Blackburn Combination Eddleston Cup final

Euro Garages 2 Worth Avenue 1

PROMOTION and a cup - it hasn’t been a bad first season for Euro Garages.

The Combination new boys certainly had a campaign to remember, sealing a place in the top flight and lifting the Eddleston Cup.

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Euro went in as favourites and lived up to the billing, leading 2-0 at the break thanks to a wonder strike by Zain Patel and a Justin Chapel own goal.

But Worth showed they weren’t there just for a cup final outing and had the otherwise excellent Kevin Brown shown more composure in front off goal, it could have been a different outcome.

But the truth was that Worth Avenue made a fight of it while Euro Garages made hard work of it.

They failed to convert a string of chances to kill off the match and Worth were given a glimmer of hope when Greg Lawrenson pulled one back deep in to added on time.

Euro had eye catching performances across the team; from the showboating centre back Imran Valli Adam and tricky widemen Patel and Nasif Ahmed.

But it was captain Amin Patel who stood out, patrolling the centre circle and distributing the ball with minimum fuss but maximum impact.

The first clear cut chance of the match fell to Worth when Brown latched on to a Reece Davis flick-on but dragged his shot across.

At the other end, Worth keeper Michael Horsfield got away with spilling two shots - one from Yaqoon Hafeejee, the other Ahmed.

But Euro did finally find the mark and it was a bit special. Amin Patel found Zane Patel who cut back inside and curled a wonderful effort in to the top corner.

Horsfield then did well to hold on to a long range effort from Innamul Korolia.

A second goal arrived soon after when Ahmed crossed from the left and Chapel bundled the ball in to his own net. Amin Patel had Horsfield scurrying across his goal, diving full length to turn away his fierce drive.

But while Worth were up against it, they showed they were still an attacking threat and hard working captain Aaron Evans found Brown in the area who cleverly cut back inside but again fired across goal.

Worth got more in to the game in the second half and Martin Hodgkiss headed over after Brown had nodded Chris Hayes deep free kick back across goal.

But it took a timely interception from Ian Parkinson to deny Euro a third when he poked clear after Ahemd tried to square the ball to Zain Patel.

At the other end, Evans tried his luck from range when his first time volley was well saved by Ohmar Mahmood in the Euro goal.

With Hodgkiss and Evans getting more and more involved, Worth gave it a go in the closing stages. Kevin Brown fired wide then Andrew Brown headed over a Hayes corner.

Zain Patel then somehow managed to fire over from close range before Lawrenson smart finish gave Worth faint hope.

But despite a speculative effort from Hayes in to arms of Mahmood, Euro saw out the remainder of the match to clinch victory.