Liam Carbin was the penalty shootout hero as Fintan booked their place in the County Intermediate Cup final.

They defeated Gala-Wilton Reserves 4-2 in the shootout after the match had ended all square at 1-1 after 90 minutes.

It was a dramatic finale to the game because Fintan were pegged back almost in the last minute of the game after going ahead in the first half.

“It’s a great achievement to get to the final,” said chairman Matt Roberts, who is in his second season at the helm.

“It was an excellent effort to come back like we did after losing that late goal in normal time.”

And looking on approvingly as Liam Carbin starred in the penalty shootout was his dad Jeff, who also happens to be the Cheltenham League Division Two team’s manager.

The Carbin family are a big part of Fintan because Liam’s brother Scott was also playing on Saturday.

And it was another brother, Dean, who founded the club some 10 years ago. He is now working as a school teacher in Kuwait, which is why Roberts took over as chairman almost two years ago.

Unfortunately Dean is not due back in this country until towards the end of next month, a week after Fintan’s County Cup final date at Tuffley Rovers on Tuesday 17th April where they will play FC Barometrics Reserves (kick-off 7.30pm).

“It will be a tough game,” admitted Roberts. “We’re almost equal in Division Two but we’re looking forward to it.”

FC Barometrics Reserves, meanwhile, booked their place in the final after defeating Cheltenham Civil Service Reserves 3-1.

The Cheltenham Football League is clearly in rude health. Eleven teams made it through to their respective County Cup semi-finals – an unprecedented number – and Fintan and FC Barometrics Reserves are two of six clubs to have made it through to their respective finals.

The only Cheltenham League club not facing opposition from their own league were AFC Renegades. But they proved far too strong for Kingshill Sports, from the Cirencester League, thumping them 8-1 to book their place in the final of the Minor Cup.

They will face Cheltenham Civil Service III after they defeated Kings Reserves 5-2.

This game was a repeat of the Division Three fixture the previous week which Kings won by the odd goal in seven.

And it was Kings who made a flying start on Saturday, going into a 2-0 lead before Service rallied with goals by Kyle Adams, Ru Miah, Aaron Walker and Kev Parton (2) – four of them in the second half.

Service will have two teams in County Cup finals, because the first team eased to a 2-0 win over Bishop’s Cleeve III in the Junior Cup, with goals in the 19th and 40th minutes from Stu Midwinter and Mark Jones seeing them through.

In the remaining County Cup semi-final involving teams from the Cheltenham League, Division Four pacesetters Prestbury Rovers Reserves crushed Gala-Wilton III 8-0 to advance to the final of the Primary Cup.

There was a curtailed league programme because of all the cup action but there were some important games played, nonetheless.

None more so than in Division One, where improving Whaddon United Reserves retained hope of avoiding relegation after their 1-1 draw at home to Newton.

In Division Two, another team fighting to beat the drop, Prestbury Rovers, did their prospects a power of good by beating third-placed Hanley Swan 3-1.

But it was not so good for another struggling club, Tewkesbury Town Reserves, who were beaten 4-1 by fourth-placed Southside Star.

Into Division Three and Brockworth Albion Reserves moved level on points with third-placed FC Barometrics III after beating them 1-0, while another team chasing a place in the end-of-season promotion play-offs, Charlton Rovers Reserves, drew 1-1 with Leckhampton Rovers.

At the other end of the table, FC Lakeside Reserves’ struggle continued as they lost 4-2 at home to Dowty Dynamos Reserves.

There is a slightly strange look to Division Four because Prestbury Rovers Reserves have won 13 out of 13 and yet are not top of the table.

Their County Cup involvement at the weekend allowed Malvern Vale FC Academy and Malvern Vale FC First the chance to leapfrog them, and it was an opportunity the two teams did not waste, as they defeated Andoversford United 3rds and Woodmancote United 2-0 and 4-2 respectively.

The good news for Prestbury is that they have plenty of games in hand on the two teams now above them.

And Charlton Rovers 3rds have at last tasted that winning feeling, defeating Fintan Reserves 3-2.

The win at Fintan came at the 15th time of asking and they now have a positive points tally – one – after suffering a three-point deduction earlier in the campaign.

In the final two games, inconsistent Smiths Athletic Reserves defeated Cheltenham Saracens 3rds 3-0, and Winchcombe Town Reserves won 4-2 at Bishop’s Cleeve Development.

Despite winning all thirteen of their league games, Prestbury Rovers Reserves could find themselves in third spot in Division 4 by 5pm while they fight for a place in the County Cup final.

Rovers have at least four games in hand on the teams around them, increasing to five after this weekend’s fixtures and will not be too worried about the drop down the table, although Malvern Vale FC Academy and Malvern Vale FC First, the teams who can leapfrog them, will hope that points on the board increase the pressure on the leaders.

Academy started the day in second and faced an Andoversford III team who are at the wrong end of the table, but unlikely to be caught by the bottom team Charlton Rovers III. With the odds in their favour, Academy duly delivered with a 2-0 win

Vale Firsts faced much tougher opposition in the shape of Woodmancote United, a team who could overtake their opponents with a win. 2018 has not been the best for Woodmancote, and their inconsistency continued as they were beaten 4-2 to all but end their hopes of finishing second.

They may be bottom, on a minus points total, but February was a better month for Charlton Rovers III as they won their first point, following a 3-3 draw with Smiths Athletic Reserves. Looking to build on this they faced Fintan Reserves and came away with their first win of the season, courtesy of a 3-2 win to show they can’t be written off yet.

Despite their draw with Rovers, Smiths are in a safe place in midtable and looked to build on their points tally against a Cheltenham Saracens III team who have found points hard to come by. Notoriously inconsistent, it was the ‘good’ Smiths who turned up winning 3-0, to leave Saracens wondering whether Charlton Rovers could pull off a great escape.

In the final game Winchcombe Town Reserves faced Bishops Cleeve Development Reserves. Neither team is in contention for the title and while Cleeve could be caught by Rovers that would be unlikely. After 90 minutes it was Town who left the pitch smiling after a 4-2 win.