SHANE Cooper-Clark scored a hat-trick as Morale Madrid defeated Wokingham & Emmbrook TMW 5-2 in the Bracknell Town & District Sunday League Cup final at Larges Lane last Friday, writes Dave Wright.

Lloyd Twyman and Kennie Chamberlain were also on target in a highly entertaining tie which saw both sides miss a host of scoring chances.

Former Bracknell Town goal ace Cooper-Clark and current player Chamberlain were the main differences between the two sides, as they should be considering they also play at the highest level on a Saturday in the Hellenic League.

But Morale, who finished third in Premier Division, were pushed all the way by their opponents, who were fourth in Division One.

In fact, Wokingham should have taken a 24th-minute lead through Alex O’Brien when the Morale defence failed to clear their lines, but, after creating space for himself, he fired wide when well placed. “I should have scored,” O’Brien later admitted.

Morale suffered two injury blows in the opening 30 minutes with Ryan Coupland being taken to hospital with a dislocated shoulder and skipper Liam Day forced off with a hamstring problem.

The first half looked to be ending goalless until Madrid struck twice in the space of three minutes with Cooper-Clark breaking the deadlock in the 44th minute and then in stoppage time Twyman scored after Cooper-Clark’s effort had been blocked.

Wokingham were left devastated with O’Brien commenting: “We were well in the game for 40 minutes, but it was hard to come back from 2-0 down.”

Morale extended their lead in the 54th minute when Chamberlain, now playing in a more forward role, teed up Cooper-Clark, who from wide out left hammered a low shot past keeper Matt Cook.

Cooper-Clark was only inches away from scoring again and Wokingham immediately took the ball down the other end to pull a goal back through Jonny Clifford on 70 minutes.

But a minute later, Chamberlain restored his side’s three-goal advantage with a fine finish. He thoroughly deserved the goal as every time he was in possession he looked a threat to the Wokingham defence.

O’Brien lashed in a second goal for Wokingham from outside the area in the 76th minute and shortly afterwards he had another effort deflected onto the crossbar and then, from his left-wing cross, Dan Mackenzie went close with a header.

In five minutes of stoppage time, there was goalmouth action at both ends with Cooper-Clark, who was voted man of the match, completing his hat-trick following more good work by Chamberlain. He finishes with 23 goals.

The crowd of 212 certainly got their money’s worth from a game that proved a good advertisement for the league.

This Friday, the Bracknell League stages the Junior Cup final at Larges Lane with WAB taking on Finchampstead Athletic Reserves (7.45pm ko).