Dagenham Park Rangers 1

Grays Athletic 5

Essex Rosser Under 15s Cup Final

FOOTBALL: Grays Athletic came from behind to record a fine 5-1 victory over Dagenham Park Rangers to lift the Essex Rosser Under 15s cup for the second time in four seasons.

Tommy Lyons handed Rangers a 15th-minute lead, but a leveller inside three minutes from skipper Freddie Burnell proved the perfect catalyst for Grays as a fine brace from Henry Faber, and further strikes from Alfie Bruno and Charlie Nolan, secured the silverware.

“We knew Dagenham would be a good side, but we responded well to going behind,” said Grays boss Jon Burrell after the game at Bowers & Pitsea’s ground. “We’re in a strong league, though, and we’re used to playing good teams. I’m really pleased for the boys and we played well and scored some good goals. They really deserve this!”

Rangers’ lead arrived on the quarter-hour as Chris Coveney’s free kick was spilled by goalkeeper Charlie Holmes, but Lyons reacted sharply to fire home the loose ball. However, Grays’ immediate response was crucial and also arrived from a dead ball when Harvey Brown’s set-price was bundled in by Burrell at the far post.

George Green’s dipping shot came inches from handing Grays a lead, but it arrived two minutes before the break through Bruno. His fine, 20-yard free kick found the bottom left-hand corner. Within five minutes of the restart, Grays had grabbed the initiative with a third thanks to Faber, who hammered a brilliant 25-yarder into the top corner.

Firmly in the driving seat, a flowing Grays move resulted in Charlie Kerswell and Bruno combining and the latter was just denied by an important block before a fourth arrived on 56 minutes. Green’s long-range effort was parried by ‘keeper Kieran Miller, but only as far as Nolan who finished with aplomb. The win was wrapped up a minute before time as Faber added his second with another speculative effort which Miller was just unable to keep out.

Dagenham Park Rangers: Kieran Miller, Humzah Sheikh, Daniel Parish, Tommy Lyons, Chris Coveney, Ehijele Mohammed, Samuel Cahill, Tremayne Sobers, Nathan Capaloff-Harris, Ali Ahmadi, Michael Turner. Substitutes (repeated): Che Thomas, Soloman Asomah, Jordan Adesanyo, Matthew Stedman, Godfrey Kambaza.

Grays Athletic: Charlie Holmes, Harvey Brown, Charlie Webb, Kasey Cummings, George Green, Freddie Burrell, Henry Faber, Charlie Kerswell, Harry Callagher, Brandon Byrne, Charlie Nolan. Substitutes (repeated): Oakley Clarke, Alfie Bruno.