Last Friday saw the finals night of the Essex Cups, with six teams going head-to-head across three cup competitions. It was hosted at The Woodford Wells Club, a popular West Essex club which has hosted the finals night for the last three years.
Sanderson Cup
The Sanderson Cup, our Premier Division cup, saw Gidea Park face Maldon in what promised to be a great battle. First up was the third string, with Maldon captain Paul Wallace facing Paul Cousins. Cousins started the stronger, leading 7–1 before being pegged back to 7–7 at the ten-minute mark. A tight few points saw Wallace establish a 15–10 lead before running out the winner, 16–11.
Second up was the fifth string, with Pat Kielty facing Amber Marshall. Marshall’s early dominance proved decisive, establishing a 9–0 lead before Kielty could get going. The left-handed Kielty fought back, but it wasn’t enough as Marshall’s movement and shot-making proved too strong, finishing with an 18–11 win.
Next was the fourth string battle, which saw Paul Hodge of Maldon take on Sam Jeal. Jeal, an exuberant player with an excellent work rate and precise shot-making, proved too much for the wily Hodge, winning 22–8.
With Gidea Park now firmly in front, Maldon’s hopes turned to string one and England Over-35 international Mark McEwen. In an early exchange with Ted Jeal, the game was evenly matched at 7–6 at the ten-minute mark. Jeal then turned up the heat, pushing McEwen into all four corners before driving forward to win the game and the match for Gidea Park.
With the string two match now a dead rubber, Ahmed Mossad and Adam Safwat did their best to entertain the crowd, with Safwat winning 20–15.
Well done to Gidea Park, the 2026 Sanderson Cup champions.
Gidea Park 86 – 63 Maldon
Webster Trophy
The final of the Webster Trophy saw Gidea Park 3 face the hosts of finals night, Woodford Wells 2. First up was GP’s Bradley Carlyon, an entertainer on and off the court, facing WW’s Tomaz Noetzel. Carlyon led early before being pegged back to 7–7, but was able to establish a 13–9 lead at the halfway stage. A huge comeback from Noetzel saw him win ten points in a row to take the game 19–13.
Wins for Woodford Wells were the order of the evening, with convincing victories for captain Chris Blackham and Andy Samuel, both reaching the elusive 30-point target before the twenty-minute time limit had elapsed. A 23–14 win for Matt Hibberd against Dean Starr was enough to secure the victory before the final match.
The final match, unfortunately now a dead rubber, saw the ever-entertaining Mark Robertson face home talent Harry Best. With no shots off-limit, the game was naturally very tight, tied at 10–10 at the halfway mark. Robertson found momentum to lead 18–12, before a late comeback saw the game finish all square at 19–19.
Well done to Woodford Wells 2, the 2026 Webster Trophy champions.
Woodford Wells 2 121 – 69 Gidea Park 3
Woodhouse Trophy
The Woodhouse Trophy was contested between West Division league leaders Walthamstow Blue and Connaught Cobalt. Walthamstow flew out of the blocks with Tom Platteuw racing into a 20–0 lead before Connaught’s Kunle Adeboye got off the mark. Kunle fought back with a few points of his own, but Platteuw was too strong, winning 30–9.
The opening match set the tone for the night, with Walthamstow winning all five matches in impressive style. Ben Fairclough and Alistair Poole also reached the 30-point mark, beating Connaught’s Leo Czarnowski and George Hebditch respectively.
Well done to Walthamstow Blue, who lift the Woodhouse Trophy as they aim to complete a league and cup double in 2026.
Walthamstow Blue 125 – 49 Connaught Cobalt
With the cup matches finished, attention now returns to the league, with the kickoff of the Super and Survival Fours in the Premier and West Divisions, and the final matches of the East Division. Check out all the fixtures on the Essex LeagueMaster website.
