Windscale ended the Wearside League season with an appearance in the Alan Hood Charity Cup final which they lost in a penalty shoot pout.
They actually hosted the final against League runners-up Darlington Town providing the opposition at the Falcon Complex.
On a warm sunny Saturday afternoon, both teams and the officials were escorted onto the pitch by the Club’s Under-7s team watched by a sizeable, vocal crowd of 240 plus.
Undeterred by Darlington Towns second-placed standing in the League, the Atoms were on the front foot from the start. An early ball across the face of the Darlington six-yard box from Matty Pierce provided the first real goal scoring opportunity for the hosts, but nobody was able to get the final telling touch.
Darlington followed this with an attack of their own which ended with a shot screwing wide of the post.
A misunderstanding on the edge of the Darlington penalty box between a defender and their man of the match, keeper Chris Charlton, presented Ben Graham with a scoring opportunity for the Atoms.
Graham collected the ball wide to the side of the Town goal, but his on-target effort, was scrambled away by the retreating Charlton.
Midway through the first period, with both teams creating good scoring opportunities, Graham again went close. After collecting the ball he spotted the keeper off his line and sent in a looping long range effort, but Charlton again managed to push the ball to safety for a corner.
From the flag-kick Ross Leeson headed wide and both teams appeared content with the 0-0 score line at the break.
Darlington created the first effort on goal at the start of the second period, when Andrew Richardson, the Atoms custodian had to make a good save from a header by Town’s Aiden Cattermole.
It was Darlington who took the lead shortly after. A challenge on Cattermole was deemed a foul by match official Tony Whitfield, the referee playing a good advantage to allow Cattermole to advance, where his eventual effort brought a superb save from Richardson.
The Atoms were then bemused when the official brought back play and awarded the free kick. Lewis Walton subsequently delivered the ball into the box where it was partially cleared by Richardson, only for James Beauchamp to pounce on the loose ball and fire into the back of the Atoms net.
Darlington were in the ascendancy for a period after this setback, but the Atoms rear-guard, brilliantly lead by Steven Walker, repelled anything thrown at them.
Redemption appeared to be on hand when Windscale were awarded a penalty with 20 minutes of play left. Lewis Jolly struck the spot kick down the middle, and Charlton, moving to his left somehow got a hand to the ball to deflect it to safety.
Undeterred, the Atoms kept searching for a goal to restore parity. Jolly who had provided problems for the Town defence all game, fired in a 25 yard effort which Charlton again collected.
With time running out and Darlington over egging the timewasting tactics, Windscale were awarded a second penalty in added time. It was Ben Graham who had been a thorn in Darlington’s side all game, stepped up making no mistake from the spot.
Following the restart, there was little time for either team to create anything worthwhile, the referees whistle taking the game into the dreaded penalty shootout.
Windscale took the first kick with Charlton again flinging himself low to his left to prevent a score but all the remaining nine kicks found the back of the net.
Richardson did get his hand to Darlington’s final kick but unfortunately not enough to prevent it crossing the line so Town took the trophy 5-4 on completion of the penalty ordeal.
It was a good performance by the West Cumbrian outfit highlighting the progress being made by the management team of Stephen Fawcett and Mike McDonald. It shows great promise for the new season if they keep this squad together.
