PALM BEACH CLAIM FA CUP

DOG & PARROT FA CUP FINAL

Palm Beach 4 (A. Hagan 2, J. McKay, E. Pagon)

Kingscliff 1 (B. Hayes)

HT 4:0

PALM Beach Sharks hit form at just the right time with a quality all-round team performance more than enough to shake off the giant-killing feats of Division One heavyweights Kingscliff in the Dog & Parrot FA Cup Final.

Palmy already had one hand on the trophy after the opening 45 minutes, leading comfortably by four goals to nil at the break. It was a shock to the system for Kingscliff who had not tasted defeat even once this term and indeed had accounted for several Premier League scalps on their way to the final.

But this was perhaps a bridge too far for the gritty Kingscliff with Palm Beach showing there is still a considerable gap between the two divisions.

The Sharks opened the scoring early in the first half thanks to a goal from Antony Hagan that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the game.

Justin McKay doubled Palmy’s lead midway through the half before Hagan completed his brace and Eddie Pagon wrapped the game with the fourth just before the interval.

Despite promptings from impressive skipper Luke Craig in the Kingscliff midfield, the recovery task was too great for the Division One leaders but they did manage to reduce the deficit when Bo Hayes pulled a goal back on the hour.

“Kingscliff have had a great season and they were as high as a kite when they came here. Our results have been mixed all the way through, but we were way too good for them on the day,” said the delighted Palm Beach coach Adem Poric.

“It was probably our best performance of the season. We had a game plan and we stuck to it from the first minute to the last minute,” he added.

Kingscliff boss Craig Madden on the other hand was left scratching his head after watching his previously undefeated team dismantled in the first half.

“They were the better side and a couple of yards too quick for us. We looked very lethargic and they were quicker to the ball than us. We were very flat,” Madden said.

He continued: “We played a lot better in the second half but the game was gone. It was probably our worst performance of the season and obviously not the best day for that to happen.”