WSFFL History - PCMT Final 2007/08

Why Boston Rock are the holders going into Friday's final...

Claymore Athletic FC 1
Rooney 20

v (2)

You Know Your Boston Rock FC 3
Downing og 22
Dempsey 60
Defoe 90

December 26/27 2007 at Wembley Stadium - Att: 90,000

Despite Clive's atrocious recent league form it was Claymore who started the better of the teams in front of the packed Wembley crowd, Wayne Rooney firing past Paul Robinson after 20 minutes to open the scoring. If Clive could have consolidated it may have been a different story but just two minutes later Stuart Downing, one of Claymore's best performers this season, sliced into his own net to level the scores.

It was the second-half before Sheriff's 'Sky Heroes' imposed themselves and September pool signing Clint Dempsey, on for the injured Frank Lampard, bundled them ahead from close range on the hour. As Clive went pushing for an equaliser late on Jermain Defoe prodded past Friedel to finish things off.

That's Sheriff's third PCMT trophy in five seasons and added to three FA Cups and two Championships (one as Athletico Sheriff IV) Mr Rose is now WSFFL's most successful manager. He has one trophy more than Ady's Aardvark Abacus and those two WSFFL behemoths will clash in the first round of the Cup on 5 January.

Congratulations Sheriff, commiserations Clive, now it's back to the 'bread and butter' of the league. (This was my first WSFFL match report - can you tell?)

Claymore's team was:
GK - Friedel
DEF - Sagna, Pogatetz, Cacapa, Clichy
MID - Malbranque, Pienaar, Koumas, Downing
ATT - Rooney, Owen
Subs: Neilsen, Ingimarsson, Bullard, Pizarro.

And the victorious Boston Rock lined up:
GK - Robinson
DEF - Ridgewell, R.Ferdinand, Richards, Samba
MID - Lampard, Rosicky, Smith, Bentley
ATT - Jerome, Defoe
Subs: Cerny, King, Dempsey, D.Bent.

Sheriff's team for this week's final will have a familiar look but Ridgewell, Samba, Rosicky, Smith, Jerome and Cerny have all left the 'Sky Heroes' in the past 12 months.

Aardvark won last season's league title to make it eight trophies apiece with his opponents on Friday. Another little edge added to the battle for the first pot of the season.