2 Signals win Army FA Challenge Cup 10.05.12
02 Signal Regiment have won this year's Army FA Challenge Cup after beating 2nd Fusiliers 2-1 in Aldershot.
On a busy day of football 4th Mechanised Brigade and Signal Squadron cruised past 47 Regiment Royal Artillery 7-2 to retain their Minor Units title.
2nd Fusiliers went into this Cup contest chasing a treble. Having already been crowned Infantry Champions and the winners of the B.A. G championship victory against 2 Signal Regiment would have capped an already memorable season. But they were rocked early on when a sublime moment of skill from Danny McGhee gave the signalmen an early lead.
It was a set back from which the men from Celle never recovered and they could have fallen further behind when keeper Colin Bell almost flapped the ball into his own net.
Bell made amends when he bravely dived at the feet of the on rushing McGhee to prevent the striker from adding to his goal tally.
The Fusiliers were struggling to create many clear-cut chances and when James Bryson got sight of goal he could only shoot straight at Mike Magrino.
The Signalmen never looked like conceding and with centre back Kieron Clayton standing firm at the back it gave his keeper a quiet afternoon.
Even when Magrino was eventually called into action he stood up well to thwart Mark Radcliffe from levelling the scores.
A penalty at the other end decided matters. Bell clattered into Danny Cormack and the ref had little choice to award a spot kick.
Clayton had the honours of lashing the ball home before going on to lift the Cup for his side. It is the first time that 2 Signal Regiment have won the tournament since 1995.
Meanwhile 4 Mech Brigade and Signal Squadron have won the Army Minor Units Cup thanks to the quickest hat trick ever scored in the competitions history. Damien Burrell made the most of some slack 47 Regiment Royal Artillery defending to score three times in four minutes.
Having slotted home his first in the third minute he deftly added his second in the fifth. He rifled home his third in the seventh minute killing the match as a contest in the process.
Jay McAnespie nodded in a fourth goal as 4 Mech Brigade ran riot.
The Artillerymen fired home a penalty thanks to Ian Saunders making the score 4-1 at the break.
Normal service resumed in the second half as first Burrell added to his tally.
McAnespie was on target again to make it 6-1. Saunders second was just further consolation.
Before Mark Bradbury completed the 7-2 thrashing and 4 Mech Brigade secured back-to-back winning titles.