ABBEY 3

ALDERNEY MANOR 1

DORSET Sunday Challenge Cup holders Abbey retained the trophy with a 3-1 victory over Alderney Manor in an entertaining game at the Specsavers County Ground in Hamworthy.

It was always going to be a difficult task for Alderney, from Division Two of the Bournemouth Sunday League, against their First Division opponents but they performed creditably.

Max Wilcock was prominent for Abbey in the early exchanges, going close with a far-post header which was deflected for a corner and then driving a 25 yard effort against the foot of the post.

Abbey’s Max Wilcock gave his man the slip just outside the penalty area in the 20th minute, and unleashed a shot which brought a superb save from Alderney goalkeeper Chris Johnson who tipped it round the post for a corner.

Johnson was soon in action again, making another excellent save from Richie Sands’ fierce drive before Alderney’s James King fired just over the bar from the edge of the penalty area.

Brad Hill played a great diagonal through ball to Chris Long on the half hour, and the Abbey front man slipped it past the advancing goalkeeper and narrowly wide of the far post.

Mark Dykes put Long through in the 42nd minute but Johnson stretched to save as the Abbey forward tried to lob him.

Johnson was eventually beaten on the stroke of half-time when Wilcock steered the ball past him to put Abbey ahead.

Chris Long rose to meet a cross from the left at the start of the second half and headed the ball narrowly wide of the far post and another header from the Abbey striker a few minutes later just cleared the bar.

After the break, Dykes put Wilcock away down the right in the 55th minute and, when he was brought down just outside the penalty area, Brad Hill doubled Abbey’s lead when he tucked the resultant free-kick just inside the near post.

Alderney pulled one back two minutes later when James King took a corner kick from the left that curled in at the far-post.

Chris Long slipped the ball out to Max Wilcock on the left in the 61st minute and he cut inside to whip in a shot from the edge of the box which was well saved by Johnson.

Toby Williams was penalised for a challenge 25 yards out in the 67th minute and Mickey Hubbard stepped up to drill the free-kick into the bottom corner of the net to make it 3-1.

Abbey’s hopes were raised in the 73rd minute when Toby Williams took the ball past Andy Knights in the Abbey goal and clipped the ball goalwards but Sean Griffiths got back to cover and divert the ball behind for a corner.

There was one last effort for Alderney when James King drove a 25 yard effort towards the top corner but Knights made a superb save, turning it round the post for a corner.

After the game, Geoff Theobald, chairman of the DCFA Governance Committee presented the trophy to the captain of Abbey FC, Mickey Hubbard.

Abbey: Knights, Payne, Vincent (Dawe 77 mins), Strong, Wilcock, Long (Collins 86), Hubbard, Dykes (Willis 83) , Hill, Sands, Griffiths.

Alderney Manor: Johnson, Marshall (Chetwynd 80), Carrivick, Hyne, King, Robinson (Roberts 80), Williams, Thompson, Arnold, Meldrum, Gillingham (MacFarlan 76)