Wiltshire Cup Final Report 2002/03

21st April 2003

Prince complete treble

The 98th Wiltshire Cup final on Easter Monday produced an intriguing game and finished with a piece of history. In only their second season Prince FC completed the treble of the second division title, Jim Bloomfield Second Division League Cup and Wiltshire Cup. Cobholm were the last team to win the double in the 1991/92 season although THOSA completed the same feat 12 months earlier. Prince could emulate Parkside's achievement of winning back to back trebles as Parkside completed it as a second division side in 1984/85 and then the following season when in the top flight.

S imon Whitefoot (Freethorpe captain) Keith Colman, Tony Webb, Lee Betts, Kyle Howell (Prince captain)

Marcus Smith's Freethorpe lined up with three at the back and five in midfield and for much of the game the tactics worked as Prince found it difficult to find time to produce their free flowing attacking football. However, Prince are much more than the League top scorer Nathan Thompson and Graeme Beard and the side is based on the best back four and goal keeper in the league. Prince had to soak up a lot of pressure but Daniel Frost, Lee Southey, Kyle Howell, Danny Pollard and Karl Jessup present in formidable, well organised defensive unit and well shielded by a very hard working midfield.

The first chance of the game came to Thompson whose trickery engineered an opening but his drive was well saved by Daniel Pentney. The break through came midway through the first half when a hopeful long ball from the half way line from Beard caused confusion between defenders and Pentney whose heavy touch allowed Thompson to pounce and turn the ball into the empty net. The lead was short lived as from a free kick Prince were unable to clear and man of the match Carl Garside headed on for Alex Forsyth to turn into the net. Danny Greenwood was at the heart of Prince's good attacking moves and his through ball just before half time was only thwarted by very smart reactions form Pentney.

Freethorpe started the second half the brighter as Prince's endeavours in clinching the league on Saturday may have told. Damien Hurley produced some magic footwork along the goal line but his initial cross was blocked and Michael Ward's follow-up was also blocked by some stout defending. The substitution through injury of Freethorpe's central defender Ray Blevins may have proved decisive as immediately Thompson was through on goal but his left foot effort was wide. Shortly afterwards a huge slice of luck presented Prince with the lead as a clearance rebounded off a defender into the path of Beard all alone in the middle of the penalty area and the veteran finished emphatically. Freethorpe substitute Karim Sohna almost came back to haunt his former side as his good work down the left resulted in his cross being met by Ward but he hit his shot straight at Frost. Sohna and Hurley again made inroads into the Prince area but James Read's left foot shot went agonisingly wide. If there was a touch of fortune about Prince's second goal there was nothing lucky about the decisive third goal. Freethorpe had cleared a corner some forty yards up field when Pollard took aim and found the top corner of Pentney's net. Sixty seconds later substitute Chris Stanton fed Jamie Thompson but his attempt was smuggled away. Freethorpe never gave up urged on by captain and influential midfielder Simon Whitefoot, it was his free kick that produced a good save from Frost before Read's follow-up effort was cleared off the line. In the dying seconds with keeper Pentney up for the corner Thompson was sent clear but as defenders converged his hurried effort from 30 yards out rolled wide.

Freethorpe: Daniel Pentney; William McMartin, Ray Blevins (Karim Sohna), Kevin Twose: Michael Ward, Simon Whitefoot, Mark Barber, Carl Garside, Alex Forsyth: Damien Hurley, James Read.
Prince FC: Daniel Frost; Lee Southey, Kyle Howell, Danny Pollard, Carl Jessup; Jamie Thompson, Chris King, Danny Greenwood, Chris Abbott (Chris Stanton); Nathan Thompson, Graeme Beard.
Referee: Tony Webb, Assistants: Lee Betts, Keith Colman.

Injured skipper Lee Durrant collects the Cup on easter Monday morning

Paul Payne