NON-LEAGUE: Huntingdon Town produce heroics to cause a shock and reach Hinchingbrooke Cup final
Richard Baines scored Huntingdon Town's first goal in their semi-final victory at Deeping. Picture: J BIGGS PHOTOGRAPHY - Credit: Archant
Delighted Huntingdon Town boss Jimmy Brattan has hailed their Hinchingbrooke Cup semi-final giant-killing last night as his finest moment in football.
Town, who finished in the bottom half of United Counties League Division One, caused a major shock by dumping out Premier Division top-six side Deeping Rangers.
Richard Baines and substitute Jamie Waterworth struck early in each half to inspire a 2-1 success in a match switched to Rangers’ Haydon Whitham Stadium due to a lack of available dates at Jubilee Park.
Huntingdon’s victory was completed with 10 men for the final 20 minutes following the dismissal of captain Chris Jones for collecting a second caution.
Rangers grabbed a late consolation goal but Huntingdon held firm to claim a second higher-level scalp in as many rounds. They dumped out Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division outfit Ely City at the quarter-final stage.
“It is undoubtedly my best moment in football so far,” said Brattan. “And it’s fantastic to see this club reach a cup final.
“We had several players carrying little niggles and others out injured, but the lads were immense from start to finish and I could not be more proud of them.
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“I did my homework on Deeping by watching them recently. I set the team up accordingly and the lads carried out exactly what was asked of them.
“To beat two higher-level teams is brilliant and we’ll look forward to facing another one in the final.”
Premier Division and KO Cup double-winners Yaxley or Eynesbury Rovers will be Huntingdon’s opponents in a showpiece clash that is still to be arranged.
Yaxley were unable to raise a team for their semi-final clash at Eynesbury in late March, but competition organisers want the game to be restaged.
It is understood that Eynesbury have refused to do that and are instead appealing the decision to the Hunts FA.
