Whitchurch Alport lifted the Eddie Morris Memorial Trophy after a 2-1 pre-season win over Nantwich Town.
The friendly fixture, played in 30C heat on a crisp pitch, was a low-key affair for much of the first half.
Chances were scarce, with Nantwich’s Callum Saunders going closest when he dragged a shot wide on his weaker right foot.
It was Whitchurch, however, who broke the deadlock with a moment of quality.
A free kick from the right was only half-cleared, and an Alport trialist pounced to fire a composed side-foot volley past the Nantwich goalkeeper.
Read more
Frustrations over reopening of Shropshire toilet that won 'Best Loo Award'
Five hospitalised as main road closed for three hours after crash
North Shropshire residents left without water this morning
Whitchurch manager Jayson Starkey said: "It's always nice to sort of get a win, but the priority of pre-season is always about minutes in the legs and we have certain objectives that may not necessarily sort of be all around the results.
"Now we're sort of zooming into the end of the pre-season, start of the season, getting that and creating that winning mentality is important. So that's coming together nicely. And of course, when there's a little trophy at the end of it as well, it's always nice to win it.
"I've said many times that we could have gone and maybe picked slightly sort of safer fixtures where we win all games and we have more ball and this, that and the other.
"But there's going to be games this season in this league, certainly, where we're going to play teams like Nantwichand we have to make sure that we sort of have a good defensive shape and how that looked and how we sort of play and that counter attack. And that was one of the key messages today."
Nantwich improved after the break with tactical and personnel changes.
Ollie Pope and Liam Fitzpatrick both threatened, while new signing Iwan Roberts also looked lively.
Roberts eventually levelled in the 68th minute, heading home unmarked from an Aidy Roxburgh cross.
Fitzpatrick then saw a goal-bound effort blocked as Nantwich pushed for a winner, but Alport struck late to clinch the trophy.
After a rare second-half attack, the hosts forced two corners in quick succession.
From the second, another trialist headed home unmarked to seal victory.
Following the match, former manager Luke Goddard was inducted into Whitchurch’s Hall of Fame after a very successful managerial spell there.
Share