**Final: Pitstone & Ivinghoe U12s won on penalties (1-1 after normal time)**

A cup final has a way of bringing out the very best in a team, and so it proved as Wendover Juniors U12s faced Pitstone & Ivinghoe U12s in a contest that had everything you could ask for from a final, apart, perhaps, from the result we were hoping for.

From the opening whistle it was clear this would be a tight, finely balanced game. Both sides went toe-to-toe in a contest packed with goal-mouth action, and the woodwork took a battering at either end as shots ricocheted off the frame with the kind of fine margins that final days are made of. A goal in this kind of game was always going to feel like a hammer blow, and it was Pitstone who landed the first one with a corner that snuck in at the near post to give them the lead.

Wendover's response was everything you would want it to be. Composed, sharp, and full of belief, the boys quickly worked their way back into the game with a well-crafted move down the left flank, finished beautifully by Toby who tucked the ball under the keeper to level things up. It was the kind of goal that summed up the team's season - patient build-up, intelligent movement, and a cool head in front of goal.

The second half saw Wendover work tirelessly to find a winner. Chances came and went at both ends, the tackles flew in, and the bench, the parents, and the touchline willed the boys on. But in the end, it just wasn't to be. A penalty shoot-out is never a nice way to lose a game of football, let alone a final, and the disappointment at the final whistle was understandable.

But once the dust settles, this team can be so proud of what they have achieved this season. Topping their league. Earning promotion for the second season running. Reaching the divisional final and going down only on penalties to a fine side is not to be sniffed at. That is a season any squad would be delighted with, and one the boys, coaches, and parents should reflect on with real pride.

Next season we step up to the WSBMSL at U13s level, where the competition will be tougher, the games faster, and the challenges bigger. We look forward to the increased competitiveness and excitement as we continue our journey together. Onwards and upwards.