John O’Hara League Challenge Cup Final

Ringmer 0 Shoreham 0 (after extra time)

Shoreham won 10- 9 on penalties

21/03/08

Report by David Ruffles

 

In very cold and blustery conditions more conducive to sitting by a warm fire rather then playing or watching football there was little to entertain the fans as Ringmer fought to overcome Shoreham in their bid to lift the trophy for the first time in the club’s history.

 

The game was dictated by two strong defences which coped so successfully in stifling the opposing forwards that the goalkeepers saw very little action throughout the 120 minutes. The closest either side came to scoring was after sixteen minutes when a shot from Dean Smith struck the Ringmer cross bar and bounced onto the ground and into the grateful arms of Joe Adams. Spectators in the vicinity of the goal were convinced the ball bounced some two foot behind the goal line but neither the referee nor his assistant could say with certainty that it had done so. No goal was awarded and play was allowed to continue with the debate the only topic of conversation during the half time interval.

 

The second half saw Shoreham at first in the ascendancy with Darren Annis having shots cleared off the line by Andy Hart and then Luke Gedling before Dan Taylor had a cross cum shot tipped over the bar by Adams. Marc Whiteman finally eluded his marker with just over five minutes of normal time remaining but he mishit his shot on the turn and it was easy for goalkeeper Steve Allfrey to gather.

 

Ringmer finally began to make regular inroads into the Shoreham defence in the second period of extra time. First Luke Gedling’s cross was headed wide by Simon Greatwich from beyond the far post before Gedling had a shot fly just inches wide of the goal. Then in the dying minutes neat work by Greatwich and Hart ended with Hart’s shot narrowly missing the goal.

 

The penalty shoot-out saw the first nineteen kicks all find the net before Danny McLaughlin put his spot kick just the wrong side of the goal post to settle matters in favour of Shoreham.

 

 

 

	Player	Goals	Comment
1	Joe Adams	P	(GK)
2	Dave Soutar	P	.
3	Andy Hart	P	.
4	Steve Hunt	.	.
5	Danny McLaughlin	.	.
17	Ryan MacMillan	P	.
7	Jack Johnson	.	.
8	Luke Gedling	P	.
9	Mark Whiteman	P	.
10	Miles Scerri	.	.
11	Nick Barden	P	(Capt.)
6	-----------------	.	shirt retired for season

 

.	Substitutes	Goals	Comment
12	Mark Price	P	On for
14	Glen Matten	.	Not Used
15	Simon Greatwich	P	On for Jack Johnson
16	Kieran Patel	.	on for Miles Scerri
18	James Novis	.	.

 

Manager	Steve Johnson
Coach	Paul Thomsett
Sports Therapist	Ian Fairs

 

Referee	Mr Phillip Wilkes
Assistant No.1	Mr Mark Thompson
Assistant No.2	Mr Darren Eaton
Forth Official	Mr B. Small
Attendance	360