Sonni Coleman sealed a dramatic late victory for Hardwick Social over Gym United as they retained the FA Sunday Cup.
It took over 100 minutes of football to be played before two goals came at once at Bramell Lane in a cagey game.
But Hardwick, of the Stockton Sunday League, wore down Gym, of the Bury St Edmunds & District Sunday League, forcing an error to take the lead through an own goal in the second half of extra time.
It was Coleman who put the game to bed though just three minutes after with a great strike to make Hardwick two-time champions.The first chance of the match came for Hardwick but the Gym skipper Nathan Clarke made a great block to deny James Ward.
Ward then got in again but once more Clarke was there to stop the midfielder, before he had yet another chance only for Gym keeper Duncan McNally to keep it out.
It was a tight affair throughout but Hardwick dominated the chances and increased the intensity after half time.
Coleman got on the end of a cross after the break but his header didn’t trouble McNally, before skipper Jamie Owens also had a headed chance that he couldn’t direct under the crossbar.
They were almost in again but Gym’s player-manager Matt Morton made a last-ditch tackle on Chris Stockton to deny him after the winger was let in by a slip from defender Sam Bond.
Owens had a great opportunity to open the scoring towards the end of regulation play but his effort on the turn was saved brilliantly by McNally.
Hardwick were then inches from stealing a late winner as Nathan Mulligan fired just over the crossbar from 20 yards out.
With neither team able to put the ball in the net after 90 minutes the game was thrown into extra time at Bramell Lane, and Mulligan again saw a shot go narrowly over the bar shortly after.
But in the second period of extra time Hardwick finally found an opening and forced a mistake from the Gym defenders that led to an own goal.
With only seven minutes to play Hardwick then doubled their lead through Coleman to seal the victory and retain the Sunday Cup.
