Eversley & California exited the Russell Cotes Cup after a valiant performance under the lights at The Boars Den, eventually losing 4–3 on penalties to AFC Stoneham following a 1–1 draw in normal time.

It was an entertaining and competitive game throughout, with The Boars showing strong organisation, work rate and attacking intent in front of the home crowd.

The first half saw both sides probe for openings, with Eversley defending well and looking sharp on the counter. The visitors enjoyed spells of possession but found the home back line difficult to break down.

The breakthrough came on 58 minutes when Tyrrell Sampson’s clever footwork released Nagle down the right. His superb cross found Mat Bainbridge, who guided the ball neatly into the far corner to give Stoneham the lead.

Eversley responded with determination and equalised 15 minutes later. Ollie Noyes beat two defenders on the left and delivered a looping cross that evaded the Stoneham goalkeeper, leaving Ciaran Carolan perfectly placed to head into an empty net and level the tie.

Both sides pushed for a winner, but the game finished level at 1–1, taking the contest to penalties.

The shootout was tense:

Dan Roche’s opening effort was saved, before Stoneham struck the post.

Ciaran Carolan saw his spot-kick saved, allowing the visitors to edge ahead.

Ross Baker fired confidently into the top corner, followed by goals from Luke Cox and Joe Pantony to keep the Boars in it.
But ultimately, Stoneham converted their final penalty to progress 4–3 in the shootout.

Despite the defeat, The Boars can take plenty of positives from the performance — competing toe-to-toe with strong opposition and once again showing resilience and unity across the pitch.

A dry autumn evening at The Boars Den provided the setting for an entertaining contest that highlighted Eversley’s growing strength and togetherness.

Photos by Richard Milam.