THE first of this seasons newitts.com Beckett Football League cup finals was played last Friday at Pickering Town FC’s ground.

The all-first division Gordon Harrison Memorial Cup Final saw Sleights beat Kirkbymoorside Reserves 2-0 in a very good, well contested, end to end game.

It was the first time Sleights had won the trophy in their history. They were out of the blocks quickly as Will Cork-Dove opened the scoring with a terrific finish from an acute angle after 25 minutes.

With Sleights well on top, the same player raced onto Sam Russell’s through ball before finishing superbly to double their advantage three minutes before the interval.

The second half was a quieter affair, with Sleights having more of the play but failing to carve out any clear-cut chances, when they did most of the pressure came through man of the match Cork-Dove on the left, assisted by Russell, skipper Charlie Smith, Liam Rissen, and Robbie Hurworth. Lone striker Billy Graham battled hard against an experienced Kirkbymoorside back line and Sleights were worthy winners on the night, backed by a vocal crowd of supporters who had made the journey across the North York Moors.

The cup and individual awards were presented by Kevin Wilson, assisted by League Secretary Andrew Rouph, all watched by the crowd of 132.