Penalty shootout heartbreak for AFC Sudbury Academy at Doncaster Rovers FC in final of AoC Sport England Colleges FA Under-19 Knockout Cup against Park View Academy

AFC Sudbury Academy players had headed to Doncaster Rovers FC for yesterday's evening kick-off hoping to write their names into the history books by becoming the first side from the club to win a national final.

Craig Power’s team came so desperately close to achieving their aim in the AoC Sport England Colleges FA Under-19 Knockout Cup showpiece against Huddersfield Town-linked Durham-based Park View Academy but in the end it was penalty shootout heartbreak.

Having been 2-0 down after 40 minutes at the Eco-Power Stadium goals from Luke Hipkin and Dylan Kirk either side of the interval drew them level.

A Josh Stokes run and finish then put them 3-2 ahead with 20 minutes to go but a Brad Byrne own goal soon followed to send the final to a dreaded shootout.

Hipkin, Stokes and goalkeeper Josh Blunkell all scored their penalties but Jack Palmer and Jayden Cohen saw theirs saved with Park View celebrating a 4-3 shootout victory to lift the trophy.

With the last two campaigns not reaching conclusions due to Covid-19 curtailments it followed on from Sudbury’s class of 2018 also ending up runners-up in the same competition, having lost 5-0 to Boreham Wood at Walsall’s Banks’s Stadium.

Academy coach Power said: “Our debrief on the pitch afterwards was really positive.

“We thought we were the better side for 80 minutes and they were for 40.

“Real credit to the boys as we lost our last national final 5-0.

“We were really chuffed with the character to dig in after being 2-0 down.”

History is in girls' hands

The girls academy will try to make themselves the first national winners at the club with not one but two national finals now booked.

They were already set to play their England Schools FA Under-18 Super Cup Final at Stoke City FC’s bet 365 Stadium on Thursday, May 12 (11.30pm).

But Darren Goulding’s and Beth Morrell’s students have this afternoon booked their spot in a second national final this season by winning their semi-final tie in the England Colleges FA National League Play-Offs at Hartpury in Gloucestershire via a penalty shootout.

Like the boys last night, they found themselves 2-0 down which is how it remained heading into the interval.

They also came back to 2-2 though and with no further goals following the semi-final went to a penalty shootout which Sudbury won 4-2.