Premier League, Saturday 9th December 2006

Easthouses Lily 3 Whitehill Welfare 3

Whitehill booked a League Cup Final appearance against Annan Athletic after overcoming near neighbours Easthouses in a Penalty shoot-out.

The match was scheduled to go ahead at Ferguson Park after the pitch at Easthouses was declared unplayable overnight. Then in a complete u-turn, the Easthouses pitch was declared playable on the Saturday morning.

A goal-less first half could be blamed on players having difficulty adjusting to the heavy playing surface. However, the game sprang to life when Easthouses took an early second half lead. Welfare made it 1-1 when Walker was played in by Malone and hit an unstoppable shot into the net as the keeper tried to rush out and block him. Welfare then edged ahead when Christie refused to be denied after a scramble in the box and volleyed the ball high into the net.

Welfare then let complacency creep in as the clock ticked down and were punished when Easthouses scored a last minute equaliser.

The game went into extra Time and the home side forger ahead when McGurk flapped at a cross into the box and the ball was forced home to the delight of the home players and fans. Their joy was short-lived when Walker cut in from the left wing and glided past three defenders before unleashing a rocket shot into the kepper's top left postage stamp corner to level the game at 3-3. That completed the scoring and the lottery of penalties decided the game.

Doig put Welfare ahead and then at 1-1 Pryde blazed over for Welfare. The home side had the advantage but McGurk made up for his earlier flap with a fine stop to level the shoot-out. Wilkes, Christie, Stewart, Walker and Lee all hit the net and at 6-5, the Easthouses number ten hit his penalty past McGurk's right-hand post to hand the tie to Welfare and their first appearance in a final since the 2005 Qualifying Cup Final now awaits.