Hampton School First XI made history by overturning a one goal deficit against Repton School to secure their maiden U18 ESFA Cup title.
 
A penalty from Louis Instrall had rescued Hampton right at the death in normal time, before penalty shootout heroics from Hampton goalkeeper Tim Wallace gave Hampton a remarkable victory.
 
In a match hosted at the Montgomery Waters Meadow Stadium, home of League One side Shrewsbury Town, it was Hampton who made the brighter start. 

Captain George Maxwell cut out an attempted long throw from Repton before the ball was cleared up field by Harry Short. The bouncing ball was flicked on well by Freddy Hodgson coming in off his right wing to release Shaun Chris-Joash in the middle of the pitch. Strong hold up play coupled with a skilful turn from Joash with three Repton players surrounding him released Louis Rhodes breaking down the left wing, but his left footed effort drifted wide.
 
Just two minutes later a throw-in from fullback and fifth year Sami Omaar saw Joash breakaway inside the penalty area where he was brought down, yet the referee remained steadfast against the Hampton penalty claims.
 
Repton’s first chance of the match fell to their lively winger Eno Nito who dribbled well before seeing his attempted cross flash over Tim Wallace in goal.
 
Another throw-in, this time from Hampton’s right back Tom Waring dropped to Joash once more on the edge on the penalty area. Skipping inside his opposing defender to create space for the shot, his curling effort was well blocked by the Repton defence to keep Hampton and Joash at bay.
 
A beautifully flighted ball out of defence from Noah Hanley nestled at the feet of Hodgson and good skill from the winger forced the Repton defence into conceding a corner. An outswinging delivery from Short was met by the head of Maxwell but his headed attempted was blocked.
 
Repton then saw a free-kick whipped into the Hampton penalty area with venom with forward Jake Rain seeing his effort glance over the crossbar from inside the penalty area. 
 
Tim Wallace was then called into action for the first time in the match. The Repton winger Tom Buffin found space on the edge on the Hampton area, but quick reflexes from Wallace saw the ball tipped over the bar.
 
A Repton break down the right wing from Nito saw a dangerous balled whipped into the box which covering full back Waring produced a brilliant clearance to deny Repton what appeared a certain chance inside the six yard area.
 
Repton then opened the scoring in the cup final on the stroke of half-time. A driving run down the right fullback channel saw the ball clipped into the box found the Repton strike in the penalty area whose powerful strike was brilliant kept out by Wallace. Unfortunately for Hampton the ball broke free and Repton clinically dispatched the bouncing ball on the half volley.
 
Hampton then had one final chance of the half to respond through talismanic attacker Joash. Picking the ball up in central midfield Instrall played the ball into Hodgson who had both time and space. Majestic skill saw him breeze past his fullback before his delivery into the box was initially spilled by the keeper with Joash lunging in to try and make contact, but fortunately for Repton he gathered the ball at the second attempt.
 
The second half started with the same tempo and pace as the first. A free kick won by Joash was quickly taken by Tom Hudson and rolled off to Maxwell in the centre of the pitch. A trademark diagonal ball from Maxwell found Rhodes on the left wing whose brilliant control took the ball down in one movement. Rhodes then continued his marauding run cutting infield and laying the ball off to Short whose curling effort just flashed past the post.
 
Within a minute Hampton had won back the ball and were bearing down on the Repton goal. Instrall found Joash who skipped past the final defender but his bending effort cruelly rebounded off the inside of the post.
 
A ball from midfield broke to Repton striker Elijah Sawyers with Maxwell showing brilliant pace to keep with the electric forward whose effort flashed just wide to the relief of Hampton.
 
Hampton pushed desperately for an equaliser and began to control both possession and the tempo of the match. A short corner was passed off to Instrall who in turn gave the ball to Joash. Putting his opposition defender on the floor he launch a 25 yards curling effort and only a superb finger-tip save from Milan Stanojevic in goal for Repton kept Hampton from levelling.
 
A free-kick from Joash that grazed the side-netting of the Repton goal had some Hampton bans believing their side had score momentarily but his strike beat both the keeper and the outside of the goal post. 
 
Wallace then did well to command his area after Max Barnes-Batty had slipped the ball into the Hampton area but alert keeping saw Hampton alleviate the danger.
 
With the clock ticking agonisingly towards the end of the match Hampton were awarded a free-kick just inside the Repton half on the left hand side. A floated ball in from Short was met by the head of Omaar who directed the ball down to Instrall. Instrall’s touch laid the ball off towards striker Rohan Hobbs who with his first touch of the match drew a foul and a penalty to Hampton to the delight of player and supporters alike.
 
Instrall then stepped up to calmly dispatch the ball into the left hand corner of the goal. Hampton had rescued it at the death and forced an additional twenty minutes of action.
 
Extra-time proved a tense affair with both sides having chances. A free-kick from Short gave Joash a headed opportunity but he just couldn’t readjust to gain greater traction on the ball.
 
Repton though had chances of their own and Wallace was again on hand following a curling strike, flying across his goal to tip the ball away one-handed and make an impressive save.
 
In the second half of extra-time Wallace produced another strong save for Hampton down to his left hand side following a powerful attempt by George Fynn.
 
No further chances came and so it was to be penalties to decide the 2019 ESFA cup final.
 
Instrall stepped up to give Hampton the advantage, repeating his earlier penalty heroics during normal time.
 
Nito was first up for Repton and his effort agonising rebounded off the crossbar to give Hampton the advantage for the first time.
 
Man-of-the-match Joash confidently dispatched his penalty before Hampton keeper Tim Wallace saved from Jake Rain to further extend Hampton’s lead.
 
QPR U18 academy midfielder Stathis Kalathias converted meaning that Repton had to score their penalty to stay in the match.

Batty-Barnes stepped up for Repton only to be denied by a good save from Wallace down to his right hand side to send the travelling Hampton yellow and black army into delirium and ensure that the ESFA cup was heading to TW12.

Speaking after the game striker and man of the match Shaun Chris Joash commented that ‘it was a great performance. It was a tense game and towards the end I was not sure which way it was going to go. It was amazing to see so many people come down to support you as well.’

Manager Carlos Mills added that ‘We showed a lot of trust and courage in each other as well as confidence and we managed to do it in the end. There was a great atmosphere from the school wonderful occasion and I’m delighted with the result.’

Hampton Team: Tim Wallace, Tom Waring, Noah Hanley, George Maxwell (C), Shaun-Chris Joash, Louis Instrall, Harry Short, Louis Rhodes, Tom Hudson, Sami Omaar, Freddy Hodgson 

Manager: Carlos Mills

Hampton School 1-1 Repton School  
Instrall (88)                 Buffin (43) 

Hampton School win 3-0 on penalties