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NORFOLK TROPHY FINAL:
Hotshots v Ash Samba Boyz,
Wednesday 28th October 2009, Kick off: 19:00 CET,
at the Xpert Arena.
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Just a month into the new season and already the first cup final is upon us - and what a game we have potentially in store. After four rounds of knockout football we are left with the two sides currently filling the top two places in the Norfolk League. This is a repeat of the league cup final last season which produced eight goals and the last two fixtures between these sides have seen a total of 15 goals! Hotshots are playing in their second Trophy final having previously triumphed in Season 5 with a 2-1 win over City of Uhra. They have shown signs over the past few months that they are back to their best. Last season they secured promotion straight back to the Norfolk League at the first attempt, were beaten in the semi-finals in the Trophy and were beaten finalists in the league cup. This season they came very close to defeating the Samba Boyz away in their first game, before eventually slipping to a 4-3 defeat. 7 points from their next three matches have seen them go second and become the leading scorers in the division. They are unbeaten against all other opposition in their last 18 games, a run that dates back to August and includes 16 victories. The Samba Boyz are also playing in their second Trophy final having triumphed in a 2-0 win over Smallville FC last season.
Last season they secured the treble by claiming all three major trophies, defeating Hotshots in both cup competitions en route. This season they have gained 10 points from their opening 4 games and have a 3 point lead at the top. They have only been defeated once in their last 44 games and Ross County Reserves are the only side to deny them victory so far this season. ROAD TO THE FINAL-------------------------------------------
HOTSHOTS
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ROUND 1: Dangler Dans............W 3-2 McMahon, Lines, Tsartsas
ROUND 2: Ross County Reserves....W 2-1 Mordillo, Oddish
QUARTER FINAL: Drakey Dazzerlers.D 4-4 Lines, Kewell, McKeever, Haslop (Hotshots won 3-0 on penalties)
SEMI FINAL: Amazingstoke Gooners.W 1-0 Haslop ASH SAMBA BOYZ:
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ROUND 1: Hammersmith City........W 4-0 Reimarmuller, Casillo, Ingleby, Espeseth
ROUND 2: MJH Stars...............W 4-0 Rush (2), Espeseth, Quintino
QUARTER FINAL: Highland Select...W 4-1 Rush (3), Kelly
SEMI FINALS: AFC Trotters........W 2-0 Ingleby, Kelly CURRENT FORM (league & Cup)---------------------------------
Team----------------P-W-L-D-GF-GA-PTS
Hotshots.................6..5..1..0..15....8..16
Ash Samba Boyz.......6..5..1..0..16....3..16 SEQUENCES---------------------------------------------------
Hotshots:
- Have won 16 of their last 20 matches.
- Have only kept 1 clean sheet in their last 15 games.
- Have scored in their last 22 games.
- Have won 6 of their last 8 matches in the Norfolk Trophy.
- Maurice Cooke has scored 7 goals in his last 9 games.
- Ben McKeever has scored 6 goals in his last 6 Trophy games. Ash Samba Boyz:
- Have won 8 of their last 9 matches.
- Have only lost 1 of their last 44 matches.
- Have kept 5 clean sheets in their last 9 games.
- Have won their last 10 games at the xpert Arena.
- Isaac Rush has scored 6 goals in his last 3 games in the Trophy. He has also scored 12 goals in his last 8 games in all competitions. ITS A FACT--------------------------------------------------
- This is the first time Ash Samba Boyz have met opposition form the top flight in a major final.
- In 17 previous meetings these two sides have only ever produced 1 draw.
- Hotshots have conceded 10 goals in their last 5 Norfolk Trophy games, yet have still won 4 of them!
- Hotshots have only been beaten twice in their last 20 games, both by Ash Samba Boyz at the Xpert Arena.
- Hotshots haven't won any of the last 5 matches versus Ash Samba Boyz
- The last 2 games between these two have seen a total of 15 goals.
- Ash Samba Boyz have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 8 matches versus Hotshots.
- Ash Samba Boyz have only conceded 3 or more goals in a game four times since mid January, three of them were against Hotshots. HEAD-TO-HEAD------------------------------------------------
Overall:
Played 17: 6 Hotshots wins, 10 Ash Samba Boyz wins, 1 draws. In the cup:
Played 4: 4 Ash Samba Boyz win. Jakestar v William Young:
Played 17: 6 Jakestar wins, 10 William Young wins, 1 draws. Last Meeting: 03/10/2009 Norfolk League:
ASH SAMBA BOYZ 4 (Rush 47, Kelly 61, Vuoriainen 72, Arai 78 og)
HOTSHOTS 3 (Haslop 31, Cooke 37, Irons 42) TEAM NEWS---------------------------------------------------
Hotshots are sweating over the fitness of key midfielder Mortimer McMahon but Antonio Mordillo does look set to return from injury. Didier Makanaki will have a late fitness test for The Samba Boyz. PLAYERS TO WATCH--------------------------------------------
ISSAC RUSH, Striker Ash Samba Boyz.
The 24-year-old has been on fire recently scoring 12 goals in his last 8 matches including 5 in this seasons cup run. MAURICE COOKE, Midfielder, Hotshots.
Again, not necessarily one of his sides star names but the 23-year-old has already scored 5 goals and earned 4 assists so far this season making himself a valuable member of the tesm. PREVIOUS FINALS---------------------------------------------
Season 10: Ash Samba Boyz 2-0 Smallville FC
Season 9: Toon Army 1-0 AFC Trotters.
Season 8: Dutch Warriors 1-0 Shawfield Reborn.
Season 7: City of Uhra 4-0 Dutch Warriors.
Season 6: City of Uhra 2-1 Wilson F.C.
Season 5: Hotshots 2-1 City of Uhra.
Season 2: Stans Rangers 2-0 City of Uhra. PREDICTION--------------------------------------------------
It's a dangerous prediction to make but given the recent meetings between the two sides goals certainly appear guaranteed. So to does a top class contest with both sides in tremendous form. It will be a difficult contest to call. The Samba Boyz have the slightly better squad but Hotshots are due a victory in this fixture and they will be fired up having come so close in both cup competitions last season.
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