GROVE PLAY GREAT & HIT EIGHT IN THE PLATE

After going in at half time three goals to the good, a brief Clifton revival saw the hosts score two quickfire goals before the Grove replied with two of their own to regain their three goal lead. They then added three more in the final nine minutes before Clifton had the last word scoring with the last kick of the match for a consolation. Hengrove will now play Thornbury Town in the final on a date & at a venue to be confirmed.

It was a warm, sunny afternoon that greeted both sides at Clifton College, site of the best playing surface in the league. The Eagles currently sit mid table in Division Three but in the early exchanges, held their own by defending defiantly as the visiting Grove pushed for an early breakthrough.

Despite their possession and territorial advantage, several chances were spurned before eventually the deadlock was broken exactly on the half hour mark. Harvey Impey strode forward and planted a low right foot effort past the keeper who, two minutes later, was picking the ball out of his net again after Charlie Thornton nicked the ball past him, putting enough on it to beat the desperate clearance of a defender.

As it looked like 2-0 would be the half time score, Hengrove grabbed an important third when a driven low cross from Blake Reid found Carter Bailey on his own in the six yard box and the striker turned to fire home for Grove's third.

Impey went close to making it four on 49 minutes but his rasping shot flew inches over before Clifton dragged themselves right back into the tie striking twice in three minutes immediately after Impey's chance. The first on 51 minutes owed a little to good fortune as a Clifton shot struck a body in the box and looped over Kai Chick; the second though was class as a Clifton midfielder produced a cracking finish into the bottom corner to make it 3-2.

Whether the comeback was down to Hengrove complacency or increased effort from the home side, it left the game on a bit of a knife edge as the hosts knew they were in with a real sniff. However Hengrove began to assert control and scored twice around the halfway mark of the second period to regain that three goal advantage. First to score was Blake Reid on 64 minutes, his downward header going in from a corner. And three minutes later, the goal of the match arrived when Riley Griffiths set up Jacob Grinnell who hit an arrowing rising drive into the roof of the net for number five.

Clifton didn't buckle though and had two off target efforts before a three goal blitz in the final ten minutes ended the tie. On eighty minutes, Harvey Impey scored his second and number six with a neat turn and finish; on 84 minutes, Harry Templeman sidefooted home from a pull back from the byline and three minutes further on, a Carter Bailey cross was turned into his own net by a Clifton defender. Clifton had the final word when the last kick of the match saw a midfielder dance through the backline before converting confidently but it was way too late and Hengrove reach the final of the Plate in their first season at Norton Lane.