Brid Town beat Boro on penalties to win Dave Holland Memorial Trophy

Bridlington Town were worthy winners of the Dave Holland Memorial Trophy, as a below-par Boro were fortunate to secure a 2-2 draw, but were then beaten 3-1 on penalties.

Skipper Will Thornton was back from holiday and played the full match, while boss Jono Greening fielded just two trialists, and hosts Brid included ex-Boro duo, centre-back Tom Allan, who had a terrific game, and midfielder Bill Marshall.

Bridlington Town are presented with the Dave Holland Memorial Trophy after beating Boro on penalties on Tuesday at Queensgate. Photo by Wandering Photography

placeholder image — Bridlington Town are presented with the Dave Holland Memorial Trophy after beating Boro on penalties on Tuesday at Queensgate. Photo by Wandering Photography

Boro’s trialist right-back dinked a shot into the chest of the home keeper, but Brid then enjoyed a good spell, with Ahmed Salam in great form down the right. He teed up Marshall who fired narrowly wide, Luca Bolino shot straight at Ryan Whitley, then Allan headed a Salam cross wide.

Boro were unlucky when Lewis Maloney curled a free-kick from the left against the bar, but they opened the scoring, when Harry Green pounced on a loose ball and jinked into the area before being brought down, and Maloney drilled the spot kick inside the left-hand post.

Harry Green closes in on a Brid Town player. Photo by Zach Forster

Brid immediately fought back, a Marshall shot was blocked by Kieran Weledji, Casey Stewart teed up Joe Batty, whose low shot was blocked on the line by a combination of Weledji and the boot of Whitley, then a fierce Stewart shot was somehow scrambled off the line by Weledji, but they drew level when Salam’s ball to the back post was poked home by the impressive Marshall, leaving the score 1-1 at the interval.

Brid began the second half brightly, Allan headed wide from a Salam corner, and Michael Duckworth and Alex Brown both got in some strong tackles, but Town went ahead on the hour when a deep Salam corner was headed into the goalmouth by Stewart and big striker Toby Marriott nodded in from close range.

A Marriott shot was then blocked by Thornton, but Boro equalised when Duckworth hoisted a pass forward towards Mo Fadera, who burst past a defender and slotted past the keeper. Brid again enjoyed a spell on top, Duckworth’s tackle halted a charging run from Marriott, Bolino fired wide, and Duckworth blocked a Salam shot.

Fadera and Harry Green both showed some skilful touches for Boro. A Green cross was met by a Rio Allan volley into the arms of the keeper, a Fadera strike was charged down by Riley Cooper, and Rio Allan fed Dom Tear, whose shot was held by the keeper.

Mo Fadera, who made it 2-2 with his goal, on the attack for Boro against Brid Town. Photo by Wandering Photography

In the last minute a skilful turn by Luca Colville ended with his shot being tipped wide by a brilliant diving save. So it went to penalties, and Brid emerged 3-1 winners, Green scored for Boro, but Rio Allan and Colville (both saved) and Fadera (wide) missed. Tom Allan and Salam were among Town’s scorers, while Boro’s trialist keeper pulled off a good save, as Brid won the Dave Holland Trophy for the first time.

BRID - Trialist, Batty, Markham, Trialist, Pratley, T. Allan (c), Stewart, Marshall, Destiny, Salam, Bolino. Subs used -Marriott, Whelan, Cooper, Huntsman, 2 Trialists

BORO - Whitley (Trialist D 46), Trialist A (Brown 46), Duckworth (Waldron 76), Maloney (Tear 76), Thornton (c), Weledji (Tear 46), Hall (Purver 76), Wiles (Stuttard 76), R. Allan (Fadera 46), Purver (Colville 46), Green

REFEREE - Dom Hawkins.