LFA Sunday Trophy, fourth round

Clifton 1

Mill Hill 1

(Clifton win 8-7 on penalties)

CLIFTON booked their place in the fifth round of the LFA Trophy following a dramatic 8-7 penalty shoot-out victory over Blackburn Sunday League rivals Mill Hill.

Josh Knowles was the hero of the hour for Clifton after the young keeper guessed right to keep out Danny Finch's spot kick.

Up until that moment, it appeared no-one would miss as Clifton and Mill Hill players confidently tucked away the previous 14 kicks between them.

As the pressure mounted, the better the kicks became with Knowles or his Mill Hill counterpart Ben Forster hardly getting an hand to a ball let alone saving them.

But in the 15th and final kick, Finch - who had been rock solid in the heart of Mill Hill's defence - was the man to final miss, Knowles diving low to his right to keep out the penalty.

As is always the case, it was a cruel end to what had been a fascinating encounter.

In footballing terms, it was not a classic but for what was at stake, it was was sheer drama.

There is no love lost between the two sides; Mill Hill the dominant force in the Blackburn Sunday League and reigning champions and Clifton, pretenders to the thrown and current Blue and White Rosebowl holders.

The pair had already clashed in the Charity Shield which Mill Hill won 3-1.

But the champions came depleted and lacking several key players and Clifton sensed blood.

They started brightly with captain Roberto Bonaminio setting the tone with a well struck free kick that Forster did well to hold on to.

Clifton laid siege to the Mill Hill goal, forcing a series of corners one of which crashed back off the crossbar before making a deserved breakthrough.

Naturally, it came from a corner where Aaran Davis' superb centre was met by a thumping header from Gary Smith.

It took a goalline block from Clifton old boy Scott Kelly to prevent Mill Hill slipping further behind, in the right place to deny Matt Bagot.

But Mill Hill, who have twice won the LFA Sunday Trophy, began to play their way out of trouble and in to the game.

Carl Mercer drilled in a shot that was deflected wide and from the resulting corner, Ben Singleton saw his shot cleared off the line.

Mercer then fired just wide after cutting in from right while at the other end, Forster held on to a firmly struck free kick from Paul Coote.

After the break, Mill Hill began to crank up the pressure and they were on level terms when Mercer raced on to a through ball cut inside his marker and teed up Matt Hindle to fire home from close range.

Mill Hill were now on top but Clifton could have won it at the death when Charlie Collinge forced a flying save out of Forster who made sure the game when to spot kicks.

Both teams converted their set of five with minimum fuss - Smith, Bonaminio, Collinge, Matt Howarth Jordan Allen cool as you like for Clifton; Mercer, Anthony Harkness, Tyler Hayhurst, Singleton and Mark Taylor likewise for Mill Hill.

On to sudden death and the kicks just got better, Bagot and John Lincoln exchanging well executed penalties, Liam Hoyle and Hindle doing the same.

Davis, whose corner had provided the game's opening goal, showed he was just as clinical from 12 yards to make it 8-7 before finally the sequence was broken, Knowles guessing right to deny Finch.

Clifton: Josh Knowles, Aaron Davis, Ben Hughes, Gaz Smith, Roberto Bonaminio, Clarke Bradford, Liam Hoyle, Graham Perkins, Paul Coote, Matt Bagot, Josh Finn. Subs: Steven Berko, Matt Haworth, Adam Temple, Nathan Davies, Jordan Allen, Charlie Collinge

Mill Hill: Ben Forster, Scott Kelly, Anthony Harkness, Danny Finch, Mark Taylor, Nathan Cross, Tyler Hayhurst, Matt Hindle, Ben Singleton, Carl Mercer, Josh Eastwood. Subs: John Lincoln, Dave Ingham, John Mason.