And it was Lydd who took the lead in the seventh minute. A hopeful ball was played forward causing Blair central defender Billy Johnson all sorts of problems in the bitterly cold swirling wind. Johnson’s attempted clearance only went straight to Steve Harris who’s run into the box was crudely stopped by Tom Staff – who perhaps on another day would have seen a different colour card from the yellow one he was shown – before it was left to Barrington Beaney to drill the penalty beyond a statuesque James Smith in the Blair goal.
A minute later and the Blair goal had an incredible escape. A fine cross into the Blair box had Stuart West stretching to clear the ball. Fortunately for West, his header cannoned back off of his own post and rebounded into Smith’s arms.
Lydd’s battling performance early on clearly rattled Blair, but if Piggott was beginning to worry that his side were struggling, those fears vanished on 19 minutes when Jordan Gallagher’s run took him away from three defenders before he slipped a terrific pass into the path of Louis Valencia, who drilled the ball beyond Lydd keeper Craig Smith into the net.
The final fifteen minutes of the half left both camps bewildered by some defending that on another day would have no place at all in a Cup Final. On thirty two minutes Michael Jenner sprinted down the right wing leaving Simon Ewins in his wake only before delivering a centre that was clawed away by keeper Smith.
As the ball was hacked away, Blair won a free kick just inside the Lydd half and from the kick leading scorer Ricky Freeman’s header was denied by the keeper only for West to power home the rebound – it was almost now as though the header that had earlier hit his own post was simply practice!
Within a minute the lead was 3-1. Gary Lockyer was dispossesed as he tried to bring the ball out of defence, and as the ball ricocheted around, Freeman collected in his stride and curled an absolute beauty beyond Smith and into the net. 7
The crazy 15 minutes continued in the next attack as Lydd reduced the arrears as a stretching Johnson turned the ball into his own net as the ball was whipped in from the right.
Just as thoughts were beginning to turn to half time Blair established their two goal cushion as following Valencia’s super run down the right, West arrived at just the right time to power home the header. An incredible crazy run of four goals in five minutes and it could have been worse for Lydd had Brian Greenfield (from good work again from Valencia) and then Johnson (from Jenner’s free kick) not been wasteful with free headers.
As the second half began, the supporters of both sides could have expected a repeat of the first half carnage, but instead the Final reverted to type and a cagey 45 minutes was played out in an ever increasing bitterly cold half.
To their credit Lydd came out of the dressing room with their tails up and caught Blair napping eleven minutes into the half as Steve Harris raced clear and as keeper Smith hesitated, Smith curled the ball around the keeper and into the net.
Lydd clearly had their game plan, as they piled forward but gradually Blair upped their game.
West missed a glorious chance heading Valencia’s right wong cross over the bar, before Freeman proved that even the best strikers miss glorious opportunities ever so often.
Again the outstanding Valencia mesmerised the Lydd defence before rolling the ball across the face of goal – it seemed as though Blair’s 34 goal striker only had to touch the ball for goal number 35 yet incredibly his touch sent the ball wide of the open goal.
In the closing stages Jordan Gallagher had a chance well served before in the last minute, Valencia appeared to be flattened in the box – assistant Capelli signed for the penalty only for referee Walters to wave away protests.
Shortly after the final whistle blew and the Trophy was Blair’s but the game was best summed up by boss Piggott who said, “At the end of the day our name’s in the book and the cup for winning today.
There are a lot of unhappy people in our dressing room – we know that we’re better than that – but we’ve won the Cup so I suppose its job done, but we’re better than was what was out there today!”
HOLLANDS AND BLAIR – Smith, Dampier, Greenfield, Jenner, Johnson, Staff, Stuart West, Brookes (Abe), Freeman, Valencia, Gallagher
Subs – Chapman, Jack West, Eldridge and Blackburn
LYDD TOWN – Smith, Beaney, Ewins, Barham (Sanger), Miller, Russell (Ward), Taylor, Hayles, Harris, Lockyer, Coyne
Referee – Scott Walters
Assistant – Kane Dempster and Glen Capelli
Fourth Official – Danny Geary