PAN SPORTS 1, WHITECROFT & BARTON SPORTS 3
WHITECROFT and Barton Sports eventually made it treble glory this season after beating Pan Sports in a pulsating final of the Isle of Wight Memorial Cup in East Cowes last night (Thursday).
W&B, who had already had the Harwoods Island League and the Isle of Wight County Press Challenge Cup under their belt, had to patiently wait a few extra weeks to earn the treble, having lost the finals of the Hampshire Intermediate Cup and the Isle of Wight Senior (Gold) Cup.
After a cagey start to the final, with both sides battling to get a foothold, Pan Sports took a shock lead against the favourites on 19 minutes.
Following a defensive error by Keelan Sainsbury, Pan pounced, with striker Ash Gulliver put through to slot it home past W&B keeper Gareth True.
For the next ten minutes, Pan had their tails up and could smell blood.
But W&B, a danger from set pieces all season, equalised on the half-hour with a Josh Appell bullet header into the roof of the Pan net, direct from a pin-point Aiden Sainsbury corner.
The leveller sparked W&B into life as they dominated the remainder of the half, but both sides went in level at the break.
The game turned into a battle, but W&B continued to dominate, with Pan's keeper, Kayton Evans pulling off a trio of superb saves to keep Pan on terms.
But W&B pressure eventually told, when on 65 minutes, winger Freddy Knowles was hauled down by Evans for a penalty — coolly finished by Aiden Sainsbury for the lead.
Five minutes later, W&B gave themselves breathing space with their third — a tap-in by Knowles after a defensive mix-up.
But in the final stages of the game, Pan striker Liam Slaven fluffed two one-on-one situations — the first saved by True and the other, over the bar.
The trophy was presented to W&B skipper Harry Ovnik by Andrew Justice, honorary secretary of the Isle of Wight Football Association.
Pan Sports: K.Evans, Wright, Williams, Martin, Bast (capt), Case, Hayward, Catania, Chugg, Gulliver, Slaven. Subs: Hatton, Lacey, Dunkling, Fowles, Drysdale.
Whitecroft and Barton Sports: True, Adams, Whillier, K.Sainsbury, Ovnik (capt), A.Sainsbury, Yelland, Rayner, Appell, M.Evans, Knowles. Subs: Ewbank, East, Cantelo, Bennett, Mitchell.
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