AFC Stubbington claim first Mid-Solent League silverware with Len Day Cup final win against Carberry

The winger converted a Joe Fields cross with 15 minutes remaining of the Len Day Cup final against Division 2 rivals Carberry at Horndean’s Five Heads Park.

Stubbington only stepped up from the Mid-Solent Youth League into adult football ahead of the pandemic-affected 2020/21 campaign.

But boss Charlie Barley said a handful of the squad have been together since their under-9 days in junior football.

‘I was really pleased for them, they’re a great bunch,’ said Barley. ‘We also finished third in the league (MSL Division 2), which was a good effort. They’ve exceeded my expectations.’

Carberry entered the final having completed a league double over their opponents. But when the sides had last met a few weeks earlier, in the Purcell Cup, Stubbington had handed out a 5-1 beating.

Stubbington needed goalkeeper Max Alderson to keep them level at half-time.

Carberry started the better of the teams after the restart, but Finlay struck after Fields had picked the ball up on the halfway line and surged down the right flank.

He got almost to the goal line before cutting inside and setting up Finlay.

‘We sat back after that, but we held out comfortably,’ reported Barley.

‘We’re a young side, we’re not particularly strong in the air, but in terms of passing and moving, we’re quite good at that.

‘We can be more than a match for the better teams.’

That was recently proved when Stubbington only lost 4-3 to top flight Mob Albion in the semi-finals of the Purcell Cup. Mob surged into a 4-0 lead but Stubbington hit back well to set up a tense finish.