SYDENHAMS LEAGUE CUP FINAL

NEWPORT IoW 0 TEAM SOLENT 1

WHEN it comes to expertise in winning silverware, the Students of Team Solent are top of the class.

Less than a month after successfully defending the Southampton Senior Cup, James Taylor’s charges were at it again today.

Their 1-0 Sydenhams League Cup final victory over Newport IoW was nowhere near as spectacular as their 5-0 drubbing of Blackfield & Langley at St Mary’s, but Tobi Adekunle’s 65th-minute winner got the job done in front of a 230 crowd at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium.

Save for a couple of decent crosses from muscular wideman Adekunle, who was proving a handful for right-back Scott Sampson, there was little to excite in the opening stages.

But, as so often this season, it was Solent skipper Jesse-Waller-Lassen who brightened up proceedings on a grey, wet Salisbury afternoon.

First the former Spurs trainee took instant control of Myles Keizer-Burrows’ pass before scampering across the edge of the area and rifling narrowly wide. Then he clattered the inside of Gary Streeter’s woodwork with an inspired 20-yard free-kick.

As the Islanders grew into the game, Spike Pearce fired straight at Students’ keeper George Passingham when well placed and both Josh Younie and Liam Triggs were wide of the mark.

But considering that, between them, the two sides had hammered in 15 league goals on Saturday, there was little sign of a scoring feast unfolding with Passingham making the first save of note on 42 minutes from Younie’s free-kick.

With the rain still lashing down at the start of the second half, Waller-Lassen went skidding under a challenge on the left of the area and, again his dead-ball skills caught the eye as he lashed in a ferocious effort from a tight angle, only to hit the burly figure of Streeter in the Newport goal.

A minute later Joe Butcher headed a Port corner just over before that man JWL was fouled once more – at the cost of a booking for Port’s Liam Bennett – and this time his free-kick bounced just past the post.

With Solent moving through the gears, they peppered the Newport goal and when Keizer-Burrows got the faintest of headers to a corner, the woodwork again intervened.

But there was no escape for Newport when the livewire Waller-Lassen ran at the Port defence before teeing up Akekunle to plant a first-time strike into the far corner for the vital 65th-minute breakthrough.

That setback seemed to re-energise Newport who had the better of the closing minutes as Solent faded.

But when a chance presented itself for Younie, long-limbed right-back Ade Olumuyiwa quickly covered ground to put him off his shot, allowing Passingham a comfortable near-post save.

NEWPORT IoW: Gary Streeter, Scott Sampson, Ryan Oatley, Spike Pearce, Martin McDonough, Liam Bennett (Will Quigley, 90), Darren Powell, Liam Triggs, Josh Younie (Liam Newbold, 87), Connor Kelly, Joe Butcher (Jimmi Burton, 80). Subs (not used): Mark Taylor, Jamie Linnington.

TEAM SOLENT: George Passingham, Adeoye Olumuyiwa, Myles Keizer-Burrows, Pip Nolan, Ellis White, Jim Orvis (Matt Sheedy, 87), Sam Byles, Lewis Pitts, Martin Johnson, Jesse Waller-Lassen, Tobi Adekunle. Subs (not used): Steve Black, Josh Brimacombe, Jake Willis-Dellimore, James Taylor.

Referee: Colin Hubbard.

Attendance: 230