The Don Rogers Plate Final has two teams from two different divisions battling it out to lift the trophy, but is there a clear favourite?

Teams:	Bassett Bulldogs -v- Shield & Dagger
Date:	Saturday 30th April
Kick Off:	11:00
Ground:	Gerard Buxton Stadium ( home of Royal Wootton Basset FC )
Format:	90 mins including extra time and penalties as needed
Referee	Samuel Pinches

 

Road To The Final – Bassett Bulldogs

Bassett Bulldogs struggled to find any sort of consistency in the league this season and ended up finishing in 6th place with 19 points.

They managed to turn that around in the group stages of the plate competition with a 2-0 away win against Cricklade.

That was followed up with a hard fought 2-1 win against fellow Division 1 side Lower Stratton, to top the group.

 

Being seeded in the quarter final draw meant they would look forward to a home fixture against Ramsbury from Division 2.

The Bulldogs stamped their authority on the game and rarely looked under pressure, controlling things from the off. Their dominance converted to goals and they booked their place into the next round thanks to a 3-0 victory.

The semi-final draw produced an intriguing fixture as the Bulldogs were drawn away to Spectrum. Spectrum had a similar season with some good results, but failed to build any momentum and they ended up finishing just one place below Bulldogs in the league.

When the two sides did meet in the league, they were very entertaining games. Over the two games, there were 13 goals scored as they played out a 4-4 draw and a 3-2 win for Spectrum. This suggested a high scoring, but very tight game was on the cards.

We did indeed get a high scoring tight game but it was Bulldogs who managed to get one over Spectrum, claiming a 3-2 victory and securing their spot in the final.

 

Road To The Final – Shield & Dagger

Shield & Dagger have had a fantastic first season in the SDFL and managed to finish runners up in Division 2.

They only lost two games all season and they were both against the eventual champions Pewsey Vale Dev, who went the entire league season with a perfect win record.

After the group draws were made, Dagger found themselves placed in what was arguably, the most competitive group in the competition. They were grouped with the champions Pewsey, and Intel, who finished mid-table in the division above.

With Intel beating Pewsey in the opening group game, it looked like Dagger would have their work cut out to take any points from Intel.

Those worries were soon swept aside as they romped to a comprehensive 5-0 victory. Their final group game was a clash with Pewsey which would decide who would top the group.

A confident Dagger side travelled to Pewsey and shocked a number of people, reversing the league result and ending Pewsey’s undefeated run. Dagger won the game 2-0 thanks to goals from Jake Evans and Lewis Petrie meaning it was two wins from two and they topped a very competitive group.

 

 

The quarter-final had Dagger hosting fellow Division 2 new comers, Blunsdon Dev. Dagger had beaten Blunsdon Dev on both occasions in the league, but they were two very competitive games with the scorelines finishing 2-0 and 2-1.

Dagger continued their 100% record against Blunsdon with a resounding 3-0 victory, meaning they would face a semi-final showdown with KO Plastering.

KO Plastering had a decent season, finishing two places behind Dagger in 4th, but they were overwhelmed by a Dagger side who were high on confidence.

The game ended 6-0 to Dagger, who dominated from start to finish. This fine performance meant they had made it to the finals of the Don Rogers’ Plate in their first season together.

Head over to our twitter poll and cast your vote on who you think will lift the Don Rogers Plate.