PAULTON Rovers have won the Somerset Youth County Cup after beating Bath Arsenal in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in the final.

Harvey Wroe had the first opportunity for Rovers, firing wide before Louis Mauridis tested Arsenal keeper Layton Stepp after getting on the end of Sean Markey’s cross.

Rovers were on top and it was 20 minutes before the Bath side pressed with Louis McTaggart’s effort easily dealt with by Rovers captain Etienne Norman. Stepp was in action, saving from George Steven's and then denying Markey.

Rovers deservedly took the lead on 27 minutes after Markey’spass found Mauridis who slotted a through pass which Wroe raced onto to slip past Stepp.

Paulton were on top and Mauridis and Harry Collins both fired over the cross bar. Arsenal came out for the second half more determined but Rovers stopper Ollie Lewis, along with defenders Norman, Noah Aboott and Alfie Kelleher, looked solid.

Indeed, Kelleher began taking a more advance position with some impressive attacking runs. On the hour the Bath side equalised as Will Willetts got on the end of a deep cross from Freddie Greensides to turn the ball past Lewis.

Rovers never say die attitude should have been rewarded as Norman, Wroe and Kelleher all fired side.

Arsenal pressed but the Paulton defence was resolute and with five minutes left there appeared to be a clear hand ball by a Bath defender with Rovers appeals being waved away by referee Craig Scrivener.

So, to the shoot out. Wroe, Alistair Wach and Alex North converted for Paulton with Arsenal’s third spot kick superbly saved by the diving Lewis. Both sides converted their next kick with Abbott on the spot for Rovers.

Paulton made it 5-3 as Sammy Allman made no mistake to make sure Paulton would lift the trophy.

Tony Walsh