Richardson Cup triumph for Stags

ROSSENDALE’S final game of a long hard season sees the Stags in the Richardson Cup Final where they met Blackpool Wren Rovers, the match was played at Euxton Villa FC.

- STEVE BAYES

And after a close, tense match the scores were level at 1 1 after 90 mins, Rossendale winning 4 - 3 on penalties to win the Richardson Cup for the second time in three seasons.

In front of a crowd of 277 with well over 100 making the journey from the valley, Rossendale started the better of the 2 teams with some good attacking football creating half chances, but after a slow start Wren grew into the game and took the lead on 15 minutes when Blessing Higaro brought the ball out of defence, but was robbed of the ball, the player strode forward and unleashed an unstoppable shot from 20 yards into the top left hand corner of the net. The goal rocked the stags and they lost their way for a while, as Wren came close to a second goal when the strikers goal bound shot took a deflection wide of the target. Rossendale got themselves together and back into the game on 34 minutes, when a wicked Joe Haworth right wing corner was met with a powerful Adam McInnes header into the net. It was Rossendale’s who were having the possession, on 42 mins an Ollie Williams shot was saved by the Wren's keeper and just before the break a Joe Haworth shot shaved the crossbar.