BRACKNELL Town retained the Hellenic League’s Bluefin Sport Cup thanks to having an extra leg – or that should be a Legg to be precise, writes Dave Wright.

With an hour gone and the final level at 1-1, shrewd coach Geoff Warner made a decision that was to change the game.

Elliott Legg, who normally plays at right-back, was sent on and within two minutes of the substitution being made, he set up the second goal for Adam Cornell and then scored himself in the final few minutes to seal a 3-1 win over Thatcham Town at Windsor on Monday.

The youngster was unlucky not to have been in the starting line-up as he was an able deputy while skipper Dave Hancock was on holiday recently.

The win is some compensation for the Robins, who had been pipped for the title by Thatcham.

Both now promoted to Step 4, this was their final appearance under the Hellenic League banner – although the Kingfishers do have the FA Vase to look forward to at Wembley on May 20 – and they served up a thoroughly entertaining tie for a crowd of more than 450 on a sweltering Bank Holiday afternoon at Stag Meadow.

Although Cornell missed an early chance for Bracknell, it was Thatcham who created the better chances in the first half with Jordan Brown’s inswinging corner hitting the crossbar, Shane Cooper-Clark’s free-kick being beaten out by keeper Chris Grace and Bab Jarra crashing a shot just wide from 25 yards.

But it was Bracknell who grabbed the lead five minutes before half time.

Maloney and Jamie McClurg combined down their right and midfielder Withers, coming in from the left, met McClurg’s cross perfectly to head home from close range. Soon afterwards, Joe Gater missed an opportunity to double his side’s lead.

Early in the second half, there were chances at both ends before the league champions equalised in the 51st minute. Carl Davies pulled down Elliott Ekow and referee Lisa Benn had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, from where Cooper-Clark blasted home the penalty, although Grace did get a hand to the ball.

Four minutes later Davis committed another foul on Cooper-Clark, this time just outside the area and the Robins player-manager must have been relieved to see Grace push out Cooper-Clark’s free-kick.

Thatcham were looking capable of getting a grip on the game, but then came a substitution that was to change the game.

With an hour gone, Bracknell replaced Legg with Withers, pushing Joe Grant inside with Cornell and Maloney dropping into midfield.

And within two minutes, McClurg found Legg and the youngster’s superb cross was headed home by Cornell to give Bracknell back the lead.

There was a chance for Cooper-Clark to equalise against his former club, but as he was looking to pull the trigger, Davies got back to whip the ball off the toes of the league’s leading scorer.

When the play switched to the other end, Grant saw his effort pushed onto the post by keeper Chris Rackley.

With the Bracknell defence in commanding form and playing the offside trap well, Thatcham started to look a frustrated side as they battled to avoid another defeat at Stag Meadow following their 2-1 loss to Binfield in the Perpetua Press Floodlit Cup final a week earlier.

The Kingfishers used all three substitutes, but none had the same effect as Legg.

And it was he who put the issue beyond doubt, heading home Seb Bowerman’s left-wing cross shortly before the final whistle.

Bracknell striker TJ Bohane missed the final as his wife had just given birth to their first child.