NICK Edge’s Puss in Boots team finished the season on a high, picking up their third trophy of the season and confirming their status as the strongest team in the ECL for the second year in a row.
The game itself, against arch rivals Boarhound, was over as a contest by half-time as the Puss powered into a five-goal lead by the break. But remarkably within the space of nine second-half minutes, Boarhound had pulled three goals back and had spectators wondering whether they were about to pull off the most amazing comeback in ECL history.
On 11 minutes Puss took the lead as Simon Band’s shot squirmed under the body of the unfortunate Andy Kellar.
Lee McIntyre made it 2-0 three minutes later with a delicate chip, before the turning point came midway through the half as the Puss scored two goals in two minutes to give themselves a four-goal advantage.
Simon Ainsworth made it 3-0, latching onto a quickly-taken free-kick from Ryan Stewart to sprint clear, and barely a minute later McIntyre dis-possessed a Boarhound defender and stroked the ball into the net.
Five minutes before the break Emlyn Hughes was adjudged to have been fouled in the penalty area and referee David Friedlander pointed to the spot.
McIntyre took over the penalty-taking duties and smashed the ball home to complete his hat-trick.
Maurice Sutton made changes at half time to try and stem the tide, with Ryan Fitter and Craig Hulme coming on to give Boarhound a much needed lift.
It seemed to work and despite Simon Band scoring a sixth goal, Boarhound amazingly began to stifle the Puss and create chances themselves.
Just after the hour mark Boarhound scored three times without reply and a shell-shocked Puss team only had themselves to blame.
Ian Potts chipped in to make it 6-1 and then Andy Foote and a rare headed goal from Wayne Shuflebotham made it 6-3.
It gave them a glimmer of hope, but still a mountain to climb, and when Simon Ainsworth tapped home to make it 7-3, it really was game over.
