WINDOW-FITTER Christopher Winn is planning for a big FA Carlsberg Sunday Cup final day out after Sunderland’s Humbledon Plains Farm smashed their way through a dramatic semi-final.
Winn was the extra-time hero at Hartlepool’s Victoria Park last Sunday when the Sunderland Sunday League side completed the victory against a resilient Hundred Acre from Birmingham.
The striker scored a goal in each extra period to complete the 4-2 win over the Festival League team, who incredibly forced the game beyond the 90 minutes with two late goals.
Plains Farm will play reigning champions Oyster Martyrs on April 27 and history suggests it will be played at a big venue like Anfield or Villa Park.
Winn said: “I am on top of the world. I really am. It feels amazing to have scored the two late goals. I had to be at work at 6.30am the following morning, so the celebrations had to be timid. But it’s something we will never forget.”
Plains Farm took the lead from the penalty spot when captain Michael Coghlan converted in the 21st minute. Winn earned the spot-kick when defender Joe Lyng tripped him.
The second arrived four minutes later when Mark Davison chested down a cross in to the area before firing high in to the net.
Plains Farm defended throughout but two fine goals in three minutes late on from substitute David Franklin and Richard Gregory leveled things up. The second was an incredible David Beckham-like lob from the half-way line.
Yet Plains Farm regrouped and Winn hit the extra-time. Winn, who also plays for Washington, said: “To play at Victoria Park in a semi-final was special but to play in the final somewhere else at an even bigger venue will be great, it'll be unbelievable.
“Everyone normally thinks of a Sunday League footballer as someone who gets up drunk on a Sunday morning to play football. It's nice to take it seriously sometimes. Then you get your rewards like we have, it's great.”
Sunderland team Hetton Lyons were the last North-East team to win the competition in 2011.
Plains Farm boss Steven Hutchinson said: “We have won this competition once before in the 1980s. The club didn't enter the competition for a long time, but then after winning the county cup a few years on the spin we realised we had a good team so we thought we would go for it. This is our third year since reentering it.
“We are in the final now and we will take it like any other. We will be focused on doing it again – I just hope it doesn't go to extra-time again! We do fancy ourselves, we have a good squad, a good side, so we are looking forward to the final.”
Humbledon Plains Farm (4-4-2): Atkinson; Marshall (Kane 90), Wardle, Croft, McGuiness; Fairley, Johnson, Coghlan, Davis; Davison (O'Neill 77), Winn. Subs (not used): Shields, Fryatt, Rookes.
Hundred Acre (4-2-3-1): Gwilliam; Gonzales, Lyng (Lowe 51), Jackson, Male; Stuart, Woakes; Agbonlahor, Gregory, Hughes (Capaldi 70); Ward (Franklin 63). Subs (not used): Rencher, Bushell.
Referee: Michael Salisbury
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