A beautiful summer’s day on Brooks Field set the stage for the Ashton Silver Cup, with Ferne Park taking on Sujan Indian Tigers, on Saturday the 5th of July.
For the Ferne Park side, Vere Harmsworth (0) rode out at 1 in substitution for Lord Rothermere, with Cristian Laprida (7) at 2, 8-goaler David Stirling at 3, and Joaquin Pittaluga (7) at Back. Jasial Singh (1) wore the number 1 shirt for Sujan Indian Tigers (Sujan), with Ollie Cudmore (5) at 2, Juan Britos (8) at 3, and Juan Martin Zubia (8) at Back.
The opening chukkas set the tone for a fiercely contested match, with Sujan coming out strong and scoring three well-executed team goals in the first, taking an early lead over Ferne Park’s single reply. However, an early injury to Jasial Singh led to a substitution, with Nick Van Oppen (1) coming on in his place. The second chukka maintained the high tempo, with Pittaluga and Zubia each contributing two goals for their respective teams. The scoreboard showed 5-3 in Sujan’s favour, but a second injury-this time to Laprida-led to Gonzalo Ferrari (7) being brought on for Ferne Park. The third chukka marked a turning point. A 30-yard penalty converted by Pittaluga followed by two clinical breakaway goals from Stirling pushed Ferne Park into the lead at 6-5 going into halftime.
As play resumed in the fourth, both teams exchanged goals-a penalty and a field goal apiece-bringing the tally to 8-7 in Ferne Park’s favour. The fifth chukka was decisively in Ferne Park’s control, with a seamless team goal finished by Ferrari and a Penalty 2 converted by Pittaluga to extend the lead to 10-7. But Sujan was not done yet. The sixth chukka brought a spirited comeback, Zubia calmly slotted a 40-yard penalty and added a high-pressure goal mid-chukka to narrow the gap. With just 30 seconds remaining, Britos stunned the crowd by equalising with a powerful strike from midfield, sending the game into extra time at 10-10. The extra chukka had spectators on the edge of their seats as both sides fought hard to break the deadlock. Ultimately, a perfectly taken safety 60 by Pittaluga sealed the win for Ferne Park, ending a dramatic match at 11-10.
A delighted Vere Harmsworth stepped forward to receive the Ashton Silver Cup from Lucy Ashton, visiting from Australia and representing the Ashton family