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Penalty shootouts needed to decide the 2026 FA Vase and FA Trophy finals

Penalty shootouts were needed to decide the 2026 FA Vase and FA Trophy finals, with AFC Stoneham beating Cockfosters and Southend beating Wealdstone.

Hampshire based AFC Stoneham won the Wessex Premier Division for 2025/26 while Cockfosters ended up in 4th place in the Spartan South Midlands Football League, then missed out on promotion having lost the playoff final 2-0 to Winslow United FC.

After 90 minutes, which saw both sides hit the crossbar, it was heartbreak again for Cockfosters, when they lost 4-2 on penalties, Stoneham scoring all of theirs, Cockfosters

PENALTY SHOOTOUT:

AFC Stoneham 1-0 Cockfosters – GOAL ✅
AFC Stoneham 1-1 Cockfosters – GOAL ✅
AFC Stoneham 2-1 Cockfosters – GOAL ✅
AFC Stoneham 2-1 Cockfosters – SAVED ❌
AFC Stoneham 3-1 Cockfosters – GOAL ✅
AFC Stoneham 3-2 Cockfosters – GOAL ✅
AFC Stoneham 4-2 Cockfosters – GOAL ✅
AFC Stoneham 4-2 Cockfosters – MISSED ❌

Junior Moses sees his penalty blasted over and AFC Stoneham have won the FA Vase!

LINEUPS (via The FA)

AFC Stoneham: 1 Callum Lee (GK), 3 Lewis Nagle, 4 Mat Bainbridge, 5 Dan Miller, 6 Ashley Wells, 7 Tom Annetts, 8 Alex Welch (C), 9 Tyrrell Sampson, 10 Oliver Jenkins, 11 Duarte Martins, 26 Jake Thomson

Substitutions: 20 Arty Kerton for Jenkins 46’, 14 Callum Laylock for Bainbridge 69’, 12 Owen Fee for Martins 80’, 2 Ryan Cluett for Wells 90+5’, 16 Jim Orvis for Welch 90+7’

Substitutes not used: 15 Cade Dyer, 17 Jamie Johnston

Manager: James Phillips

Cockfosters: 1 Connor Sansom (GK), 2 Egan Ntege, 3 Junior Moses, 5 Jay Lovell (C), 6 Jandir Da Cruz, 9 Kendall Gyamfi, 10 Junior Mubiayi, 11 Cory Ugbomah, 13 George Lutaaya, 18 Ollie Sotoyinbo, 21 Teddy Stacey

Substitutions: 15 Luca Gordon for Sotoyinbo 75’, 17 Adam Hastings for Ugbomah 77’, 8 Max Jessop for Stacey 86’, 23 Joseph Shenouda for Gyamfi 86’, 12 Matt Shaw for Ntege 86’

Substitutes not used: 4 Matt Thomson, 19 Conrad Holland

Manager: Gavin Kelsey

The attendance for Non-League Finals Day – 43,306

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PakujbKvvEo&pp=ygUVc3RvbmVoYW0gY29ja2Zvc3R0ZXJz

AFC Stoneham boss James Phillips said to the Non League Paper: “It was more than I could have ever wished for. I wish I could do it every day.

“It was an incredible feeling walking out. I was very proud to walk out with the team and see all of our supporters, family and friends.

“It was a really special moment and it was hard not to tear up.

“Nerves are natural in a game like that I think. I’ve seen enough of these games to know what it’s going to be like.

“It’s very rare that one team dominates for 90 minutes.

“We didn’t think there would be a huge amount of chances in the game.

“The best ones came off mistakes from both teams really but we were confident with our gameplan, we’ve done it before.

“We had a plan and we stuck to it, and always fancied ourselves to create some chances and we did, it’s just a shame we couldn’t quite take them and end it in 90.

“But if you can win on a penalty shootout, there’s no better feeling.”

The FA Trophy played out a few hours after that, the first half also goalless, Harry Cardwell with a chance, only to be tipped onto the post Wealdstone’s Dante Baptiste. Southend’s Collin Andeng-Ndi also kept out a powerful effort from Anthony Georgiou.

But the closest we came to a goal saw Keenan Appiah-Forson with a ball falling onto the top of the crossbar, Wealdstone keeper Dante Baptiste then tipped it over.

PENALTY SHOOTOUT:

Southend 1-0 Wealdstone – Jack Bridge – scores ✅
Southend 1-0 Wealdstone – Olufela Olomola – saved ❌
Southend 2-0 Wealdstone – Joe Gubbins – scored ✅
Southend 2-0 Wealdstone – Jack Hinchy – saved ❌
Southend 2-0 Wealdstone – Charley Kendall – saved ❌
Southend 2-1 Wealdstone – Micah Obiero – goal ✅
Southend 3-1 Wealdstone – Harry Boyes – goal ✅
Southend 3-2 Wealdstone – Connor McAvoy – goal ✅
Southend 4-2 Wealdstone – Gus Scott-Morriss – goal ✅

The attendance for Non-League Finals Day – 43,306

Southend keeper Collin Andeng-Ndi said to TNT Sports, as per BBC Sport’s live blog:

“I have no words. It’s an unbelievable feeling in front of this crowd.

“We’ve worked a lot on pens this week and I was ready to come up. I felt confidence in my abilities to come through.

“It was tough to come out of the play-off but we are Wembley winning a trophy. Can’t get any better than this.

“As soon as I knew we were taking the penalties on that [Southend] side, my confidence went sky high.”

Southend boss Kevin Maher speaking to TNT Sports:

“It should be a step on the journey we are trying to get.

“In a short space of time, we’ve come miles from a club that was on its knees.

“I’m delighted I’ve won another trophy for the football club.”

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