Kent Junior A Cup Final match report: Aylesford 2 Upchurch 1

Aaron Stebbeds got the winning goal to help Aylesford edge their Kent Junior A Cup Final against Upchurch at Chatham’s Bauvill Stadium on Saturday.

Stebbeds completed a league and cup double for the Kent County League Division 2 Central & East champions - a week on from Les Leckie Cup Final shootout heartache - as they bounced back from missing out on a treble in style, with the showdown in Medway finishing 2-1.

Aylesford manager Aaron Braithwaite said: “I’m absolutely over the moon.

“We had the disappointment of losing last week when we were on for the treble.

“Massive credit to the boys because we were a little bit depleted. We had five or six starters from last week’s Final missing, and our top scorer pulled out on the morning of the game.

“To dust ourselves down from that and win this, I’m really pleased.”

Upchurch had got past Gillingham Town (1-0), Lokomotiv Canterbury (5-0), Halls AFC Reserves (4-1) and Sellindge (4-1) to reach this stage and had the first chance on three minutes, Lawrence Simmonds shooting wide.

A minute later, Aylesford goalkeeper Owen Baker made a brilliant save to tip a shot by Upchurch captain Louis Kennedy onto the post before the first real action at the other end.

Alex Taylor made a fine block to deny Aylesford’s Sam Potter a ninth-minute shot on goal, the same player firing wide two minutes later.

But Brainthwaite’s side - who had seen off Tunbridge Wells Reserves (4-3 after extra-time), Kings Hill Reserves (4-1), Cinque Ports (6-2), Selhurst United (2-1) and Orpington (4-2) en-route to the Final - netted midway through the first half.

The goal came in excellent fashion. George Kingdon emphatically headed a right-wing cross beyond Upchurch keeper James Williamson amid rapidly-improving