St Paul’s lift the cup after penalties glory

A first half Harry Heath goal put Shoreham in front before Steven Bright hit back early in the second half to level.

The score remained at 1-1 until the fifth minute of extra time when Toby House produced a great finish to put Shoreham ahead again.

With just five minutes to go of the match, man of the match Adam Barber conceded a penalty when he handled in the box and Michael Devereux stepped up to bring St Paul's from behind for the second time.

With momentum on their side, St Paul’s slotted in four of their five penalties and captain Conor Harrison netted to clinch the game for his side.

It was Shoreham Academy who shot out of the blocks and the first chance fell to striker Kyle Knee after Owen Hilton and Toby House linked up smartly.

The ball found its way to Knee, but he could not keep the shot down as it flew over the bar.

A minute later Shoreham generated chance number two of the day when House shot from distance, but again it didn't trouble keeper Conor Scott as he watched it sail over his crossbar.

With Shoreham dominating possession, Heath made yet more inroads down the right wing and beat two men to cut inside the box. As he was about to cross, a huge tackle from Conor Carolan floored him, but the penalty shouts were waved away by referee Ray Welch.

It took 12 minutes for St Paul’s to craft their first chance when they were awarded a free kick after Harrison was brought down 40 yards out.

Nick Skelton delivered nicely into a packed box but Shoreham were able to clear their lines.

With quarter of an hour gone, and with Shoreham on top, Bright launched a hopeful ball towards goal which caught the St Paul’s backline napping.

Heath had chanced his luck with a run beyond the centre-halves and got the faintest of touches to send the ball past a stranded Scott and into the net for a deserved lead.

Going behind seemed to spark some life into St Paul’s who had started the match slowly.

But nearly blew it when Barber combined with Knee to send Owen Hilton through, but he scuffed his shot to the left of the target as another chance went begging for Shoreham.

Rob Townsend, who had led the line up front for St Paul’s on his own, was awarded a free kick just outside the box.

Skelton delivered again but Luke Davies came out to claim the catch, and with 25 minutes on the clock, this was the closest the Burgess Hill outfit had come to scoring.

It acted as a catalyst for St Paul’s to start attacking and Townsend, Carolan and wing Ben Haskell started linking nicely down the right hand side and a searching ball from Harrison earned his side their first corner with half hour gone.

Skelton delivered into a packed box and powerful centre-back Sam Palser found the ball at his feet just inside the area.

He got his shot away through a crowd of players, but never really got hold of the ball, as it dribbled through to Davies.

The last chance of the half went to Shoreham who gained a free kick when Hilton was brought down by the pitbull-like midfielder Carolan.

Toby Funnell delivered a peach of a ball into the St Paul’s box, but Scott was level to it as he sprung to claim the ball under pressure.

If Shoreham had the better of the first half, St Paul’s started the second the stronger team and were rewarded with their third corner of the match with 42 minutes gone.

Skelton once again delivered with pin-point accuracy and the ball was met by Palser.

His header thundered against the bar only for it to rebound to his centre-back partner Bright who bundled it in to equalise.

St Paul’s really kicked on having drawn level and piled pressure on Davies’ goal in the opening exchanges of the second half.

Barber, who was by now winning almost every ball in the air, went down injured in the St Paul’s box, but recovered to play a delicious through ball which his strikers just failed to latch onto.

By now, St Paul’s had lifted their tempo, and when Harrison tried to take a quick throw Heath couldn’t resist trying to slow him down as he ran across the captain’s path.

Ray Welch called the tireless winger over and he was the first man in the book.

It was enough to earn him a spell on the sideline as manager Oakes gave him the shepherd’s crook treatment as he was replaced by Harry Stride.

As Harrison became more prominent, he made ground down the right only for James Lee to intervene to give St Paul’s their fourth corner of the game.

Skelton found Bright, who couldn’t control his volley as he went in search for his second. With 15 minutes gone of the second half, Townsend pulled up with cramp and was forced off having gallantly held his own up front, replaced by George Rainheart.

A minute later and St Paul’s Ben Watson found the ball at his feet after Shoreham’s Joe Pickles had cleared, but the midfielder sliced his shot as it dribbled wide of the goal.

With ten minutes to go, Shoreham managed to get themselves back into the game and skipper Sean Russell played a perfect ball to Stride only for Palser to show his class with a crucial intervention.

Barber was back on song and linked with Stride to squeeze out a corner as Palser put the ball out.

Stride was in action again as the ball came to him from the resulting corner, but he could not quite keep his volley down.

Shoreham were finishing strongly and were awarded a free kick 22 yards out after great control by House.

Hilton stepped up to take it and tried a clever shot under the wall, but it could not sneak through.

In the final act of normal time, Barber produced one of the passes of the game to Stride, and although the replacement frontman caught his shot nicely, it ended up high and wide.

St Paul’s had sent on fresh legs in the shape of Michael Devereux for Bright and Rory Harrison for Josh Keay at left back in time for Ray Welch to blow the final whistle and signal extra time.

The first chance of the extra period came in the first minute when Jordan Littlecott beat two men and crossed to Watson, who could not find a finish under pressure.

Two minutes later and Shoreham were in front again when House earned his side a corner with some nifty footwork.

The initial cross was only cleared as far as House just inside the box, and he curled his shot expertly inside the right-hand post leaving Scott with no chance.

The rest of extra time passed without incident, until – with just four minutes to go – Barber instinctively threw out an arm inside the box and the ball clipped his right elbow.

Replacement Devereux stepped up to the spot and rifled the penalty home before celebrating in front of his fans to level the game up once again at 2-2.

Shoreham Academy got one last chance to clinch it from a corner following great work by Funnell, but referee Ray Welch blew up to send the final into a penalty shootout.

St Paul’s sent Devereaux up first and he drilled home, picking the same spot as previously.

Funnell was up first for Shoreham, but his shot clipped the top of the bar as it went over.

Bright and Hilton exchanged successful spot-kicks before Littlecott fired wide and Scott produced the save of the day from Barber, diving at full stretch to deny the outstanding midfielder. Joe Allen and Knee both converted their penalties to leave skipper Harrison to place home the winner for St Paul’s to lift the cup.