East Lancs League Reserve Cup final
Mill Hill Res 5 Enfield Reserves 3

MILL Hill senior teams may not have had the most successful of seasons but they showed they have plenty in Reserve.

Trophies and titles may have eluded its Blackburn Sunday League side and first team in the East Lancs League this term but it’s second string have shown it is not all doom and gloom.

And if those senior sides are looking to rebuild then they could do little wrong in drafted in this exciting young group.

Mill Hill played with freedom, flair and little fear - although they were a touch naive as they twice threw away winning positions before grabbing it at the third attempt.

But that was in no small part down to Enfield who more than played their part in an entertaining match and refused to be beaten.

Mill Hill bossed the early proceedings - Nick Hepple dragged a shot across goal before the excellent Tyler Hayhurst fired just wide.

Enfield replied with Matt Martindale heading over.

But it was Mill Hill whose early pressure paid off when Hayhurst threaded a superb ball throughout to Hepple who finished clinically.

And they doubled their lead soon after when Harrison Parrington latched on to a loose ball in the area.

But playing down the slope and with the wind in their favour, Enfield were soon back in the final.

A long punt upfield by keeper Matt Cook caught the Mill Hill defence out and Martindale capitalised to fire home.

Enfield now had their tails up and Martindale curled just wide.

Craig Richardson, Enfield’s best player on the night, burst in to the area and it took a fine covering tackle by Barry Devitt to deny him a clear strike on goal.

With the action now stretched, Nathan Jolly headed over the Enfield bar and Parrington pulled another shot across goal.

But Enfield drew level in their next attack when Luke Graham crossed superbly from the right and the big Tony Roscoe rose to thump home a bullet header.

Graham then broke through two challenges but his shot from inside the area was weak.

Enfield needed keeper Cook to keep them on level terms at the break when Hepple latched on to a through ball from Hayhurst, cut inside his marker but failed to beat the keeper who made a good save.

Despite the increasing poor weather, both sides made light work of it and continued to entertain.

First Mill Hill, Hepple going close before Parrington curled a free kick in to the save hands of Frazer.

Then Enfield, Wes Dunn rising but heading over a corner from Graham.

Mill Hill were beginning to get on top but Enfield centre back Jonny Dakin came to the fore, making countless headed clearances and timely blocks.

And a third Mill Hill goal did arrive but not until Cook produced another wonderful save, diving full length to tip a thunderous effort from Parrington around the post.

But from resulting corner, Hayhurst purposely whipped in a wind assisted corner that curled in at the far post.

However with Richardson running the Enfield engine room there was no way his side were going to throw in the towel.

First he threaded the ball through to substitute Jon Haworth but the big forward lifted his shot over the bar.

But he then surged down the left and drilled in a low cross that Mill Hill sub Liam Doherty could only deflect in to his own goal.

The final appeared to heading for extra time but enter Mill Hill replacement Keiron Burney whose 15 minute cameo included taking a painful knock to the head, scoring his side’s fourth goal and setting up the fifth.

Mill Hill were applying late pressure and Burney rose to head home a Parrington corner at the near post.

There was no chance of a third Enfield comeback and Burney made sure of that, driving in to the area before laying the ball off to Hepple to coolly curl home.