WOKINGHAM & Emmbrook Reserves upset the odds to beat Oxford City Nomads Development 1-0 in the final of the Hellenic League’s Presidents Cup at Henley on Tuesday, writes Dave Wright.

While they finished second bottom of Division Two East after scoring just 35 goals in 18 games, the Nomads remained unbeaten in 22 games as they won the Division Two West title by 16 points, netting 100 goals in the process with 36 of them coming from Rasho Dawood.

But, as they say, cup ties are one-off affairs, and this was another encounter that did not keep to the script.

On another night the Nomads would probably have won. Their youngsters moved the ball around well and they created numerous scoring chances, good ones at that, but Sumas are a team certainly not lacking in guts and enthusiasm.

They also kept their shape well and did not make things easy for their opponents whose last defeat had come in a county cup competition a fortnight before Christmas.

The Wokingham defence, which had conceded 10 goals to Sandhurst two weeks ago, had to withstand considerable pressure in the opening half and were relieved to see Dawood and Jordy Ngathe squandering golden opportunities to put Nomads ahead.

Sumas did not create a noteworthy chance until three minutes before half-time when Darren Thorne produced a shot on the turn that flew just over the bar.

Clive McNelly’s men went straight back on the offensive at the start of the second half and Craig Haylett was not far away after combining well with James Payne.

And 10 minutes into the half they scored their golden goal.

Nomads keeper Juan Leiva was forced to race to the edge of his area to head the ball clear, but it only travelled as far as Payne, who coolly lobbed it back over the stranded Leiva into an empty net.

The goal gave Sumas a tremendous boost and they raised their game even more.

The Division Two West champions threw everything at them with Ngathe hitting the post and Dawood not far away with a header.

But it wasn’t one-way traffic and Sumas nearly doubled their lead from a swift counter-attack with Haylett racing clear of the Nomads defence before striking the post.

Wokingham continued to frustrate their opponents with keeper Kyle Lennon always looking confident between the posts.

Sumas held on to finish an otherwise disappointing season with a winner’s medal in what was McNelly’s final game with the reserves before stepping up to manage the first team.

“I could not be more proud of my team tonight,” he said.

While Wokingham have happy memories of the Triangle Ground, the same cannot be said for local rivals Bracknell Town.

The Robins were surprisingly beaten 1-0 there by Division One East side Henley in the quarter-finals of the Reading Senior Cup last Saturday.

They had much the better of the game and missed a whole host of chances before Richard Bennett grabbed a shock winner in the second minute of stoppage time to earn a semi-final date with Thames Valley League Division One champions Westwood United at Scours Lane on Wednesday, May 11.

Extra-time goals from David Pitt and Joe Grant gave Ascot United victory in the Perpetua Press Floodlit Cup final following a 2-0 win against Brimscombe & Thrupp at Kidlington FC last Thursday.