Mickleton Rangers have crowned their season by winning the Cheltenham League Minor Charity Cup, delivering a commanding 4-0 victory against Shurdington Rovers at Kayte Lane on Friday evening.
The Division One champions asserted their dominance early on when Tom Carwardine outmaneuvered his defender from a throw-in and unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box, leaving goalkeeper Kyle Price with only a faint touch as the ball hit the bottom corner.
Despite Shurdington Rovers controlling possession and applying pressure through much of the first half, Mickleton struck again in the 36th minute. Carwardine confidently drove into the box to double his tally and extend the lead to 2-0, defying the run of play.
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Just sixty seconds later, Mickleton made it 3-0. After regaining possession in midfield, Oliver Miller received the ball on the right edge of the box and unleashed a clinical strike beyond Price’s reach. Throughout Shurdington’s dominance in corners and chances, Mickleton’s goalkeeper Tim Wheatcroft stood tall, repeatedly denying goal-scoring opportunities.
After the break, Shurdington intensified their search for a comeback, with Ryan Smith testing the defense from a corner. Yet Mickleton remained dangerous on the counterattack, nearly adding a fourth goal when Harrison Jacobs' shot from a loose ball was comfortably saved.
Finally, the fourth goal arrived in the 73rd minute. A chaotic clearance by Shurdington’s goalkeeper handed the ball to Edward Waller, who set up Miller to skillfully beat his marker and seal a comprehensive victory.
Despite their continued efforts and possession in the closing stages, Shurdington were unable to penetrate Mickleton’s resilient defense or alter the outcome.
Reflecting on the win, two-goal hero Tom Carwardine commented, “Having already won the league, we could just go out and enjoy the match. We were dealing with injuries, and even the bench lads carried knocks, but everyone gave their all to get this over the line.”
On his second goal, he added, “It was similar to a goal I scored away at Shurdington in the league. I trusted myself to cut inside and whip it to the far post, and luckily it hit the post and went in.”
The two teams had faced each other twice during the league campaign, with their most recent draw confirming Mickleton as champions and Shurdington as runners-up.
Looking ahead, Shurdington will face FC Wickhamford in the Senior Charity Cup final at Whaddon Road on Wednesday evening, kick-off at 7 pm.