Boss Andy Allmark hopes the excitement of Monday’s Commander Ethelston Cup final fightback victory will inspire his Whitchurch Alport players to end their disappointing Cheshire League second division campaign in style.
Alport, who host Barnton on Saturday and travel to Moore United on Tuesday, called on all their powers of recovery to hit back from 2-0 down and beat Ellesmere Rangers Reserves 3-2 in a pulsating Ethelston Cup final.
For Rangers it completed a miserable week as it was their third cup final defeat inside seven days.
Ellesmere looked determined to put behind them the disappointment of their Powell Cup final defeat to Wem Town 24 hours earlier and when Peter Eley was adjudged to have held onto Graham Dyke, Chris Catherall dispatched the penalty.
It was then 2-0 with Wayne Withers driving home from the edge of the box, just minutes after Scott Graham had gone within inches of a second from fully 40 yards.
Undeterred, Alport fought back and Chris Suddaby’s far post header found the corner of the net from Scott Thomas’s deep cross just two minutes later.
Suddaby and Tom Price were both denied by fantastic goalkeeping from Lee Davies at the start of the second half but Rangers couldn’t stem the tide and it came as no surprise when skipper Darryl Thornton rapped home an equaliser just before the hour.
Three minutes later sub Lee Stephens scored with an angled drive to settle the match and ensure Alport got their hands on the trophy.
Alport, meanwhile, put their league struggles behind them with a 1-0 win at promotion hopefuls Denton Town last weekend. Michael Sutton grabbed the winner while Alport defended excellently with keeper Wes Newton also in fine form.
By Stuart Dunn