Coundon Conservative 2-3 Hetton Lyons CC
The FA Carlsberg Sunday Cup
The Final
2pm, Sunday 27 April 2008
Anfield, Liverpool FC.
At the back end of April it was the clash of the Sunday Cup titans in The Final at Anfield as the 2006 and 2007 winners went head to head.
Durham outfit Coundon Conservative, winners just 12 months earlier in their first ever Sunday Cup season, met Hetton Lyons CC, their Tyne and Wear rivals, who lifted The Cup in 2006.
But it wasn't to be a second successive triumph for Coundon as Hetton twice came from behind to claim The FA Carlsberg Sunday Cup.
Gary Pearson's 84th minute penalty ensured that Bradley Grove's side recorded a remarkable 3-2 victory at the home of Premier League giants Liverpool and gained revenge for their Second Round exit at the hands of the same opposition last season.
Coundon got off the perfect start, when after just two minutes Andrew Thompson struck a sweet free kick which took a slight deflection and left Hetton's goalkeeper with no chance.
But the underdogs hit back ten minutes later through the head of substitute Jamie Clarke who capitalised on a slip from the opposition goalkeeper.
Parity lasted barely 12 minutes however as Martin Houlahan, who scored both goals in the Semi-Final victory against Brantham Athletic, fired home from the edge of the area to restore Coundon's advantage.
Unabashed, Hetton clawed themselves back into contention ten minutes after the restart when Stuart Irvine expertly located the bottom corner with a fizzing drive from 25-yards.
Pearson then crashed home his spot-kick to complete the comeback and help the north-east side lift The Cup for the second time in three seasons.
Goals
Coundon Conservative Andrew Thompson 2, Martin Houlahan 24
Hetton Lyons CC Jamie Clarke 12, Stuart Irvine 55, Gary Pearson (pen) 84