Jamie Sysum was the hero as Hunts Grove booked their place in the final of the GFA Primary Cup North.

The goalkeeper made three saves in the penalty shootout, which his side won 3-2, after the game at Westbury United Reserves had finished 1-1 after 90 minutes.

Sysum’s best save was his last.

“It was a really good penalty hit low to the keeper’s left, but he dived across and got a really strong hand to it,” said joint manager Kieran Gibbs.

Cory Anderson, Paul Davis and Jake Anderson were Hunts Grove’s successful penalty-takers and the club, who are playing their first season in adult football, will now face Twigworth Green in the final at Bishop’s Cleeve on Wednesday 1^st April.

Gibbs, who is joint manager with his dad Liam, felt his side should have won the game in normal time against a team who play in Division Three of the North Gloucestershire League.

The home side had taken an early lead but Hunts Grove were level before the break.

And a good goal it was too with 17-year-old winger Degan Hill, whose dad Lee captains the team, beating the left-back and crossing for Ehren Wintle to tap home.

“We looked a bit nervous at the start, a bit unsettled but we were better in the second half and we hit the bar twice,” said Gibbs.

Gloucester-based Hunts Grove are fifth in the eight-team Stroud League Division 5(N) after winning five and drawing one of their 12 league games, and they are improving.

They went into Saturday’s game on the back of three league and cup wins after previously hitting 12 past Painswick 4ths in a league game in January and 11 at Leonard Stanley Reserves in a League Cup tie before Christmas.

“The group of lads have come together so well,” Gibbs said. “We always knew we had good players. It’s so good to see the way they’ve clicked.

“It’s a massive achievement to reach a County Cup final in our first season. At the start we just wanted to be competitive and to be able to fulfil every fixture.”

The club were formed at the start of the previous campaign - they began with five teams in the Cotswold Youth League - and next season they are also hoping to run a reserves team in the Stroud League.

Before then, they will be hoping to add their name to the list of GFA Primary Cup North winners, although they know that won’t be easy against opponents who are unbeaten in Stroud League Division 5(N).

Twigworth Green, who are also in their first season, have won 10 of their 14 league games, including a 7-1 win at Hunts Green in mid-October.

But Gibbs is in upbeat mood.

“The cup is a different ball game,” he said. “We’re a different team now, we’re playing so well together.”

And he believes the future is rosy.

"We're a community club," he said. "We're running two under-11 teams as well as sides at under-7s, under-8s and under-10s.

"Kevin Watson, Jamie Sysum and Paul Davis, who all play for the first-team, are all youth team coaches while me and my dad run one of the under-11 teams.

"Stephen Oakes, who assists with the first-team, also coaches one of our youth teams, and some of the parents of the kids who play in the youth teams now play in the senior side too!"  

Twigworth Green booked their place in the final with a 4-2 penalty shootout win at Cheltenham League Division Two side Tewkesbury Town Development after the game had finished 2-2 at the end of normal time.

"It shows how strong our league is that two teams from the same division have reached the County Cup final," added Gibbs.