Wonderful Wittering lift the Centenary Cup

Sid Green returned to the Wittering squad after illness and the game started at a blistering pace, with Wittering determined to make up for their disappointing loss to Ore Athletic in the Sussex Junior Cup.

Joe Newton set the tone for the Warriors, chasing the Upper Beeding players and gaining possession.

Wittering took a well-deserved lead on the half-hour when an excellent corner on the left by Alan Sheppard was headed in by Wittering’s newly-crowned chairman’s young player of the year Tom Kelly.

The Warriors maintained the pressure through to half-time.

After one of the easier team talks of the season, Wittering were soon 2-0 up. Good work down the left enabled Darran Cox to find Joe Newton in the box and he dragged the ball across to his unfavoured right foot and smashed a drive low into the corner.

This sparked some action from Upper Beeding, who had been unable to penetrate the solid Wittering backline. Upper Beeding won a corner and found an unmarked player who steered the ball into the path of a team-mate who was virtually on the line and had the easiest of jobs to head in.

Wittering maintained their composure and with 15 minutes to go they regained their two-goal cushion. Cox whipped a great ball into the back post where the outstanding Kelly dived in to head the ball into the bottom corner.

Newton and Nathan O’Brennan picked up yellow cards for kicking the ball away and a foul.

With 82 minutes gone and Wittering beginning to tire,an Upper Beeding forward raced on to a through-ball and sidefooted past the helpless Ash Rochester.

Wittering defended heroically and barely allowed the Upper Beeding players another sight of goal before the final whistle confirmed Wittering as well deserved champions.

A superb display from Wittering’s players enabled them to make it three wins from three games against premier-division opponents.

It’s been a remarkable season for Wittering under a new manager and a new team.