ON A cold and windy night in Brading, it took a piece of class to separate two evenly matched sides, as Shanklin defended the Isle of Wight Memorial Cup.
SHANKLIN 1, WHITECROFT & BARTON SPORTS 0
In a repeat of last season's final, at the Peter Henry Ground, Shanklin pulled off the same result, to gain revenge for last week's Isle of Wight Challenge Cup loss against W&B.
In front of a Friday evening crowd of around 200, it was an open, fast-paced game, but despite how entertaining it was in the main, both keepers had little to do.
W&B, buoyed by their win over Shanklin exactly a week earlier in East Cowes, started the better, forcing two early corners.
But Shanklin, playing up the hill, but with the strong breeze behind them, then started to get a foothold in the game and looked the more dangerous going forward, with skipper Pete Wilson volleying straight at keeper, Gareth True, from 25 yards out.
Shanklin's goal came almost out of nowhere from man of the match, Nicky Vyse, on 22 minutes.
The ever-willing forward rode a hefty challenge down the left, picked himself up quickly and went route one past a defender towards goal and, as True came out, Vyse cleverly lifted the ball over him with the outside of his boot.
But on the half hour mark, W&B had a golden opportunity to level the final when a short back pass put Shanklin keeper James Linington in all sorts of trouble, managing to block the first effort from Liam Harper, but when the ball fell kindly to Harper again, with the goal gaping, he managed to lose his composure — skewing the ball high and wide.
Four minutes later, Shanklin's Cory Sanderson had a great chance from just inside the box, but he spent too long over teeing up his shot, that it was well blocked.
Harper had another opportunity immediately afterwards — his effort through a crowd of players fumbled by Linington, but he managed to hold on to the loose ball.
Shanklin's left wing-back, Matt Oatley, found himself in acres of space on the edge of the W&B box after a blocked effort, but he also lost his composure — blasting over another great chance.
Words must have been spoken in the W&B dessing room at half-time, because they came out for the second half, fired up, with Jack East finding himself deep in the Shanklin box, but his swivel and tame shot went straight at Linington.
W&B, with an even gustier breeze behind them, dominated the opening 20 minutes, but without troubling the keeper — due manly to good tight defending, especially from Ryan Gregory, and a number of misplaced passes in promising areas.
Shanklin's Ji Nash, who had a great season with Newport in the Wessex League, was below par — but he had a superb chance to double his side's lead on 65 minutes.
Nash latched onto a breakaway long ball by George Carter-Knight, who thought he'd lost the ball, only to regain it after a mix-up between True and a defender, but his weak effort was easily cleared off the line.
Chances were few and far between as both sides battled it out, but W&B were unlucky when a floated cross from the right, caught the breeze and blew the ball against the far post.
A melee ensued with Shanklin throwing bodies on the line to block shots, before it was eventually cleared.
Shanklin game-managed injury time well to celebrate winning successive league and cup doubles, with Ian Bennett standing in as manager, for the absent Paul Haward.
Shanklin: Linington, Wilson (capt), Oatley, Turner, Drew, Gregory, Cook, Sanderson, Vyse, Nash, Carter-Knight. Subs: Winterbottom, Field, Trowbridge.
Whitecroft & Barton Sports: True, Lambert, Martin, Williams, Ovnik (capt), A.Sainsbury, East, K.Sainsbury, Appell, Evans, Harper. Subs: Kalaker, Adams, Benford.
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