Goldline Trophy final: Charnock Richard 0, Atherton Collieries 1

ATHERTON Collieries rode their luck at the Reebok Stadium before coming up trumps to beat defending champions Charnock Richard and lift the Goldline Trophy.

Around 2,000 people enjoyed a superb night at the Wanderers' home despite the fact that the game itself failed to live up to billing.

Both sides seemed nervy throughout and chances were at a premium in the first half.

Having made a slow start to the game, Charnock were unlucky not to end the half in the lead when the troublesome Kevin Allen tried his luck from thirty yards and saw his effort land inches wide of the post despite a wicked deflection off Gary Crompton.

Allen continued to make a nuisance of himself up front on his way to collecting the man of the match award but it was midfielder Andy Roberts who went closest to handing the champions the lead five minutes after the break but Colls were saved by the woodwork and extra time looked increasingly likely.

Neither side played to their full potential on a wonderful surface but the underdogs from the West Lancashire League were starting to get on top as the game progressed.

Simon Fadden almost capitalsed on a slack backheader from Paul Dowle but could not control the ball on the edge of the six-yard box while at the other end, a superb challenge from Trevor Mason was needed to block Crompton's goalbound effort.

The direction of the game was only changed with the introduction of Colls' Paul Vandenburg, who looked dangerous after climbing off the bench with 20 minutes to play.

Vandenburg's clever dummy run carved open a huge space in the midfield for full-back Keith Best to surge through and power a 30-yard thunderbolt, for which Barry Edge summoned all his agility to parry.

His spectacular save looped the ball up on to the crossbar and Nicky Fisher was first to respond to tap the ball into the empty net. The Ex-Wanderer had barely had a taste of the action up front for Colls but his awareness was to prove the difference between a winners and a runners-up medal.

A more astute piece of football that almost sealed matters for the Atherton club from a set play. Having been cunning exponents of the quick free-kick all night without due reward, it was the more laboured effort that almost caught Charnock cold, when Ian Gibson's piledriver from 35 yards drifted to safety off the top of the bar.

"We stuck at it and I'm glad we won this competition because it has been a great experience," said Colls boss Denis Haslam.

Colls: Johnson, Best, Trewhitt, Dowle, Callaghan, Crompton (Vandenburg 66), Hill, Gibson, Fisher (Carr 90), Smith, Potter. Subs unused: Bates, McNair, Shepherd.

Charnock:Edge, Dashti, Mason (D Taylor 72), Corcoran, Tong, Vosper, Green (A Taylor 56), Roberts, Allen, Fadden, Gerrard (Sanderson 86). Subs unused: Simmonds, Rigby.