Copland started this game knowing that a single point would guarantee them promotion and also the honour of finishing their first season as champions! However, in order to achieve this, their full squad would have to be utilised as they were missing several players through a combination of injuries, illness and suspension. Given the strength in depth of their squad this should still have been a realistic proposition.

Copland started the brighter with some nice football with one of the key incidents being Melford Simpson with a delightful lob which came off the bar denying Copland the opportunity of taking the lead! Ricci Roberts also had a beautiful run where he beat three players without a clear opportunity for a shot. It seemed to be only a matter of time before one of the opportunities would be taken.

LUFA had a very tricky right winger who posed lots of problems down that wing and it was from his deeply deceptive cross which evaded Nicholas Plummer’s grasp to be volleyed back across the goal to take the lead.  A few minutes later the same player cut in from the wing and laid the ball off to a central midfielder who played a straight ball through the defence for the centre forward to run on to it and calmly finish in the corner. Two nil at half time.

Copland knew they had to step things up and they duly did so! The pressure exerted by Copland began to become more and more obvious as their improved passing began to yield more and more pressure including numerous free-kicks. Robert Osborne was extremely unlucky to see his beautiful free-kick cannon off the bar! Other chances fell to virtually the whole of the attacking front five through a combination of missed headers, volleys and what would normally be considered as relatively simple finishes. It was just one of those days!

Whilst Copland were understandably downbeat on the way home the news that their main rivals had failed to take advantage of this slip up meant that they could not be caught! Champions, with a game to spare and their ground hop fixture against Sloane with a kick off at 11 am at Stonebridge for their final fixture.