UCL Cup Final (A)
Won 2-1
(H/T 0-1)
Moulton FC brought the curtain down on their first season at step 5 with a trip to Stamford to take on Champions of the South Division Nuneaton Town in the UCL Sports Ground Development League Cup Final.

Manager Gary Petts in his 200th game in charge was still without the suspended duo of Damian Osoimoejiokhian and Andy Hall as well as Matty Long who picked up a knee injury in the Semi Final win at Gresley but included the Under 18s top scorer Mo Khan in the squad.

The Magpies kicked off in the Lincolnshire sunshine and could have taken the lead in the first minute, Dan White headed on a long ball from Adam North and Terry Falcini crossed to Nat Ansu, but his shot was blocked and went out for a corner. Nuneaton replied and with their first meaningful attack took the lead, Aaron Brown headed on a long throw and Kyke Jardine had a simple task from 5 yards to find the net.

After riding some early pressure Moulton grew into the game and Falcini and Ansu were combining well and Nuneaton keeper Brandon Bache had to be down quickly to beat away a shot from the Magpies leading scorer, and not long after Dan White won a great defensive header and a quick break saw the duo combine again but the shot was cleared for a corner. As the half went on Moulton looked the more dangerous and Ansu had the ball in the net after 38 minutes but was ruled offside, and soon after the striker lit the afterburners and outstripped the Nuneaton defence, but Falcini’s shot was blocked by the legs of Bache. Just before the break there was a scare for the Magpies when Francis Boateng sliced a clearance up into the air, Jardine pounced but his shot on the turn was cleared off the line by Luke Stevens.

HALF TIME NUNEATON TOWN 1 MOULTON 0

The half time brief from the management was that we were the better side in the last 25 minutes of the half and to keep believing and things will happen.

How true that was with only 3 minutes of the second half gone, Adam Dicks was fouled out on the right touchline and from Lewis Isom’s wicked dipping free kick STEVENS got a glancing header at the near post that flew past the Nuneaton keeper to level the scores.

Moulton were in the ascendancy now and Dan White was only just over with a fierce volley from just outside the box, and on 63 minutes they should have taken the lead.

Mo Khan a half time substitute for Ansu flicked on a ball to Isom who freed Dicks on the right with a clear run on goal, Bache beat away his shot but only to Justin Mensah but his follow up went wide of the target.

As the game entered the last 15 minutes Moulton were the team asking all the questions although Boateng did get in a brilliant headed clearance with Jardine poised behind him. The breakthrough came with 5 minutes of normal time left White turned sharply in midfield and played a ball straight down the middle of the Nuneaton defence and it turned into a 2 v 1 chase between Khan, Isom and defender Brown with ISOM managing to get across the big defender before firing past Bache into the far corner.

Groans from the Magpies supporters greeted the announcement of 8 extra minutes but apart from one routine save by North the game was seen out, and little old Moulton had made more history, with a 5th trophy in 4 seasons, a remarkable achievement

FINAL SCORE NUNEATON TOWN 1 MOULTON 2

TEAM; North, Dicks, Stevens, Boateng, Machakaire, Falcini (Amaning 88), White, Mensah (Aluko 79), Isom, Odley (Kelly 70), Ansu (Khan 46) Sub unused Goodacre.