FA Cup Final - Stanley claim first trophy

Claymore Athletic FC 1

Ronaldo 34

v

Stanley Athletic FC 4

Ward-Prowse 45+4, 54

Andersen [c]

van Dijk [c]

(2 cancelled cleans)

At Wembley, Att: 90,000

Teams

Claymore - Dubravka; Veltman, Saiss, Boly, Zanka; Doucoure, Tielemans, Normann, Dewsbury-Hall; Weghorst, Ronaldo Subs - Darlow; Cash; Da Silva; Pukki

Stanley - Krul; van Dijk, Roberts, Andersen, Jansson; Loftus-Cheek, Ward-Prowse, Havertz, Rashica, Armstrong; Werner Subs - McCarthy; Maguire; Fred; Pedro

Report

There was interesting team news from both Athletics before the start. For Claymore it was Wout Weghorst getting the nod up front over Teemu Pukki while Stanley went with a 4-5-1 and under-fire Harry Maguire could only make the bench.

It was a cagey start to the game with the best chance in the first half-hour falling to Claymore’s Abdoulaye Doucoure who dragged his shot across goal. Eventually it was Clive’s team who made the breakthrough on 34 minutes. Top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo was too strong for his markers at the back post to steer his team in front. (It’s Ronaldo’s second FA Cup final goal, his first coming in 2007 for previous team the Muppets.)

Claymore almost made it to half-time ahead but conceded an injury-time free-kick in ‘James Ward-Prowse’ territory. The Stanley midfielder shot low rather than his usual top corner attempts and it went in off the post to send the teams in level. Ward-Prowse almost moved to Claymore a couple of years ago as part of a swap deal for Sergio Aguero and he again showed what Clive had missed out on nine minutes after the break.

This time it was a goal from open play. A short pass was rolled into Ward-Prowse’s path and he smashed in from the edge of the D. Both teams restricted the goalmouth action after this and it was left to Stanley’s Joachim Andersen and influential captain Virgil van Dijk to finish the scoring with clean sheets leaving Aaron needing to build a trophy cabinet at Girdlestone Park.

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How they got there:

Semi-finals:

Cheese Makers 0 v 4 Claymore Athletic FC

The Wateringhole Society 0 v 2 Stanley Athletic FC (after 3-3 draw)

Quarter-finals:

Cheese Makers 2 v 0 Wheel Madrid

Claymore Athletic FC 2 v 0 Markian United

Real Muppets 1 v Stanley Athletic FC 4 (after 4-4 draw)

The Wateringhole Society 5 v 0 The Cow-Faced Juniors

First Round:

Aardvark Abacus 0 v 3 The Wateringhole Society

Cheese Makers 3 v 0 San Dimas High School

Claymore Athletic FC 5 v 3 The Fabulous Artisans 

Markian United 4 v 2 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

The Cow-Faced Juniors 3 v 0 Mega Buck Bandits 

Trusted by Millions 2 v 3 Stanley Athletic FC

Wheel Madrid 4 v 1 Fred West Landscape Gdg XI

YTFIB 1 v 4 Real Muppets