We are now getting to the business end of the season and the various cup competitions are well into their latter stages. Whilst the Reserve XI's league form has been patchy a run of cup victories had earned them a semi final at home to Old Suttonians. Reserve XI manager Chris Kane was able to field a strong eleven with important players coming back from injury so the sense of anticipation was at a peak as the kick off time approached, with the early kick off on the 3G the players had the best of the sunshine but the strong and gusting wind was blowing diagonally across the pitch and would prove challenging for both teams.

The early exchanges suggested that there was not much between the teams so it was all going to be about finding something special on the day. The opposition were proving to be susceptible to a rapid break but the best we could muster in the early minutes was to keep them under pressure and a few speculative long pot shots, one of these by Andrew Robson forced a deflected save from the keeper to earn a corner. A near post glancing header from Mike Morgan was cleared off the line but Denislav Petrov was in the right place at the right time to force panic and eventually an Old Suttonians defender to put through his own net from close range. First blood was a vital step, only quarter of an hour gone, the next fifteen were similar as Old Parmiterians kept the ball moving to probe the visitors' defences. Suttonians found their efforts to break out snuffed out and when they did manage to begin to their midfield failed there to support them, leaving Davis Boeteng in goal with little to do but pick up a couple of crosses which might have been dangerous if there were players in the box to meet them.

The Reserve XI, on the other hand had Alfie Payne Warner and Morgan working hard to put pressure on the back line, with a supporting cast of Petrov, Robson and Simon Rojas looking to exploit any weakness. We might indeed have extended our lead as a couple of moments might have led to another goal, unfortunately the next goal action was from the visitors. A break down the right following their best spell of play saw their best move find their man at the far post to finish on 37 minutes, moments later it might have been two were it not for a scuffed shot that went over the bar. There really wasn't very much between the teams so it was up to Kane to find a way of unlocking the win.

His choice was a double substitution at half-time, bringing on Daniel Muela and Charles Kibuuka both very skilful and fast with superb ball carrying and close control skills. Whilst they took a little time to adjust to the tempo the visitors created their best chance of the game but somehow, their man managed to spurn the opportunity by scuffing it over when it seemed easier to score from two or three yards out. At the other end we started to get more possession and time to play, constantly probing we came close a few times, with Robson's effort from inside the box superbly saved at close range. On another occasion about four attempts on goal were tried in ten seconds or so, almost pinball, but dogged defending prevented any shots on goal.

It took until the 70th minute to actually crack the defence when Kibuuka's run into the box saw the ball brake to Robson on the left of the box and his cross-come-shot was met by Payne Warner to tuck it away from close range. Having got the advantage back it was important to a) not throw it away and b) try to seal the deal if at all possible. This duly came about ten minutes later when some good give and go between Kibuuka and Muela on the left, gave the latter a shot at goal from the unlikeliest of angles, but in it went though curling over the keeper and into the far top corner and at 3-1 we at last had a slight cushion. That didn't last for long though, as one minute from time Suttonians hit back with a fine glancing header as the attacker got in front of his marker. With only a few minutes to go the nervous tension was ramped up a notch but the back line of skipper Chris McKinlay, Bradley Bowers, Kane and Ryan Allison with Atiba Jackson marshalling the midfield in front of them got us over the line. Everyone played their part well and the outcome was very satisfactory, just the final in March to look forward to now. Bring it on!