Angels 3* (S Hutch, Tricky 2 (1 pen))
*AET 90 mins 1-1
Real Jazeera provided the opposition, with their captain, Angels stalwart Laurence Tonkin, doing his best to put one over on the side closest to his heart. Despite some handbags earlier in the week, referee Andy Tracey's (!) whistle saw the game kick off in good spirits.
Goalless at ahlf time, Angels took the lead in the second half. Simon Hutchison swung in a corner which eluded everyone and landed in the net - except perhaps for a slight touch from Steel - however Hutcjison was happy to claim the goal. Jazeera could have seen their heads go down at this stage after a difficult season in the Carnegie Premier League, but instead equalised barely two minutes later with a rather soft goal from "Cloud". 1-1 it finished,a nd contrary to last year's rules, which would have seen a repeat of the unforgettable shootout against Lethargy, extra time was played. Angels suffered a scare in the first period, with Tonkin missing the target, however the scene was set when a penalty was awarded for handball after the restart. Tricky, who has yet to win a legitimate penalty but seems to like them anyway, scored from the spot to put Angels ahead with just over 5 minutes to go. This time the lead proved too much for Jazeera, and as Tricky added a third in the last minute amidst Jazeers offside protests, Angels passage was secure.
In the end, football was truly the winner in this epic encounter, which saw Angels take another Premier cup scalp. Strokers, however, as league champions, will provide a much stiffer test in the next round.