Enfield Rovers have taken out the Bill Brackenbury Cup with a stirring 3-1 win in the final. It was a highly anticipated rematch from last year’s Grand Final as Enfield ended the Wanderers’ run in the last hurdle.
Words by Clement Tito
It was Hurlstone Park’s only loss for the season, and you would be forgiven to think they were on their way to a perfect season as Max Riganias opened the scoring after just five minutes.
The game took a turn though as the referee pointed to the spot just after the half hour mark, and Enfield’s Anthony Foti then converted the penalty to make it 1-1.
Foti then handed Hurlstone Park a big psychological blow, as the Golden Boot winner netted his second just before half-time.
While Hurlstone Park continued to try get the equaliser, Ryan Henderson gave Enfield a two-goal cushion in the 65th minute.
In a final that was quite physical, Enfield prevailed in a big upset at Strathfield Park and coach Danny Silvestri was ecstatic about the big win, saying he is already looking towards next year.
“It’s pretty hard to wipe the smile off the boys’ faces, we've had a very good season which has been topped off by winning the Grand Final,” Silvestri said.
“The boys are over the moon, I think some of them are still celebrating. On a personal note, I stepped into this role three years ago with the intentions of taking this great club back to the top and in three years, we are declared Champions.
“We lost the Grand Final in 2022 and now we've won it in 2023. It feels fantastic, and we now have the drive to push for more success in 2024.”
