Birthday Boy James sends Team Sunderland to Cup Final
A Ewan James extra-time winner completed a remarkable comeback for Team Sunderland Mens Football as they progressed to the Northern Conference Plate final after beating York St John’s 2-1.
James’s winner came minutes before the end of extra-time after Sotiris Kyriakou’s fine solo strike late in the second prevented the visitors from taking the spoils.
Team Sunderland will now face Salford in the final after the Lancashire university beat Liverpool 3-2.
Chances were few and far between on a blustery day at Silksworth, with both sides struggling to retain possession of the ball.
The visitors took the lead in the first-half after the York St John’s striker fired the ball past Sunderland keeper Karl Beggs.
The second-half followed a similar pattern to the first, only this time Sunderland were searching for a way back into the game.
And that came with 10 minutes left, when Sotiris Kyriakou- who had been called up from the seconds due to injuries- expertly guided the ball into the bottom right corner to bring the hosts level.
Kyriakou nearly stole the show in extra-time when his rasping free-kick from over 30 yards out cannoned off the post.
However, it was to be his teammate Ewan James- also called up from the seconds- who bagged the winner.
James, who was playing on his birthday, received the ball on the edge of the box and smashed the ball into the top corner past the keeper’s despairing dive.
