Paul Cartmell Memorial Trophy Final

San Dimas High School 4
Silva 10
Kante 51
Lukaku 72
Rudiger [c]

v

Wheel Madrid 2
Hojbjerg 37
Etheridge sp75

(two cancelled cleans)

At Wembley. Attendance: 90,000

Teams

San Dimas: McCarthy; Rudiger, Lovren, Mawson, Bailly; Kante, Gross, Hughes, Silva; Lukaku, Barnes
Subs: Mignolet; Paterson; Mahrez; Mousset

Wheel Madrid: Etheridge; Luiz, Young, Zabaleta, Francis; Ritchie, Lallana, Jorginho, Hojbjerg; Vardy, Wilson
Subs: Boruc; Matip; Maddison; Perez

Report

Both managers had been concerned about injuries in the run-up to the final. For San Dimas Pedro was ruled out but David Silva and Romelu Lukaku returned. For Wheel Madrid, Paul was relying on a ‘walking wounded’ defensive line.

The Wheels defence was almost breached as early as the second minute but Ashley Barnes placed wide from eight yards. Parity didn’t last long though, and David Silva had San Dimas on 10 minutes - the Spaniard getting on the end of a cross from the right and finishing from 10 yards.

The game then settled down for a while but a shocker of a challenge from Ashley Young nine minutes before the break drew a yellow card when some thought it warranted a red. It seemed to fire the Wheels team into life and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg crashed in after a defensive mistake just a minute later to send the game in level at the break. San Dimas were back in front six minutes after half-time in the unlikely shape of 'nicest man in football' N’Golo Kante. The Frenchman’s run into the box was picked out beautifully and Kante chested and then half-volleyed home.

Eric Bailly was the next man who was lucky to stay on the pitch when a reckless high foot could have conceded a penalty after 69b minutes. Paul W was still in the fourth official’s ear when, three minutes later, Romelu Lukaku hooked in to stretch the lead to 3-1. The deficit was back to one almost straight away when Neil Etheridge saved his third penalty of the season to get Wheels back in it with a quarter of an hour left.

San Dimas were then reduced to ten men. No escape for Bailly this time after a two-footed challenge. A Wheels fightback was derailed five minutes from time though. Hojbjerg also sent for an early bath after a late challenge of his own. The Saints were able to see out the last few minutes and Antonio Rudiger got a clean to finishing the scoring and give me my third PCMT win in five seasons.

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How they got there

Semi-finals

The Cow-Faced Juniors 2 v 3 San Dimas High School (after 1-1 draw)
Wheel Madrid 2 v 1 Real Muppets

Quarter-finals

Cheese Makers 1 v 5 San Dimas High School
Real Muppets 4 v 2 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
The Fabulous Artisans 2 v 4 The Cow-Faced Juniors
Trusted By Millions 1 v 4 Wheel Madrid

1st Round

Athletico Phoenix 1 v 2 San Dimas High School
Cheese Makers 3 v 0 Claymore Athletic FC
Markian United 3 v 5 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
Mega Buck Bandits 1 v 3 Trusted By Millions
Real Muppets 3 v 0 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum (after 1-1 draw)
The Wateringhole Society 2 v 4 The Fabulous Artisans
Wheel Madrid 2 v 1 Aardvark Abacus
YTFIB 0 v 4 The Cow-Faced Juniors