this week’s Player of The Week for his outstanding two goal performance that enabled his team to win the League Cup. Each Weekly Winner will have their name entered into a random draw for the monthly prize of for Dinner for Two.