A SUPERB display saw West End United crown an excellent season with victory over Old Pack Horse in the Brook Butler Cup final at Beck Lane last Sunday.
With the Heavy Woollen Gate Division One title in the bag, West End deservedly completed the double, having stunned their Premier Division opponents by storming into a 3-0 interval lead.
Paul Walker bagged a first-half brace and Jamie Wasley's energy and trickery caused plenty of problems. Two crucial saves by goalkeeper Richard Stanley kept West End in command and Kris Ingham was a rock in central defence, along with Andrew Milner, to snuff out Old Pack's attacking threat.
West End hit the front in the fifth minute when Walker beat three men on a mazy run on the left and from an acute angle drilled a shot into the bottom right corner.
Stanley held a curling strike from Garrett Stead and dealt well with teasing crosses from Matthew Durkin before West End added a second after 12 minutes.
With Old Pack defenders arguing among themselves, a long pass found Walker in space and after cutting inside Michael Allen he fired home past goalkeeper Christian Simpson.
Stead and Danny Cooper battled hard for the Old Pack cause but West End midfielders Lee Blakeley and captain Nick Ingham dominated as they continued to drive forward.
Old Pack spurned a good chance when Matt Fahy's free-kick on the right found Colin Wood at the far post but his close-range header went over.
Wasley's trickery sent Nick Ingham away only to be stopped by a crucial tackle from Neil Griffiths before a slice of luck brought West End's third goal in the 28th minute.
A corner was cleared to Chris Parkin on the edge of the Old Pack area and after his shot was blocked he was still gifted the time for a low strike which hit a divot and bobbled over the diving Simpson into the net.
Old Pack stormed back and after Paul Smith fed Fahy his cross was met by a Wood header which Stanley superbly palmed away and Andrew Naylor produced a great clearance as Smith seemed set to turn home the loose ball.
Wasley continued to give the Old Pack defence a torrid time while Simpson was alert to save a Blakeley strike after he and Nick Ingham had prised open the shaky defence.
Old Pack retired to the changing rooms for a post mortem, intent on hatching a plan to claw their way back into the game, but it was West End who, after basking in the interval sunshine, crucially struck three minutes into the second half.
Simpson tried to punch clear a Walker free-kick into the area but the ball dropped to James Parkin who squared for Nick Ingham to make it 4-0 from close range.
Stanley produced a great save to turn Smith's bullet header behind from a Fahy cross before he was finally beaten in the 54th minute.
A Durkin shot from the edge of the area appeared to be going wide but Fahy turned it goalwards and after Stanley got down to block Smith tapped home the rebound.
West End stood firm to end thoughts of a dramatic Old Pack comeback and they should have added a fifth when James Parkin fed Walker, who created space for a low cross which Blakeley turned over from five yards out.
Late on Fahy and Smith sent headers well wide but West End were always in charge and went close in injury-time as substitute Marc Harrison and Blakeley combined to set up James Parkin who drilled a shot just wide.
Nick Ingham stepped up to lift the cup after a fine team effort and on this form West End could make a big impression on the Premier Division next season.
Old Pack Horse: Simpson, Allen, Wood, Griffiths, Gilroy, Padgett, Durkin, Cooper (McKenzie 88mins), Smith, Fahy, Stead.
West End United: Stanley, Habergham, Naylor, Blakeley, K Ingham, Milner, Long (J Parkin 38mins), N Ingham, Wasley (Watson 78mins), C Parkin, Walker (Harrison 80mins).
Referee: Steve Lynch. Assistant referees: Danny Jones, John Pearson. Fourth official: Brian Hamilton.