Newent Town 2 Harrow Hill 0
Reg Davis Cup Final
HOLDERS Newent Town retained their grip on the Reg Davis Cup with a relatively straightforward win over Northern Senior One rivals Harrow Hill.
A busy first period at Lydney Town’s Swan Road home saw Newent have a disallowed goal but strikes from forwards Lee Allen and Tom Eyres either side of the half-time whistle secured a second successive final win.
A tight affair opened up around the half hour mark, when Matt Boseley had Hill’s best chance up to that point. His effort from close range at the near post was turned away for a corner.
But Hill’s nimble forwards found it hard work against a tall, strong Newent defence and Liam Thomas’ smart runs often proved fruitless as he was snuffed out by his marker.
Newent led 1-0 at half-time thanks to a goal from Eyres; Zak Blood drove to byline before squaring for the forward, who curled his effort into the far lest bottom corner on 37 minutes.
With the second half less than ten minutes old, Hill’s Ryan Bowdler suffered what appeared to be a dislocated elbow in an innocuous looking collision; his gruesome injury prompting squeals from the stands he led in front of.
Play was suspended for around 10 minutes while he received attention and was eventually stretchered off the pitch.
Allen doubled the lead just shy of the hour mark with a neat finish into the bottom left corner past Bowles after bursting into the box and beating the Hill backline.
Liam Pinnock wasted a golden chance to reignite Hill’s hopes of a comeback when he, alongside Thomas and Sam Harris, outnumbered the Town defence three-to-one on 80 minutes.
But he struck a tame effort with teammates better placed on 80 minutes.
Scott Morgan stung a volley well wide fives minutes later before Steve Bowles was forced into a decent stop from a swerving Carl Thorp free-kick on the edge of the box in the fifth minute of added time.
To their credit, Hill continued to battle away as they created chances through Harris and Pinnock but Newent held out to reclaim the trophy.