UK Bangladesh Championships Final: Newark Youth London 1 Leeds One Formation 0
Newark Youth London have been crowned UK Bangladeshi champions after the team from London’s east end defeated Leeds One Formation 1-0 to lift the prestigious trophy at Valley Parade, the home of Bradford City.
The UK Bangladeshi Championships are set in a Champions League format whereby the winners of their local respective leagues nationwide participate in one flagship tournament to decide which team is truly the cream of the crop.
Both sides cruised through to the finals after competing in the preliminary rounds at Wanstead Flats, east London.
Newark fielded a team of talented youngsters who were excited and hungry at the prospect of playing a final at a historical professional football league ground.
Their opponents in contrast were experienced and seasoned professionals, many of whom have played at semi pro level.
It was a close and tight game with Newark failing to put away a few chances and heads dropped when holding midfielder Abdul Samad was sent off.
Leeds made the man advantage count, but were kept at bay by outstanding saves from Sayed Hussain to keep scores level.
The young stoppers heroics boosted team confidence. With three quarters of the game played, Shafi Noor cleverly tried to lob the Leeds keeper after shrugging off a few tackles in the box. The ball fell kindly to Noor who duly poked Newark into the lead.
Leeds vociferous support were silenced after which Newark held on for a tense few minutes to wrap up victory.
Newark manager Ayas Miah said: “We are immensely proud of our achievements. A special mention is reserved for the Bradford community for organising such a great day.
“It was a showcase event and we will treasure the warmth and hospitality of our hosts for a very long time. We look forward to many more days like this with even bigger crowds in the future.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here