ADL Shield Final: On The Pier 2-1 We Hate Ben

We Hate Ben ended their season on a disappointing note with defeat to a tough On The Pier side despite a late rally due to headed goal from the towering Peter Thomas.

We Hate Ben began the game with a 4-4-2 formation despite being rocked with the news before kick-off that top goalscorer James Peate would not make the game due to hamstring trouble. Hywel Williams was paired with Ross Pope while Adam Edgerley was moved onto the right-wing, while Matt L'argent was shifted to right-back, with Dave Norbury coming in at left-back and Adam Smith made a return in the centre.

We Hate Ben began very nervously and On The Pier took advantage of that with a dominating early period which saw a few efforts. Then disaster struck when a a Pier player managed to get to the bi line to cross which was turned in by the outstretched left boot of Smith at the near post. Smith looked despondent and WHB were deflated. The first half was generally mostly Pier and a neat double save from Fleming kept the side in the game, but Williams and Pope struggled to beat their men particularly in the air due to the height of the back four. Pier had some other chances but WHB only managed a handful of decent passages of play before trudging into the break 1-0 down.

The same side returned for the second half and carried on like the first to begin with although WHB were getting some opportunities. But Pier then hit them with a sucker punch from a free-kick, scoring from close range after the ball was launched into the box. The team were now in all kinds of trouble and with most of the play now in midfield WHB couldn't find a way through so changes were made on around sixty-five minutes when Dave Turvill came on for Ross Pope and Edgerley was switched to the left with Matt Sermon being being substituted for Adam Roberts. The addition of Turvill's aerial presence did help but apart from a few shots the side didn't look greatly dangerous until Peter Thomas was added to the forward line. The long ball was beginning to work now and when a corner was won Williams delivered the perfect cross to Peter Thomas' head and he banged in the header. The match was alive again and WHB continued to go for the equaliser and were nearly punished by a goal that was eventually ruled out for offside. L'argent had a free kick that was tipped over the bar while Edgerley had a shot from outside the box and Norbury headed just wide from a corner. The pressure mounted on Pier but they managed to hold on until the final whistle for their first piece of silverware.

A saddened James Naik made these final post match comments. "I am disappointed to have lost but I think due to how poor we were at times in the first half it was always going to be a big ask as we should have been a few goals down but for Stuart Fleming who was great today. To go a second down in the final half but manage to pull one back from Peter Thomas shows that we do have great character. I am happy with the lads as they managed to get the goal back and the performance was good in the second half, I just think in the end it just wasn't to be. I am proud of them this year as we have had problems throughout with fixture cancellations, Alex MacDonald leaving, massive injuries and unreliable squad members so I want the lads who have made the effort to remember that we have just had our most successful season ever, and we were very close to winning the trophy. I look forward to more progress next year."

Team (4-4-2)

Fleming - L'argent, Webster, Smith, Norbury - Edgerley, M. Davies, Shore, Sermon - Williams, Pope.

Subs: (used) Turvill, P. Thomas, Roberts. (unused) None.

Goals: P. Thomas.

Man of the match: Fleming.