CAMBERLEY TN 1, FARNHAM TN 3

FARNHAM Town played probably their best 45 minutes of football this season to blow Camberley away in the first half of the Combined Counties Premier Challenge Cup final.

The Krooners started favourites to retain the cup, having narrowly missed out on promotion and enjoyed an excellent run in the FA Vase.

But Farnham were outstanding on the pristine surface at Windsor FC’s Stag Meadow ground and Camberley just couldn’t handle their attacking flair. The Town supporters were in dreamland as their side stormed into a 3-0 lead at the interval.

Camberley were more of a force in the second half and pulled one back to revive their hopes, but Farnham were never going to surrender their advantage and duly lifted the trophy they last won 20 years ago when a side managed jointly by Peter Browning and John Cassidy defeated Netherne 3-1 in the 1996 final.

Tanner was able to field a particularly strong side and Farnham’s dominance in defence and midfield, with skipper Darren Wilson leading from the front, gave their attackers full licence to run the Krooners ragged.

Elliott Cardona and Jack Dillon raided down the flanks to great effect, while the potent central duo of Mark Corbett, the beach football international, and Matt Glass, the UK Armed Forces striker, delivered the goals that killed off their opponents.

On 15 minutes, Camberley should have cleared a corner, but a ricochet gave Glass all the space he needed to beat Craig Bradshaw with a low right-foot shot and put Farnham in front.

Town’s determination to take an early grip on the game was summed up by a vital tackle from Ben Williams when Camberley mustered their first serious attack.

Meanwhile, Camberley’s slack defending was driving Bradshaw to foul-mouthed fury. The big keeper saved at Wilson’s feet after an incisive pass from Max Meaton and then saw an unmarked Jon Lancashire head over from a Corbett corner.

A frantic period of play around the half-hour mark effectively decided the destiny of the cup.

Cardona’s spectacular 30-yard volley forced a sprawling save from Bradshaw. Then Meaton’s astute crossfield ball sent Corbett clear, but he went for power rather than placement and again Bradshaw saved.

Camberley were at last stirred into life and a ferocious shot from Jamie Hoppitt was miraculously knocked up by Matt Petts who managed to catch the ball under severe pressure. The skilful Perry Coles then tricked his way into space before blasting a shot that was parried by Petts at the expense of a corner.

When Corbett and Glass set up a clear chance for Tom Smith, who lifted the ball high over the crossbar, Farnham seemed to be inviting Camberley back into the game.

But they got the crucial second goal in the 38th minute. Petts launched a long clearance downfield, Glass challenged hard and the ball fell loose for the lurking Corbett to bury a first-time shot from just inside the area.

Not content with a 2-0 lead, Farnham followed up with the best goal of the game five minutes later.

Dillon’s neat pass released Glass on the right edge of the penalty area and the stocky striker, quite deliberately, lifted the ball over a backpedalling Bradshaw who could only palm it into the roof of net.

Not surprisingly, Farnham never reached the same heights in the second half and a more committed Camberley pressured their opponents with long balls and prodigiously long throw-ins from centre-back Chris Ellis.

But Petts’ handling was superb and bookings for Ellis and Carl Garstang was a mark of the Krooners’ growing frustration.

However, Farnham’s tendency to lose concentration has cost them points this season and it happened again when they squandered possession and Dale Webb swept a long ball forward for ex-Town skipper Matt Bunyan to score with a towering header inside the far post.

It left Camberley 25 minutes to save themselves and although Cardona had a goal disallowed for offside, Farnham had to rely on Petts’ sharp reflexes and the solid, unflappable play of centre-backs Williams and Lee Marker to keep it at 3-1.

Farnham could have finished it off on a counter-attack – Glass thwarted by another brave Bradshaw stop – while Petts raced off his line to charge down a shot from the ever-dangerous Coles.

But Farnham so nearly finished the game in style as Glass and Corbett, with rapier-like passing, delivered the ball to substitute Luke Whiddett who was only denied a goal by Bradshaw’s outstretched foot.

Champagne then sprayed merrily as Farnham celebrated a victory that ended a barren spell for the the club and was richly deserved by the players and the long-serving partnership of manager Paul Tanner and coach Sean Birchnall.

Camberley: Bradshaw, Webb, Garstang (Wareham 88), Sowden, Ellis, Ford (Humphrey 46), Hoppitt, Bunyan, Coles, Dormer, Cousins (Kelsey 73). Sub (not used): Greenwood.

Farnham: Petts, Meaton, Smith, Marker, Williams, Wilson, Dillon, Lancashire (Thomas 82), Cardona (Whiddett 89), Glass, Corbett. Subs (not used): Macallum, Spiers, Staines.

Referee: Mike Smith.

* The cup and medals were presented by Chris Conlon, chairman of the Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League.

* Dan Turkington’s Camberley were hoping for swift revenge on Wednesday this week when Camberley and Farnhamwere due to meet in a re-match – this time in the Aldershot FA Senior Cup final.