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INJURY TIME WINNER: Andy Gordon, right, hit the winner for VT FC at St Mary's Stadium. Order no: 6617972

VT Reserves claimed a dramatic injury time winner to lift the Southcott Homes Southampton Senior Cup Final at St Mary's last night.

Andy Gordon's late strike ended the brave resistance of Romsey and their exceptional keeper David Nicol - who was chosen as man-of-the-match by Saints star Andrew Surman.

It was a heartbreaking end for the Wessex Combination 2 underdogs, but a glorious finish for the Combination 1 champions who picked up the trophy for the third year running.

VT boss Dave Fear said: "The game should have been dead and buried at half-time, but they kept going and we nicked it at the death.

"Their keeper was outstanding, he was there for everything."

Romsey manager Paul Brown said: "I was devastated, I was all set for it to go to extra time.

"But the commitment of the players was brilliant all the way to the end."

VT's extra quality told from the start as they created a string of opportunities in the first 20 minutes.

Barry Mason terrorised Romsey centre back Andrew Wilcox throughout the first half and he had the first golden chance.

Mason latched onto a long ball from defence in the sixth minute, breezing past Wilcox, but hit his shot across the goal and against the post.

Four minutes later, Mason again tricked his way past Wilcox but pulled a left foot effort wide.

Romsey had muted appeals for a penalty turned away in the 20th minute, when Matt McKenzie tackled captain Peter Winkle in the box.

Justin Chapman should have done better with a free header from 12 yards out, as he latched onto John Howard's cross, but it looped harmlessly into the keeper's hands.

VT then began to turn the screw and should have gone in front in the 28th minute.

Mitchell Fear released Mason down the right and he squared for Craig Shrimpton ten yards out.

But, with the goal at his mercy, Shrimpton fired agonisingly wide.

Ten minutes before the break, VT's Byron Mason went on a surging 40-yard run through the middle, rode a challenge into the box and hit a fierce right foot shot that Nicol pushed wide.

Nicol then produced a sensational save in the 50th minute, as he tipped over Byron Mason's ferocious volley from ten yards out, after Andy Gordon had crossed from the right.

The Romsey keeper again came to the rescue in the 64th minute, superbly tipping Byron Mason's low, curling shot round the post at full stretch, after he was played in by McKenzie.

In the 73rd minute, it was substitute Luke Watts' turn to be frustrated by the Romsey stopper, as he turned his left foot shot from a tight angle wide.

VT's hearts were in their mouths in the 89th minute, when Edward Carlin knocked a dangerous ball into the box, but Winkle couldn't quite stretch far enough to make sufficient contact.

But the favourites weren't to be denied, as deep into injury time Watts was played down the left.

He squared to Andy Gordon, who fired in from 12 yards to finally break Romsey's brave resistance and hand VT the trophy.

More pictures and report in this weekend's Pink.

11:38am Friday 25th April 2008

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