Abacus miss out in Rhodes Cup shootout

WYTHENSHAWE FC were great hosts for the L and C Rhodes Cup final both on and off the pitch for the top league cup competition between Salford Vics and Rochdale-based Abacus Media.

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Vics had won the Premier division title a couple of weeks ago and were looking to add the Rhodes Cup for a great league and cup double.

A terrific game ebbed and flowed from the first whistle to the last with excellent control from referee Rory McAlister and his experienced team of Lee Robinson, Graham Ellis and Howard Hayton.

Abacus looked like upsetting the Vics double dream with neat strikes from James Litten and Jack Aubrey after 30 minutes for a deserved 2-0 lead.

Vics hit back to reduce the arrears just before the break with the deadly Joe Axon on target.

Joe Axon struck again as Vics upped their momentum to level the scores on the hour and Vics then launched a series of attacks on the Abacus goal.

Abacus’s young keeper Josh Barnet earned his well-deserved MoM nomination with a string of fine saves backed by some determined defending until Vics broke the deadlock in the final minutes through Josh Lawman and took the lead for the first time.