SINGH Sabha reached the final of the High Wycombe Junior Challenge Cup this season after a 3-0 win against Burnham Village on Saturday.
Sabha bounced back from disappointment in the Slough Town Challenge Cup the previous weekend to record an emphatic victory over their East Berkshire League rivals.
It is a second cup final this season for the team having already reached the Maidenhead Norfolkian Senior Cup showpiece for a second consecutive year.
The semi final tie was played at the neutral venue of the artificial surface at the Cox Green Academy in Maidenhead with both home grounds unplayable due to the recent wet weather.
Burnham are a division below Singh Sabha in the East Berkshire League but started the better and came close early on but for some fine goalkeeping from man-of-the-match Andrei Tonca.
Sabha made the breakthrough midway through the first half when winger Hassan Mahmood got in behind the Burnham defence and crossed into the box. His delivery was half-cleared and fell invitingly for Harinder Hunjan to fire into the top corner from the edge of the box.
The higher-league side had the wind behind them in the second period and doubled the advantage 10 minutes after the break. Mubarak Bashir took a quick corner kick and pulled the ball back for Rushid Hamid to rifle home with the help of a deflection off a Burnham defender.
Singh Sabha still had keeper Tonca to thank as he made some vital saves to ensure the clean sheet. He was helped by captain Jagdeep Bhullar who kept the defence well-marshalled throughout the tie.
Sabha sealed their place in the final late on when substitute Munraj Sidhu flicked the ball on for striker Pritpal Raju to score his first goal in five games with a delightful lob over the Burnham keeper.
Singh Sabha will play either Penn & Tylers Green Development or Great Missenden in the final to the cup at Wilks Park – the home of Flackwell Heath Football Club – at a date to be confirmed.
The remainder of the East Berkshire League and outside cup competition programme was postponed due to the recent wet weather.
The pick of the action this Saturday sees Burnham Village make the trip to Deportivo Gailicia Reserves in the semi final to the Slough Town Reserve Cup.
Runaway Premier Division leaders Old Windsor host Bracknell Town Reserves in the quarter final to the Ascot & District Fielden Cup (3pm), while also at the Old Windsor Recreation Ground, the reserves team face Chalvey Sports A in the last eight of the Slough Town Reserve Cup (1pm).
The brand-new Legea Ultimate Eleven Cup gets under way with three matches in the Group Stage; Stoke Poges Saints are at home to Hype Train, South Bucks United welcome AFC Cressex and Townmead host KS Gryf.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here