The finale of the Kent FA’s “Finals Sunday” – the Kent Reliance Sunday Premier Cup – produced the exact opposite of the tight evenly contested Final that many predicted prior to kick off as Quested took the Cup back up Bluebell Hill as they comfortably saw off The Rising Sun from Herne Bay to win the Cup for the third year running.

Ahead at half time courtesy of James McDonald, Stuart West doubled the lead soon after the break before skipper and Man of the Match Fraser Rogers headed the third and substitute Brett Ince rubbed salt into the Rising Sun’s wounds with a late fourth to seal a remarkable win.

Boss Steve Lester was naturally happy enough when he spoke to KSN after the game but admitted that his side’s amazing win could cost him money in the new season.

“I said to the players that if we won today and equal the record of three on the trot, I’ll put them in for the All England Cup next year. It costs a bit of money but I guess now I’ve got to do it!”

“Absolutely delighted today – it’s probably been our hardest one of the three, but hopefully we can go again and get the record next year of four on the trot. I have to say that our strikers took the chances, were great and I think that they could be amongst the best in Non-League football. “

“It surprised me in the end how comfortable it was. I thought we were in for a tough 90 minutes, but in the end I don’t think it was a 4-0 game, but it was more comfortable that I expected.”

For Clive Stace of the Rising Sun it proved to be an uncomfortable afternoon as he admitted to KSN.

“It was terrible to be fair,” he said. “We just didn’t turn up full stop – they deserved the victory and I’m sorry that we didn’t give it the Final it deserved. Just so frustrating as we’ve played a lot better all the way through the rounds and we haven’t been rolled over 4-0 for a long time – just a bad day in the office!”

“We’ve had a good season, but just should have given a better account of ourselves in the Final. We’ve won the competition three times as a club, so here’s to making next year the fourth.”

The pattern for the game was effectively set as early as the fifth minute, Rising Sun keeper Andy Maxted had to be at his alert best to firstly bravely deny Stuart West, but then recover to smother James McDonald’s follow up.

In Quested’s next attack, West thought he was fouled on the edge of the box, but as the ball ran to Louis Valencia his low drive was shovelled round the post by the keeper. The Medway side were not to be denied and on 14 minutes McDonald got on the end of a great left wing delivery to steer the ball wide of the keeper for just the third goal that Rising had conceded in the whole competition.

As the half wore on, Quested threatened to pull away but just couldn’t find a second goal. Ricky Freeman was denied by keeper Maxted when Freeman’s own corner had been cleared back to him before Ben Brown shot wide of the left post when well placed.

McDonald then forced his way behind the Rising defence before shooting wide under pressure as the Medway side ended the first half very much in the ascendancy.

They needed to respond after the break and Rising Sun did just that though as he raced through Stacy David seemed to have too much time and couldn’t decide on a shot or a cross – in the end the ball drifted aimlessly wide of Ollie Cotton’s back post.

But then Quested doubled their lead when Jack West’s cross was expertly headed into the corner of the net by Stuart West – rising effortlessly at the far post the striker’s fine header arrowed into the bottom corner past a statuesque Maxted.

James Turner then almost immediately replied for Rising Sun as he drew the afternoon’s first save out of Quested keeper Cotton with a low drive, but the Medway side’s goal stayed intact.

The third goal arrived with just over quarter of an hour left when Frazer Rogers headed home Bryan Greenfield’s corner before the fourth arrived eleven minutes from time and it’ll be one that Maxted will not want to see again.

As the ball bounced into the box, the keeper made a terrible hash of gaining possession and presented Brett Ince with the tap in which the Quested substitute gleefully accepted.

It could been even worse for the Herne Bay side had Valencia’s late cross cum-shot not grazed the post, but by then Quested had done more than enough to seal the “three-peat” for Lester’s side as they replicated their winning score of twelve months ago when they beat Hollingbourne by four goals to nil.

 

QUESTED – Ollie Cotton, Sam Welch, Bryan Greenfield, Lee Reilly, Frazer Rogers, Michael Jenner, Ricky Freeman, Ben Brown, Stuart West, James McDonald, Louis Valencia

Subs – Brett Ince, Lewis Taylor, Jack West, Tom Michelson, Gary Leigh

RISING SUN – Andy Maxted, Ben Emery, Tom Parker, Joe Kennett, Simon Brown, Kenny Sanders, Dave Soutan, Alex Hossick, Stacy David, James Turner

Subs – Sam Robinson, Harry Brown, Wayne Fittall, Luke Porter, Stuart Fitchie

REFEREE – Ollie Butcher

ASSISTANTS – Tom Chivilo, Matthew Earl and Steven Julian

Pictures supplied by PSP Images.