Atherstone Tn 3, Littleton 1

LITTLETON'S gallant attempt to overcome the Midland Combination Division One champions in last Saturday's President's Cup Final fell victim to a couple of dubious decisions and hesitant defending, writes Mervyn Collins.

It's credit to Littleton's powers of resilience that Atherstone's success wasn't secured until stoppage-time when a suspiciously offside looking Roy Dunkley pulled the ball back for Chris Partridge to score his side's third.

A blustery wind and bumpy Stratford Town surface made conditions tricky for both teams last Saturday and stalemate looked the likely outcome at half-time.

Matty Staley was the liveliest attacker on the pitch but most of his good work was done outside Town's 18-yard box.

Staley and Simon Brain both saw shots easily saved by Farad Affen-diyev in the Atherstone goal, while opposite number Adi Pritchard made the save of the first half to deny Danny Haynes.

Partridge headed over from six yards after the bounce outfoxed Danny Malins but the defender's fortune changed two minutes before the break when he appeared to leave the ball for Pritchard but the prolific Dunkley nipped into send Town's large following in the crowd of 396 into raptures.

The tie looked settled within two minutes of the restart when Jon Gregory was harshly penalised for handball and Dunkley easily slotted the spot-kick past Pritchard.

Substitute Ben Greenwood flashed a shot wide after good work from Gregory and Nathan Hawley before Perry Beddoes fired in a free-kick from 20 yards that out the result back in the melting pot.

Had Staley not sliced wide after the best move of the game had ended with a cross from Robbie Hands leaving the striker clear 15 yards from goal then Littleton could have silenced the Atherstone fans again.

As it was, Dunkley's pull back three minutes into injury-time left Andy Robins' men with no chance of a reply and Atherstone to celebrate a league and cup double.