It's the big date of the year on the youth soccer scene on Sunday when the Southend Junior League's annual cup finals are staged at Roots Hall.

From 9.30 in the morning until late in the evening, those going along will see a galaxy of up-and-coming soccer talent in seven finals, starting from the under-10 age group and going up to under-16s.

Two clubs will be chasing trebles on the day, having won their respective Premier Division championships and East Anglian Cups. The first side aiming for this honour are Fairfax Rangers under-12s, who captured the East Anglian crown on Monday night.

They beat Ekco Whitecaps in the final to the tune of 4-2 with goals from Holmes and Byrne (two apiece). Benfleet Youth are the team with the daunting task of trying to stop Fairfax's treble bid in Sunday's final.

Beech United are the other team chasing their third honour. At under-13 level they take on Division A champs Shoebury Boys who, in Danny Coulson, boast the league's super strike star with nearly 150 goals this term.

Beech themselves have a sharpshooter who knows all about scoring in abundance in the shape of the sparkling Raymond Gibbs.

Shoebury also figure in the under-11 final where they will be up against a Trinity Juniors side whose line-up includes Collins Iorfa, son of former Southend United favourite Dominic.

One notable first is in the under-10 final, in which Deaneswood Youth play Hawkwell Athletic. For referee Karen Herbert will become the first female ever to officiate at the league's finals.

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