DFDS Kent Sunday Junior Cup Final: Barnehurst 4 Faversham Strike Force 2

Player-manager Luke Coleman scored twice as Barnehurst lifted the DFDS Kent Sunday Junior Cup on Sunday.

Coleman, a former Ebbsfleet and Margate winger, added to Andrew Browne’s classy opener and netted the injury-time clincher, while Taner Baycanli also struck.

Marshall Wratten’s second-half double - including a goal direct from a corner - gave Faversham Strike Force hope - but Barnehurst were worthy winners at Maidstone United’s Gallagher Stadium.

Tony Stanley, who is part of Coleman’s management team, said: “I think we deserved to win. We should have shut the game off in the first half.

“Second half, we knew they were going to come out all guns blazing.

“We worked them out very early in the first half but they changed their formation in the second half and then you never know what can happen.

“They put it on us, they’ve got a lot of big lads and they won a lot in the air.

“It was about grit. We told the players you’ve got to put it in, and if you can’t put it in on a day like this, you’re never going to do it.

“You worry when it gets back to 2-1 but we knew we had more goals in us. It was just whether we could score them.”

Coleman said: “It’s a team effort. It’s the first time the club’s ever got close to winning a county competition and we’ve beaten some good teams, so I’m really pleased.”

Dean Tiley hit the outside of the post after running on to man-of-the-match Azeez Alabi’s pass as Barnehurst went close to an early opener.

Talking of midfielder Azeez, he ran the show in an outstanding all-round display that saw him around the pitch, win possession and use the ball well.

Barnehurst opened the scoring in the 26th minute when Browne, with his back to goal in a crowded area, turned on Ryan Moreby’s pass and bent the