AFC Colchester 4-4 Chelmer Wanderers (after extra time, 3-4 on penalties)

A STUNNING fightback earned Chelmer Wanderers their first Essex Sunday Junior Trophy silverware after coming from 4-1 behind to beat AFC Colchester on penalties.

Colin Anderson’s hat-trick was the catalyst for Chelmer’s come back, completing his trio with two inside the last five minutes to take the tie to extra time before notching one of his side’s spot kicks in the shootout.

The Pope & Smith Chelmsford Sunday League side certainly did it the hard way against their opponents from the Colchester & District Sunday League, with AFC Colchester racing into a 3-0 lead inside 25 minutes. Colchester were ahead on 7 minutes as Wayne Brown fired in a right-flank cross from close range.

The lead was doubled on 19 minutes when Mark Hill’s fine 25-yard drive bent inside the far post before a third was added within four minutes as Richard Ekins swept home Jake Bethell’s cut-back.

Chelmer threw themselves a lifeline on the stroke of half time when Anderson beat Tokely to a ball over the top and managed to poke home to reduce the deficit.

Within ten minutes of the restart, though, Colchester restored their three-goal lead, Liam Close nodding home Bruce Poole’s corner before a scramble in the six-yard box saw Ben Chandler fire home a loose ball from a few yards. Anderson’s superb contribution enabled him to rescue the tie with strikes on 85 and 89 minutes and take the game into an extra period.

A quiet 30 minutes of extra-time meant a shootout duly ensued. Chelmer keeper Lunn saved Colchester’s second kick from Ben Murphy and Wanderers scored each of their first four penalties. So, when Colchester’s Jacob Halls fired his team’s fifth kick high, Wanderers were able to celebrate a dramatic win.