Rival Bosses Reflect On Bristol Street Motors Trophy Final
Darren Ferguson and Matt Bloomfield were both left proud of their respective teams after Peterborough United and Wycombe Wanderers played out one of the most dramatic EFL Trophy finals in recent memory.
The first final played under the Bristol Street Motors Trophy name would be a somewhat cagey affair as the League One rivals did battle on the famous Wembley turf in front of a crowd of more than 42,000.
Heading into the final ten minutes, extra time seemed to be on the cards for the second time in three seasons before Posh captain Harrison Burrows stepped up with his trusty left foot to put the 2014 winners in front.
Wycombe weren’t prepared to give up without a fight however, and a raft of substitutions paid off immediately when Dale Taylor struck a sweet volley into the bottom corner to equalise just moments after coming onto the pitch.
Even then, the drama wasn’t over and when a cross from Burrows curled over the head of Franco Ravizzoli and dropped into the net in stoppage time, Peterborough were victorious in the competition for a second time.
It made Ferguson only the fourth manager after Steve McMahon, Lou Macari and Kenny Jackett to win the Trophy for a second time as a manager, with the success being his third in total after scoring in Wrexham’s 2-0 win over Southend back in 2005.
“When you get to this stage and reach a final, you have to try and a find a way to win – and that is exactly what we did,” he said.
“This is the best victory for me, no question, and I’m not just saying it because it is the most recent one. It feels different to ten years ago because at the start of the season, we took a gamble – if you can call it that – of getting rid of a lot of our experienced players and going with youth.
“Going young has really paid off and I’m so proud of my team, particularly for staying so calm when the game went to 1-1. At that point, I was screaming not to give them the ball as I wasn’t worried about extra time; I was more worried they would go and get a goal.
“We got a bit of luck but when Harrison hit the cross, I thought it could go in – and I’m so delighted that it did.”
For Wycombe boss Bloomfield, the Wembley showpiece marked the biggest game of his managerial career to date, with the former club captain having previously led his side to success at the national stadium in the play-offs.
This time around, the late goal for Burrows meant Bloomfield’s wait for his first honour in the dugout will go on, but he remained proud of the way in which his side had performed on the pitch.
“I’m really proud of how the team played and tactically I felt we were excellent,” he reflected. “The energy that the boys showed and the chances we created were good, although it’s obviously disappointing not to score more than one goal as we had some good opportunities in a game that was a good advert for League One football.
“The support we had means a huge amount and I’m sorry that we couldn’t give the fans that they wanted. Personally, I’m still young in my managerial career and I have a lot to learn and a lot still to achieve. There are always going to be bumps in the road but I believe in what we are trying to do here, and I hope we can go on from today to better things.”