Attleborough Tn 1, Bungay Tn 4

The Black Dogs turned in one of their best performances of the season on Saturday to book their place in the final of the Anglian Combination Junior KO Cup for the third successive season.

Now, as holders of the Cyril Ballyn Cup, they will meet Wells in the final on April 22.

Attleborough are one of Bungay’s main rivals for promotion from Anglian Combination Division Two, but a splendid all-round team performance saw them win in confident style, with two goals in each half. They battled well, defended well, closed down in midfield and played good football throughout.

In the fifth minute a good move ended with Kevin Riches forcing the home keeper to turn his shot over the bar, and from the corner Craig Hunting’s back-heel was claimed on the line by the keeper.

At the other end Rob Howes gathered a deflected shot low down. The home side had as much of the ball as Bungay, but the visitors did more with it, and deservedly took the lead in the 26th minute as Shaun Whiteman stole in to head powerfully home from John Riches corner. It was the defender’s 10th goal of the season, and his fourth in three games.

Generally the Bungay defence gave the home side no sight of the goal, and in the 42nd minute they went 2-0 up as Hunting’s free-kick was headed on and Aiden Lowe beat the keeper for his 16th of the season.

The pattern continued after the interval, with a lot of the action in midfield. Riches put in a surging solo run but his final shot was off target. Dom Mirner was brought down on the edge of the area in the 56th minute and his free-kick narrowly missed the far post. But two minutes later he got in a cross to the near post, where Danny Wilby flicked the ball home via a defender to make it 3-0.

Howes did well to clear a low cross under pressure, but Attleborough continued to be frustrated by Bungay’s well organised defence.

Howes made a fine diving save to keep out a low free-kick, the hosts’ first really dangerous strike on goal.

But Bungay got a fourth in the 80th minute as good work by Wilby set up substitute Matt Holmes to chip a fine shot into the top far corner from the edge of the area.

The home side finally got a consolation in the 87th minute.

It was a fine afternoon for the Black Dogs, but when they return to Attleborough later this month for a more important league game they will need to repeat it.

Tomorrow Bungay entertain Mundford in a league game (2pm).

Beccles were 10-1 winners over Horsford in Anglian Combination Division One. The goals came from Joe Clark (four), Alan Remblance (four), Neil Hurren and Jason Clarke.