BLACKBURN COMBINATION

Cotton Cup final

Mill Hill Hotel 2

Parrington, King

The Crown 1

Liggat

IT WAS going to take a fluke or something fantastic to beat James Dean Holden and unfortunately for the Crown keeper it was both as Mill Hill Hotel wrapped up the league and cup double.

Harrison Parrington’s first half deflected effort and Marcus King’s wonderful solo goal after the break sealed victory – meaning the Crown keeper’s gallant efforts were all in vain.

It was an intriguing final with champions Mill Hill dominating but Crown, who just missed out on promotion, we’re always a threat on the counter attack.

While Holden stood out in the Crown goal, opposite number Mickey Taylor lived something of a charmed life – both heroic and hapless.

Hampered by an early knock, Taylor spilled one effort then gifted Joey Wilson a clear sight of goal after failing to clear the ball at the edge of the area – but the striker fired wide of the empty net.

Taylor made amends, saving superbly to deny Wilson then made the save of the match, denying Matt O’Leary from point blank range from the resulting corner. However his most important save was the one he knew little about.

With the scores at 1-1 and Crown on top, Taylor misjudged a cross that bounced over his head but when James Whittingham drilled in a fierce volley from the edge of the area, it struck the Mill Hill keeper on his head and away for a corner.

While the two keepers were having contrasting fortunes, King was the standout outfield player. His work rate, in and out of possession, kept Crown on their toes - going close on several occasions and setting up chances for others.

So it was fitting that it was the King who grabbed the winner. With Mill Hill at their most vulnerable, he picked up the ball wide on the left, cut inside two defenders and then superbly beat the otherwise unbeatable Holden with a rising shot in to the top corner.

It was a hammer blow for Crown who sensed an upset after Matthew Liggat had bundled Wilson’s low cross in at the far post.

Immediately before the goal, Wilson headed against the Mill Hill crossbar while soon after, Lewis Roberts fired just wide.

Mill Hill had started the final on the front foot but came up against an inspired Holden. Dean Clarke was first to test him before Parrington and Josh Eastwood were denied by the Crown stopper. But despite being under pressure, Crown had a great chance to go ahead when Taylor failed to deal with a long ball but, with the goal at his mercy, Wilson could not capitalise.

Taylor then did well to palm Kieron Brown’s curling free kick around the post before attentions returned to Mill Hill attacks – Parrington fired over before King missed the target after bursting in to the area. Holden produced another fine save to keep a Tyler Hayhurst free kick out. After Holden’s double save, it appeared the teams would go in to the break goalless but in stoppage time, Parrington drove in to the area and his scuffed effort fooled everyone as it deflected off a Crown defender and through the legs of Holden.

After the break, Holden made three more top saves to deny Clarke, Hayhurst and Parrington.

Crown hung on in there and made the most of their purple patch to equalise. But after Taylor’s most unconventional of saves to keep the scores level, King seized on his moment to net the winner.

There was to be one more piece of action in Taylor’s goalmouth, the Mill Hill stopper misjudging another cross that hit the crossbar before the ball was hooked behind. From the corner, a goalmouth scramble ensued but Taylor and Mill Hill survived and the league and cup double was theirs.