Hatters defeated by Waders in Beds Senior Cup final

Luton Town suffered a 2-1 defeat against Calor Southern League Premier Division side Biggleswade Town in the Bedfordshire Senior Cup final at Kenilworth Road tonight.
Alex Wall heads Town into the lead against BiggleswadeAlex Wall heads Town into the lead against Biggleswade
Alex Wall heads Town into the lead against Biggleswade

Town had led through Alex Wall’s goal just before the break, but brothers Sam and Lee Reed both scored for the Waders in the second period as they retained the trophy.

The hosts picked a youthful side for the clash, although did give starts to Wall, Solomon Taiwo, Alex Lacey, Elliot Justham, Ian Rees and Zane Banton.

Both teams reflected the fact that a trophy was at stake with a lively start that saw goals chalked off at either end.

Biggleswade’s Brett Donnelly had an effort disallowed for a foul on the edge of the area with Banton the unlucky home player.

The deadlock was nearly broken on 21 minutes after a clever through ball by Charlie Smith only for Arel Amu to fire over the bar when well placed.

Solid play by Taiwo in midfield skirmishes led to a Luton presence in the visitors box, before unfortunately a robust but perfectly fair challenge by Brett Longden on centre half Russell Short resulted in a lengthy stoppage.

The defender was eventually stretchered off to sympathetic applause with his right leg in a brace, Joel Mason replacing him.

A perfectly exectuted sliding tackle by Luke Trotman saw Smith then loft a left footed shot goalwards that Brown safely gathered, while Waders’ Donnelly missed a chance on 43 minutes when he blasted well over Elliot Justham’s goal.

The scoring was then opened just before the interval as Wall’s powerful header was adjudged to have crossed the line despite the best efforts of Brown.

On the stroke of half time a rampant Wall fired a snap-shot that Brown was alert to low down.

The early stages of the second period saw Justham act as an auxilliary centre half as he was alert to the danger by twice leaving his box to clear his lines.

The trickery of Sam Reed caught the eye in testing first year scholar Harry Tamplin a number of times climaxing in a low right footed curler that flew past Justham’s far post just after the hour mark.

Biggleswade’s pressure eventually told when Lee Reed’s superb effort from outside the box thudded against Justham’s woodwork before entering the net on 67 minutes.

The brother’s Reed again featured as Sam struck a low shot that took a slight deflection on 73 minutes with Justham claiming it.

Waders were ahead with 13 minutes to go though when a corner from Lee Reed saw a goalmouth scramble in the box before Sam Reed slotted home. as the visitors fully deserved their cup win against a tired looking second half performance from the Hatters.

Hatters: Justham, Trotman, Longden, Tamplin, Lacey, Rees, Amu (Ngwala 80), Taiwo, C Smith, Wall, Banton.

Subs not used: King, Allman, Perry, Tayali.

Waders: Brown, York, Iwediuno, Mawer, Short (Mason 30), Key, Daniel, Smith, Reed, Donnelly, Reed.

Attendance: 345.

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