The most exciting Mid-Somerset League Final was kept ‘til last – Bath Villa, runners-up in the First Division, played Coleford Res of Division Two – and what a game it turned out to be.

The game was played on the new surface at Peasedown Albion with new barriers all the way around the ground, a new grandstand, new dug-outs and new goal posts – it looked tremendous.

A large crowd was dished up to an exciting ninety minutes, the writing looked as if it was on the wall when Bath Villa went into a two goal lead in the first ten minutes, both scored by Lee Rudland.

Coleford kept plugging away and were rewarded with a goal from Jack Davis, score at half time 2-1.

Bath Villa started the second half very well, increasing their lead to 3-1 through Ryan Rudland. The score stayed this way until midway through the second half, when Coleford were awarded a penalty, which Jack Davis put away in style.

There was more excitement to come, as Adam Cray popped up to bring the scores level at 3-3 in the last ten minutes, and it then looked as if the game was going to penalties.

With just five minutes to go, Bath Villa was awarded a penalty. Up stepped top goal scorer, Lee Rudland, only to clear the cross bar by several yards; the score still 3-3.

When everyone was asking which end the penalties will be taken, a quick break-away saw Lee Rudland make amends for his penalty miss by scoring the winner, hammering the ball past Coleford’s goalkeeper, John Billings.

What an end to a great game. The League’s President, Brian Wells, presented medals to both teams, and Adam Cray was named Man of the Match – the award in memory of Brian’s wife, Gilly.

As the League’s Chairman, I’d like to thank Peasedown Albion for allowing the Cup Final to take place, as well as the Semi-Finals a week previous. I’d also like to thank the committee members who had attended all the finals, and a a special mention and thanks to Bob Beale, who had a diificult job getting games played at the end of the season, owing to the very wet weather encountered during the early part of the year.

Bryn Hawkins