2013 Arthur Moore Cup Final

THURMASTON W.M.P. 2009 0-2 ADVANCE COURIERS

Friday 12th April 2013

Alliance Football League Arthur Moore Cup Final

Leicestershire County FA Ground, Holmes Park, Dog & Gun Lane, Whetstone

A second visit to Holmes Park in the space of two weeks is start of another busy weekend football wise, with this being the first of three games, of which two are cup finals. 

The Alliance Football League runs four cup competitions along side the eight division league competition. This one, the Arthur Moore Cup is competed for by Premier Division and Division One sides only. The format of the competition is a four group round-robin stage, of which the top two in each group qualify for the quarter finals. From then on it is played on a straight knock-out basis. Thurmaston WMP 2009 were placed in Group B along side Wigston Car Breakers, NRI, Leicester Foxes Old Boys and Niffy Rangers, while Advance Couriers were in Group D with Sparta Moshdock, Glenfield Town Sunday, GT and Frolesworth United.

Group B

	TEAM	PL	WON	DRW	LST	FOR	AGA	PTS
1	Wigston Car Breakers	4	3	0	1	19	8	8
2	Thurmaston W.M.P. 2009	4	3	0	1	20	12	8 (-1)
3	N.R.I.	4	2	0	2	15	12	6
4	Leicester Foxes Old Boys	4	1	0	3	15	18	3
5	Niffy Rangers	4	1	0	3	7	26	3

Group D

	TEAM	PL	WON	DRW	LST	FOR	AGA	PTS
1	Advance Couriers	3	2	0	1	11	10	6
2	Sparta Moshdock	3	2	0	1	7	7	6
3	Glenfield Town, Sunday	3	1	0	2	7	9	3
4	G.T.	3	1	0	2	8	7	2 (1)
	Frolesworth United	Removed from competition. Record expunged.

Quarter Finals
Advance Couriers 9-0 Oscars
FC Azzurri 1-2 Thurmaston W.M.P. 2009

Semi Finals
Thurmaston W.M.P. 2009 3-2 Sparta Moshdock
Advance Couriers 2-1 Wigston Car Breakers

About the teams

Thurmaston WMP 2009 (taken from the programme)
Formally known as Syston RBL from the Leicester Sunday League (LSL), the club changed name in 2009 to the current title due to new sponsorship. In the first season under the new name they were finalists in the LSL Premier Cup competition, before transferring to the Alliance Football League for the start of the next season. At the start of this season the club merged with LSL side Syston Midland Railway under the Thurmaston WMP and formed a reserve side as a result. 

Advance Couriers (taken from the Alliance League website)
The club were formed in 1984, but since 2001 have been the most successful club in the Alliance Football League. They have been crowned Premier Division champions seven times, victors in the Billy Walton Cup winners six times, the Arthur Moore Cup final eight times plus last but not least three times winners of the Leicestershire FA Sunday Premier Cup.

The game in brief

It was a tight, close game in which Advance settled quicker and they had an effort cleared off the line. Thurmaston though got into their stride and wingers Luke Winfield and Jamie Sharmon causing problems for the Advance back line, while at the other end Thurmaston captain Ash Harris was a rock at the back, giving the Advance forwards no change all evening. It was Jamie Sharmon who came close to opening the scoring when a pass split the Advance defence, only for Sharmon's shot past the keeper to strike the base of the post. The opening goal of the game came not long before the end of the half, when following a quick break down the right, a simple finish ensued. Harsh on Thurmaston.

The second half was a more even affair but Thurmaston still caused their higher ranked opponents problems with a header from a corner hiting the crossbar, while at the other end I believe Advance had a goal ruled out for offside. The killer second goal came in the latter stages when Stuart Spencer headed home a corner.

Advance showed why they have won so many trophies in the past ten years, while Thurmaston showed that despite being a division lower can compete with the best in the Alliance League. Man of the Match was righly awarded to Luke Winfield.

Match photos
38 match photos can be viewed in the slideshow below: