Ardley United avenged last season’s defeat by Ascot United in the Uhlsport Hellenic League's Bluefin Sports Challenge Cup final with a 2-0 victory in this year’s decider at Didcot Town’s Loop Meadow Stadium yesterday.

The two clubs’ finishing positions in the Premier Division suggested that Ascot were favourites, and with Ardley only having two substitutes they were clearly struggling for numbers yet again.

However, they laid out their stall from the first minute and dominated pretty much the whole game as Ascot were not allowed to impose their undoubted talents at any stage.

Goalmouth action was at a premium, but Ardley scored from their first real chance after 15 minutes.

The Ascot defence failed to clear on the left flank as Kieran Scott won the ball and ran across the 18-yard line.

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He exchanged passes with Luke Ingram, wrong-footed a defender and then launched a shot, which took a slight deflection off a defender’s heel and flew into the net past a static Chris Grace.

The game was a midfield battle with Ardley having the better of it and posing the greater threat as Jon Gardner fired wide and Ingram just put the ball over the angle of post and bar with the keeper beaten.

Ascot’s first chance to really test Ardley keeper Jack Harding did not come until five minutes before the break when Damien Markman broke free and launched a fierce shot, which Harding was equal to.

Having led at half-time by the same scoreline a year previously, Ardley supporters were only too aware that their team had crumbled in the second half of that game.

But there was to be no repeat.

Ascot’s main threat was from the pace of their wide players, but the Ardley full backs were coping with them well, although Daryl McLean gave the Oxfordshire side some nervous moments in the 58th minute before they cleared their lines.

And on 67 minutes, Gardner won possession in the centre of midfield and played a perfectly-weighted pass through to Ingram, who outpaced the defence before firing across Grace and into the net off the far post to make it 2-0 to Ardley.

Ascot’s substitutes did little to change the game and Ardley held on comfortably to pick up the trophy.

l HOOK Norton came from two goals down to earn a dramatic 3-2 victory over Lydney Town in the Bluefin Sports Supplementary Cup final at Shrivenham on Saturday.

In front of a crowd of 250, Lydney took the lead through Richard Kear on the rebound after Hook Norton keeper Kurt Fox had saved his original penalty.

Niall Halford’s strike put Lydney 2-0 up at half-time.

Danny Poole pulled a goal back for the Oxfordshire side, who then equalised with an own goal from Lydney defender Sam Elliott.

Hook Norton snatched a thrilling victory when Harry Smith scored five minutes from time.