Icarus FC met Winchmore Hill in the Final of the Middlesex/Essex Cup on Saturday 27th March in London. A confident Icarus squad travelled into London ready to claim the first non-service silverware in decades for the Club.

Nothing was left to chance in the preparation with the Manager, John Hetherington, and his coaching team of Stu Lindsay and Joe Griffin, ensuring that the players fully understood the game plan. Icarus began the game superbly when Parr broke down the right and switched the play to Griffin on the left whose excellent cross was headed in at the near post by skipper Lee Hodgkinson. Icarus built on this and were passing the ball excellently. Parr himself went close when his half-volley was only prevented from hitting the back of the net when it struck an Icarus player on the line.

Next to go close was Scott, who along with Martins-Tonks, was running the midfield. He met a Dan Turner cross with a powerful header which skimmed the cross bar. Again, Icarus failed to grab the vital second goal as Portaluri and Hodgkinson both went close. Portaluri latched onto a superb Rich Pratley through ball and beat the keeper with a low shot, only to see it drift just wide of the left post. Shortly after Hodgkinson had a powerful header turned wide by the talented Winchmore keeper.

At this stage Winchmore had not managed a shot on target, but as the manager reminded the Icarus players, football is a funny old game and the lack of a second goal could be an issue in the second half.

This proved to be the case! Icarus again started brightly but as the half progressed, Winchmore began to get into the game more and more. Icarus had a major let off when the Winchmore forward hit a powerful drive at the goal, only to find the ever present Rich Pratley on the line to clear the ball away. Sadly for Icarus, this proved not to be the end of the action as a Winchmore player hit a wonderful 30 yard shot into the net to equalise with less than 15 minutes remaining.

The momentum now swung to the London side and Icarus were rocked back. It was with some relief that the whistle blew to signal the end of 90 minutes of normal time. Hetherington fired-up the Icarus players, demanding that they step up to the plate in extra-time and bring the trophy home.

Icarus had the better of the first period of extra time, with Turner and the excellent Jim Schofield both going close to giving Icaus the lead for a second time. However, disaster struck within seconds of the start of the final 15 minutes as Winchmore took the lead with a powerful header from a left wing cross. Icarus threw everything forward and now playing 3 at the back, with Schofield pushed forward, there was always the risk that Winchmore would break and score a third. With 4 minutes left that's exactly what happened and it looked to the hundred or so spectators as if the final was over and Winchmore would be the champions.

It was then that the most remarkable 3 minutes of football in recent Icarus history took place. Icarus won a free kick 40 yards out and Griffin drove the ball into the box where Parr headed home to make the score 2-3. Unbelievably in the last seconds Griffin was fouled on the edge of the Winchmore box. He again delivered a superb ball to the far post where once again Parr muscled though everyone to head home. 3-3! Cue wild scenes in the Icarus technical area and the final whistle blew as a devastated Winchmore attempted to re-start the game.

So to a penalty shoot out. Schofield scored first for Icarus and it was level pegging when Icarus' Summerville slotted the second. Hodgkinson made it 3-2 before Winchmore missed their third. Martins-Tonks stepped forward to give Icarus the advantage at 4-2. Winchmore now had to score to stay in the final. The penalty was hit low to Icarus 'keeper Steve Taylor's right. Taylor dived full length, pushing the ball onto the post and winning the cup for Icarus. The whole squad dived on the keeper who cried tears of joy.

So skipper Lee Hodgkinson lifted the Cup for Icarus in the most extraordinary circumstances; it had been a fantastic effort from the whole Club to get to the final and the players did not let down decades of Icarus tradition as they came back from the dead to win.

Icarus Squad:

Flt Lt S Taylor, Sqn Ldr J Parr, Wg Cdr R Pratley, Flt Lt J Schofield, Flt Lt R Lowe, Flt Lt J Griffin, Flt Lt D Scott, Flt Lt A Martin-Tonks, Flt Lt L Hodgkinson, Flt Lt G Portaluri, OC D Turner, Flt Lt G Shutie, Fg Off A Harris, Fg Off T Summerville, Flt Lt D Lowes, OC B Fisher, Flt Lt J Hetherington

Taylor saves the penalty to win the cup.
(picture courtesy of Winchmore Hill FC)