Cup winners: Coalition Crusaders celebrate with manager Turk Mustafa (far right), Keepers Vasile Pastrav and Matthew Summers (inset left)

Published: 20 March 2014
by STEVE BARNETT

GOALKEEPERS Vasile Pastrav and Matthew Summers covered themselves in glory at the weekend as the final of the prestigious Camden Sunday League Challenge Cup, which we proudly sponsor, was settled on penalties.

After 120 minutes of tactical jousting and last-ditch tackles the titanic tie between reigning division one champions Cobden Athletic and second division winners Coalition Crusaders came down to who could hold their nerve from 12 yards.

It looked like Cobden were spot on for success when Summers saved the first two penalties to hand his side a 2-0 lead.

But Pastrav ignited a remarkable turnaround as he matched the two saves to tie the score at 3-3 and send the shoot-out into sudden death.

It was fast becoming the showdown of the shot-stoppers as both goalkeepers again pulled off magnificent saves.

Winger Charlie Ryan then fired the Crusaders into a 4-3 lead, giving Pastrav the chance to win his team the cup. The 38-year-old didn’t disappoint as he showed cat-like reflexes to save his fourth penalty and spark scenes of wild celebrations.

Pastrav was hailed as a hero at the end of the game alongside team-mate Masih Faqiri, who was voted player-of-the-match after covering “every blade of grass” for the Crusaders’ cause.

Manager Turk Mustafa has now seen his side lose just one game since joining the league at the start of last season. It came almost a year ago when they were narrowly beaten 3-2 in the final of the Challenge Cup – a defeat that the double-winners have now well and truly put behind them.

“I’m elated for the boys,” Turk said. “We outplayed Cobden and fully deserved our win.

“On paper Cobden are a strong team and should have beaten us, but we changed our system and played a more defensive game. Tactics won it for us on the day.

“The boys did everything I asked of them,” Turk added. “The only thing missing from our performance was a goal.”

Cobden coach Dave Willis, who is hoping to see his boys win the league title for a third year in a row this Sunday, admitted that the better team won – pointing the finger firmly at himself for the defeat.

“I think we set up wrongly. We were way too defensive for long periods and I put the blame for that on my shoulders.

“In open play the Crusaders keeper didn’t have to make a save. Should I have been more attacking and made different substitutions? I guess yes.”