St John's win Cuppers final

St John's Football Team have secured the Cuppers trophy after a decisive victory against Pembroke College in the final on Friday.

St John’s were crowned Cuppers champions for the ninth time at Grange Road on Friday night, after defeating Pembroke College 3-1 in extra time.

After a close start, in wintry wind and rain, Pembroke took the lead but St John’s managed to even the score just before half time. Refined tactical play allowed centre forward Charlie Selway to get into just the right position to shoot past Pembroke’s star goalkeeper, Josh Banthorpe, who also plays as reserve keeper for Cambridge United.

After the half-time break, the match ebbed and flowed with both teams’ keepers making excellent saves. Gradually, St John’s managed to dominate possession, their wide play in particular keeping it beyond Pembroke’s control. A last-minute tackle from Pembroke prevented St John’s from scoring a late winner, and the match went on to extra time.

In the first period of extra time, St John’s consistent pressure took its toll on Pembroke’s defence, and Alex Gaskell scored to take the lead for John’s. In the second period, as Pembroke pressed for an equalizer, St John’s broke through the defence and Gaskell again shot past the keeper to score the decisive final goal.

As the full-time whistle blew, excited Johnians surged onto the pitch to celebrate and hoist the victorious players onto their shoulders. St John’s captain Duncan Drysdale had the honour of lifting the Cuppers trophy, the first time for the College in 11 years.

Final score: St John’s 3 – Pembroke 1