Caister Roma 4 Catfield 3

On a miserable Monday morning weather-wise the Yarmouth and District League’s prestigious Wiltshire Cup final took place at the Wellesley, pitting holders for the last three seasons Catfield against Caister Roma, in only their second season in adult football.

The game kicked off at a high intensity with Roma chasing down everything and not allowing Catfield’s usual game to get going early on.

A mistake allowed Karl Cooper to go clean through. A combination of keeper and defender kept the ball out but it fell to Nick McCormack who lashed home 12 yards out to give Roma the lead.

Three yellow cards followed soon after as Catfield’s usual steady game was being hounded upon. On 35 minutes Roma were 2-0 up when Again McCormack scored when the ball was struck from fully 40 yards catching Guest by surprise and putting Caister into dreamland. Catfield though are a quality side and they unsurprisingly did not panic and got their reward on half-time when the veteran Paul “Pongo” Thompson gave the holders a lifeline back into the final.

The second half was every bit as action packed as a few tackles where flying in. Caister then took the initiative when they went 3-1 up when a striker was put through and he made no mistake in firing low past Guest into the net.

Catfield though responded with 25 minutes to go when Thompson fired in from six yards high into the net but Caister’s two-goal Cushion was soon restored with a header at the near post.

Again a nervy finish was in store as the lethal Pillar was put through and he scuffed his strike but it still found the net to give the holders hope with 10 minutes to go.

Catfield thought they had equalised when Pillar headed over the keeper but amazingly the ball was hooked off the line with Catfield’s players running over to the linesman adamant the ball had crossed the line.

In the final minute the ball was bouncing around in the box and although the ball appeared to make contact with the hand it looked more ball to hand. Caister Roma though cleared the ball and referee Andrew Symonds blew up for full time for a famous win for Caister as they lifted the club’s first piece of silverware with potentially two more still to go.

The referee and his assistants Paul Newby, Nigel Evans and Oliver Lee received their mementos and the Dennis Esherwood man-of-the-match shield was given to Caister striker Nick McCormack who was excellent and thoroughly earned his hat-trick.

Mr Michael Wiltshire presented the trophies to both clubs before Caister Roma’s Peter Huttley stepped up to lift the Wiltshire Cup.