PETER MORRISON TROPHY ROUND TWO

HAROLDEANS 2 HENDON UNITED SPORTS 1

Hendon started the much better side in Liverpool, pressing forward early on in the game and had several chances. Their pressure eventually told after 17 minutes when a corner was cleared by the Haroldeans defence only to drop to Avi Korman just outside the 18 yard box who struck the ball into the top corner to put Hendon in front.

Not long after the restart, Hendon captain Ari Last limped off injured, which seemed to wake Haroldeans up and they started to play better football and created the better chances. The equaliser came just before half-time from a corner which leading marksman Shiffman headed home to make it 1-1 at the break.  

Both teams fought hard in the second half to get the all-important next goal. It was starting to look very much like extra-time and penalties, until Shiffman got his and Haroldeans’ second goal with 15 minutes to go, slotting home after a goal-mouth scramble to make it 2-1. 

Haroldeans held on as Hendon pressed for the equaliser and put pressure on the Haroldeans defence. With just two minutes of normal time left Jared Clein in the Haroldeans goal made a superb save from point blank-range to just about secure the win for the last season's losing finalists.

Haroldeans chairman and assistant-manager Fraser Saville told JC Sport “This was a fantastic victory for us beating one of the favourite sides in the tournament and just goes to prove that reaching last year's final was not a fluke.

"Haroldeans have established themselves as one of the top sides in Jewish football.”

Hendon boss Jordan Sapler admitted his team failed to recover from the loss of Ari Last. “We went to Liverpool with 12 men, and were down to 11 after 20 minutes with Ari Last hurting his knee and having to come off. We never really recovered from that," Sapler told JC Sport.

"We had a great chance to level in the 90th minute but couldn’t convert."

Sapler bemoaned the condition of the pitch in Liverpool, and said: "It’s such a shame that we travel all that way and were met with a school pitch with track marks and grooves all over it.

"Although it was the same for both teams, it was a real leveller and a game that we should’ve won turned into one where we never got going nor did ourselves justice.

"We just want to thank Haroldeans for their hospitality, putting on a spread for us after the game.”