Success succumb in thrilling cup final

Lancashire Sunday Trophy runners-up Success to the Plough

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Success to the Plough 3 (Hayes, Milne, Astley)
AFC Lostock Hall 4 (OG, Stead (pen), Randall 2)
Rochdale Sunday League side Success to the Plough went down to a last minute winner in the Lancashire Sunday Trophy Final at the County Ground in Leyland.

Plough took a three-goal lead into the half-time interval but they came unstuck during a second half onslaught from opponents Lostock Hall.

Matthew Jackson missed a penalty for Plough a minute before the interval and if he’d scored his side would surely have been the victors.

Todd Hayes prodded home to open the scoring midway through the first half and further goals came via the head of Byron Milne and a neat finish from Tim Astley.

Lostock showed superb spirit in the second half to fight back. An own goal and a John Stead penalty made for a tense finish and when Alex Randall fired in a superb equaliser the final seemed destined for extra time.

In the dying stages Lostock won a free kick on the half way line and Randall pumped in a long high ball, which deceived Plough keeper Gary Watson and bounced unkindly into the net to break the hearts of the Success players.

In fairness Success’s half-time lead somewhat flattered them but they had taken their chances convincingly, while Lostock had squandered plenty of more simple opportunities

Lostock should have been ahead before Hayes opened the scoring for Plough. Sean Roddy and Stead were causing all kinds of problems for the Success defence but they did not have the finish to match. Stead aimed a powerful header straight at Watson and then he certainly should have opened the scoring after beating the offside trap only to put his finish well over the crossbar.

Hayes goal certainly came against the run of play. He was in the right place at the right time to rifle home from close range after a Plough long throw had been flicked on.

The goal settled the Rochdale side and they grabbed a second shortly after when Milne rose to head home Hayes’ free-kick.

Lostock continued to create chances from which they should have gotten back into it. Jake Baldwin rifled horribly over when well placed on the penalty spot after a poor clearing header from Bryn Eastwood.

Once again Lostock were punished for their mistakes as Plough went up the other end and grabbed their third. Garry Mason’s long ball split the Lostock defence wide open and Tim Astley raced through and calmly lobbed his finish over the advancing Ross Melling.

Yet more poor Lostock finishing followed; it really would have been no surprise to see the score four each at the break such were the number of presentable chances that Lostock squandered. But of course, while they were creating such a large number of openings they always had hope for the second half.

Roddy somehow put the ball wide from six yards out following a mix-up in the Plough defence which resulted in Mason heading the ball straight into Roddy’s path.

The drama of the half was not yet over as Mason saw his shot blocked by a hand inside the Lostock penalty area and the referee had little choice but to point to the spot. Jackson miss-hit his spot kick and the ball sliced onto the post and wide of goal.

Lostock made two changes at half time in a bid to produce a second half onslaught and the team from the Lancashire Evening Post Sunday League did not disappoint. Man-of-the-match Randall announced his side’s intentions with a stunning volleyed strike from the edge of the area that pinged the Plough crossbar.

They were back in the game following a goalmouth scramble in which Simon Riley appeared to put the ball into his own net, after Lostock substitute Will Yates had drawn a superb save out of Watson.

Watson came out well to block another Yates effort after he had been put through on goal and then Stead headed wide at the back post from the resulting corner.

Plough were not without their forays forward but they were few and far between. They hit the woodwork themselves when Jackson’s long range effort cannoned off the face of the crossbar. The ball fell to Astley, who drew a fine save from Melling at full stretch.

A goal from a Lostock penalty set up a nervous last ten minutes for Plough. Yates was put through once more, only this time he reached the ball in front of the keeper, nicked it past him and went down under Walsh’s challenge. Stead finished emphatically from the spot.

Lostock probed for the equaliser and no-one could begrudge them such a fine goal when it finally arrived. Stead, Sanderson brothers John and Jamie were all involved as the ball came from left wing to right via four or five passes to set up the advancing Randall, who rifled the ball into the far corner to set off scenes of wild celebration.

The thrilling final was all set for extra time until the Plough defence failed to deal with Randall’s long punt into the area inside stoppage time and the ball somehow found its way into the net.

The celebrations did not stop this time as Lostock collected the trophy. In fairness to all of the Plough players they were sporting in defeat and took it on the chin despite the devastating nature of the loss. They were quick to shake the hands of their opponents and clapped as they lifted the trophy.

All is not lost for Success as they are still competing for silverware on two fronts, having reached the semi-finals of the League Cup and the Chris Shyne Trophy and they are well placed in the League.

Success to the Plough: Watson, A. King, Eastwood, Holmes, Mason, Needham, Hayes, Jackson, Milne, Riley, Astley.
Subs: D. King, McDermot, Dawood, Tolson, Helm.

Booked: A. King, Mason, Milne, Riley.

Lostock Hall: Melling, McCarthy, Baldwin, Greenwood, Atherton, Randall, B. Yates, Jamie Sanderson, Roddy, Stead, John Sanderson.
Subs: Hornby, Johnson, Walsh, W. Yates.

Booked: Randall, John Sanderson, W. Yates.

Attempts (on target): Success 13 (8) Lostock 16 (7)
Free kicks: Success 20 Lostock 17
Offside: Success 1 Lostock 2
Corners: Success 2 Lostock 5

Referee: B. Cropp.