Frome Collegians Reserves 2 Warminster Town Reserves FC 1

PEARSON BAGS BRACE AS COLLEGIANS WIN SPRING CUP   

There was defiantly a spring in the step of Frome Collegians Reserves as they finished their first season back in the Gooding Accounts sponsored Trowbridge & District League by adding the Spring Cup to the PAH Accounting sponsored A&B Cup which they won a couple of weeks ago when they defeated Seend United 1-0.

Karl Freeman and James Goddard-Wellon’s side arrived at Bradford Town’s Trowbridge Road ground looking to complete a cup double, standing in their way were Phil Stockley and Jon Mos’s Warminster Town Reserves side who themselves were looking to add the Spring Cup to the Knockout Cup which they had already won back in April.

On a glorious night for football and on a near perfect playing surface for which Bradford’s chair Steve Rose and his team of volunteer’s must take credit for, the healthy crowd of nearly 200 soaked up the sunshine as they wee treated to a final that may not have lived up to expectations, but was entertaining enough to keep the fans of both Frome Collegians and Warminster Reserves interested until  the final whistle that in  the end couldn’t come soon enough for Collegians at they from being in the ascendancy, they were under the cosh, but managed to hold out for a 2-1 victory.

Collegians got the final underway and it was Karl Freeman’s side who applied the early pressure and they almost took the lead in the opening 30 seconds, Ben Bullus ran through three players before unleashing a spectacular long range effort that had Warminster keeper Will Buerri-Brown beaten all end up, but cannoned off the bar.

Mike Pearson went close to breaking the deadlock for Collegians on 4 minutes, but his effort was saved by the feet of keeper Guerri-Brown, Collegians didn’t have to wait long before finally making their great start count, great work from Nathan Burrows saw him find Mike Pearson who finished well to give his team the lead.

Warminster who were slow to get into their stride had their first real effort on goal on 15 minutes, but Matt Mead saw his strike from 20 yards sail yards over the bar.

Collegian’s doubled their lead in the 17th minute, for a second time it was Mike Pearson who planted the ball beyond the Warminster keeper, but the goal was made by Ben Bullus, who after doing all the good work in the build up got lucky when his cross took a deflection before falling to Pearson who thumped the ball home for 2-0

Warminster who had not been at their best had a five minute purple patch where they went close to narrowing the arrears, on 23 minutes, Jake Owen saw his hopeful effort tipped out for  corner, which saw Oscar Williamson deliver a great ball onto the head of Josh Drury whose head was again cleared for another corner, another Williamson delivery picked out Matt Mead who failed to test the keeper, with his header going well over.

Having withstood a period of Warminster pressure it was the turn of Collegians to go in search of a third goal that would have killed off their opponents, Ewan Barnes fired wide in the 35th minute, Mike Pearson missed out on his hat trick following a fine stop by keeper Guerri-Brown who then got very lucky when he spilled the ball to Ben Bullus who was unable to punish the keeper’s mistake.

With Frome Collegians 2-0 up at the break and seemingly in charge, Warminster knew they had to turn things around and draw first blood in the second if they were to have a chance of getting back into the game.  Warminster were much improved after the restart and went close through Patrick Kapelka, but they should have been 3-0 down on 53 minutes, Ben Bellus laid the ball on a plate to Tom Brown who somehow failed to find the net from a few yards out.

From surviving a scare at one end Warminster Reserves went up the other end and conjured up the goal they were after, an error in the Collegians defence the ball Josh Drury who lashed the ball home to make it 2-1 on 54 minutes.

A few minutes later, Collegians had the perfect opportunity to regain their 2 goal advantage, but somehow a combination of good fortune and poor finishing from Bullus, Tom Brown and Mike Pearson failed to make the most of a lack of concentration in the Warminster defence and the score remained at 2-1.

Just after the hour mark, Warminster thought they had fashioned an equaliser, but the woodwork came to the rescue of Collegians when Seb Hounsell’s deflected strike struck the post, with keeper Ryan Hancock wrong footed.

The woodwork came to Collegians again in the 70th minute, with keeper Hancock well beaten, a long distance effort from Hounsell rattled the crossbar.

With time running out, Collegians keeper Ryan Hancock had to be alert to keep out a Ashley Kinkead free kick while Ben Bullus had another good chance to put the game to bed, but failed to take it.

The final 10 minutes belonged to Warminster as they threw everything at Collegians looking for an equaliser which wouldn’t come and with a couple of minutes left of the 90, Collegians Lewis Connor broke clear and was stuck in two minds of whether to cross for a teammate or go for glory himself, he chose the wrong option and seeing his name in lights he sliced hi effort wide of the target.

With almost the last action of the game, Warminster were awarded a free kick, that the Collegians wall put out for a corner Warminster sent keeper Guerri-Brown up for what was the last throw of the dice, the delivery was dreadful and shortly after match referee Dominic Mortimer blew for time.

League Chair, Sam Gooding along with vice-chair Anthony Ottavanio  made the presentations to the Finalists and Winners for whom captain Nathan Burrows lifted the cup.

Frome Collegians mike Pearson picked up the Player of the Final award.