THE Ryedale Hospital Cup Final played on Pickering Town’s Mill Lane ground last Friday produced a classic game of local football between two evenly matched teams, a credit to the newitts.com Beckett Football league for such an exciting cup final, played in a sporting manner, with no dissent towards the Match officials and no bad language in one of the best games seen at Mill Lane this season.

The first half was fairly even, the opening ten minutes both sides had a couple of chances each, for Wombleton Keelan Simpson and Luke McLaren both had good chances go just wide and for Lealholm skipper Brad Lewis had an effort go over the crossbar and a header go wide after good work by Dan Stonehouse. Wombleton had more of the game in the first half after the opening 10 minutes but Lealholm defended superbly, for Wombleton Tom Eddery, McLaren, Christian Ardisonne, Ryan Rivis, and Luke Tateson all had good efforts either saved by the Lealholm keeper who is also their Player/Manager Tobi Fergus or go wide, the odd Lealholm attack saw Kyle Clacherty have a good chance but the Wombleton keeper Richard Cass rushed out of his goal to save.

A minute before half time disaster struck Lealholm when full back Chris Dowson brought down Jake Dennison whose speed was causing problems for the Lealholm defence, Referee Jez Rocks (Northallerton0 well placed awarded a penalty to Wombleton and Ryan Rivis stepped forward making no mistake with his right foot low kick to the keeper’s bottom right hand corner to give the holders Wombleton an interval lead.

The second half saw second division champions Lealholm take the game to Wombleton for the opening 20 minutes with Sam Russell, Josh Hodgson, Clacherty, Mark McCarthy, Stonehouse, all having good chances to get back into the game, Cass making impressive saves to prevent Stonehouse and McCarthy scoring.

Wombleton’s first second half attempt arrived after 67 minutes when Dennison shot from 18 yards over the crossbar, three minutes later Rivis brought out a fantastic save by Fergus,Luke Tateson ahd a great chance a minute later but Fergus tipped the ball for a corner, Lealholm stormed back with efforts by Stonehouse after 75 minutes and somehow he put his 16 yard shot over the crossbar into the Bowling ground and Lewis after 76 minutes whose right foot shot went wide, Wombleton doubled their score after 78 minutes when a Ryan Rivis shot was partially cleared to Jake Dennison who scored with a simple close range tap-in.

Lealholm tired in the last ten minutes McLaren, Simpson, and dennison all went close to adding to Wombleton’s score in front of a crowd of 197.

The cup was presented by Rob Wilkinson vice-chairman of the League to Wombleton’s skipper Josh Tateson, all the players and officials received individual awards.

The teams were as follows, Wombleton: Cass, Ardisonne, Sharples, Eddery, Walsh, McLaren, Simpson(Spry 84), Tateson J(Jackson 88), Rivis R, Tateson L, and Dennison (Adams 88). Lealholm playing in their first ever newitts.com Beckett Football league final after joining the league last summer: Fergus, Dowson,Templeman (Raw 80), Twaddle, McCarthy, Russell, Trotter (Gibson 45), Lewis, Clacherty, Stonehouse, and Hodgson (Leeman 75). Man of the Match winners were Jack Walsh in defence (Wombleton), Tobi Fergus in goal (Lealholm).