Old Cranleighan 4–2 Alderley Edge | Men’s Over 45 Tier 1 Cup Final
Thirty four goals scored, just six conceded, and now—silverware. Old Cranleighan Men’s Over 45s capped a remarkable cup campaign with a commanding victory over Alderley Edge, lifting the Men’s Over Tier 1 45 Cup in front of a vocal travelling support who made their presence felt from the first whistle.
Two successive finals is no accident. This OCs side arrived at the showpiece with form, firepower, and the quiet confidence of a team that knows exactly what it’s capable of. Yet captain Andy Howell’s pre-match message was clear: focus, discipline, complete the job. His players delivered emphatically.
First Half: Control, Class, and a Touch of Silk
From the opening exchanges, OCs set the tempo. Barney, Ash, Ports and Matt orchestrated proceedings from deep, their distribution sharp and purposeful, while Haucky and CB found pockets of space in a congested midfield that both sides knew would decide the contest. Alderley Edge had deployed their England international to shadow GB Stu in a fascinating duel, but with Nick’s added guile in reading passing lanes, disrupting rhythm, the OCs dictated terms.
The breakthrough came a minute before the first quarter. A midfield free hit was worked quickly to Ash, who fed JJ inside the D. The crowd braced for a trademark thunderbolt. Instead, JJ produced something altogether more delicate—a deft, lifted slap that floated over the advancing goalkeeper and nestled into the net. 1–0 OCs, and no less than they deserved.
Coach Matt’s tactical tweaks at the quarter time sharpened the blade further. Mike, JJ, Gav and Damon spearheaded wave after wave of attacking pressure until the inevitable short corner arrived. Ash stepped up and dispatched a low, powerful flick into the bottom left corner. 2–0. OCs were purring.
Second Half: Nerves, Resilience, and a Moment of Magic
Veteran observers will tell you: a two-goal lead is never comfortable for this group. When Nick was harshly shown green on the stroke of half-time, unease rippled through the OCs faithful. Sure enough, Alderley Edge capitalised almost immediately after the restart, pulling one back and injecting sudden life into a contest that had seemed settled.
What followed was Alderley’s best spell of the afternoon. Short corners were won, bodies were thrown at the ball, and only a series of outstanding saves from Goalie kept OCs ahead. Lesser sides might have buckled. This one steadied. That said Captain Goalie can only do so much and when a PC was stopped on the line by an OC foot Alderley Edge scored their first with a slick P-Flick.
The mark of this team’s growth has been its composure under pressure—recognising danger, absorbing it, then striking back. And strike back they did. Patient build-up play carved open the Alderley defence once more, and when the ball arrived in the D, Haucky swivelled and finished first-time. 3–1. Panic extinguished.
Or perhaps not quite. A green for Haucky—still riding the adrenaline of his goal—was compounded moments later by a yellow for Ports. OCs found themselves down to ten for a significant stretch of the third quarter, clinging to their advantage by fingernails and sheer bloody-mindedness. A yellow for Alderley Edge restored parity in numbers, and what came next was the move of the match.
A raking cross-field ball found Matt, who shifted it down the line without breaking stride. An early, whipped cross arrowed into the D, and Gav—timing his run to perfection—met it with a textbook reverse stick deflection that flew into the roof of the net. 4–1. Game over.
Final Stretch: Professionalism and Silverware
The final quarter was an exercise in game management. Heardy calmly dealt with attacks and ariels down the left, Cato controlled the tempo in midfield, and the forward line maintained a relentless press that pinned Alderley deep in their own half. A late consolation for the Cheshire side to make it 4-2 did nothing to diminish what had been one of OCs’ most complete performances of the season.
When the final whistle blew, the celebrations began—and rightly so. This was a cup run built on clinical finishing, collective resilience, and an unmistakable team spirit that has grown stronger with every match.
Back-to-back finals. A trophy in the cabinet. And whispers of something even more ambitious on the horizon.
Triple double, anyone? Roll on next season.
Match Photos available to view HERE. Credit: mogodonman photography