A BRACE from Charlie Coppola helped Hollingbury Hawks Under-16s lift the Sussex John Davey Cup Leisure for the first time in their history after beating Crawley United.

Coppola scored twice in the second-half to put the Hawks in the driving seat, with Mohammed Kamara making it 3-0 with twenty minutes to go.

Crawley pulled a goal back through the impressive Reece Hallard late on, but it was too little too late as Hollingbury saw the game out to win 3-1.

Manager Ady Maglennon, who has led the team for three seasons, said: “This side’s success is due to team work, and every player has contributed towards both wins.

“I could not be prouder of each and every one of them.”

There was little in the way of goal mouth action in the first 15 minutes, with both sides looking to keep possession when given the opportunity.

Kieran Bates put in a good ball across to the far post where Ellis Nichols waited but an excellent tackle from Jordan Maglennon denied him from getting a shot away.

Reece Hallard drove forward with the ball at his feet for Crawley, but only for Maglennon to intercept at a crucial moment before Harvey Kinsell’s cross dropped just over the bar at the other end as Hollingbury looked more threatening going forward.

But Crawley continued to enjoy possession, and had efforts from Bates and then Hallard but both failed to hit the target, before Luke Emberson had the game’s first shot on target for the Hawks, but only for his effort from the edge of the area to go straight at keeper Jack Foyster.

Foyster then came out well to beat Emberson to Charlie Coppola’s through ball to gather, with the score remaining 0-0 at the break.

However, the deadlock was broken just moments into the second-half. Coppola ran on to a ball through the middle which wasn’t cleared by Crawley and one-on-one with Foyster, slotted the ball in to give the Hawks the lead.

Despite that, Crawley almost equalised immediately as Murrell-Lemon saw his effort blocked, before Hallard reached the second ball first but from six yards and forced a great save from Aidan Silsby.

Hollingbury then doubled their lead with 57 minutes on the clock. Emberson controlled Silsby’s long kick forward well in midfield, before playing a great through ball to Coppola.

The substitute got the better of his marker before taking the ball past Foyster and from close range fired the ball past the defenders on the line to make it 2-0.

Foyster then did well to block Patrick Gracethorne’s effort from a corner as Hollingbury continued to press forward, with Mohammed Kamara then heading Adam Carrie’s cross wide of the far post.

The Hawks made it 3-0 with 66 minutes on the clock. Gracethorne charged down the right and played a low ball across to Kamara at the near post who looped his effort over the head of Foyster and into the far corner.

Coppola almost completed his hat-trick late on as Carrie saw his low effort saved by the diving Foyster, and the rebound fell to Coppola but his effort was blocked by a covering defender.

Crawley tested Silsby with moments to go, as Bates’ free kick on the edge of the area was turned over the bar by the keeper – before United pulled a goal back in stoppage time.

From the resulting corner, Hallard turned the ball in from close range when left unmarked from Bates’ corner.

The Hawks also won the Division One league by winning all 16 of their matches and were also crowned Sussex Futsal champions for the second year in a row.

They will now play the regional finals in Guildford on June 13.