ALRESFORD Town won the Hampshire Senior Cup by beating AFC Bournemouth 3-2 in a dramatic final at the Goldsands Stadium last night.

The Magpies celebrated the biggest occasion in the club’s history by adding the county’s biggest knockout trophy to a cabinet that already includes this season’s Sydenhams Wessex League Cup and North Hants Senior Cup, writes SIMON WALTER. Zach Glasspool made two and scored the other as the Wessex title hopefuls beat a Bournemouth side including two players with first-team experience this season.

Alresford are the first Wessex team to win the competition for eight years and did so in the style that has made them one of the region’s most attractive sides all year.

But they had goalkeeper Steve Phillips to thank for keeping them in the game before taking a 43rd minute lead through top scorer Warren Bentley.

Phillips produced three stunning carbon copy saves, diving low to his left to deny former Aberdeen winger Ryan Fraser early on before thwarting Aristide Bassele and Donal McDermott in similar fashion.

He then surpassed those stops with a flying two-handed effort to claw Sam Matthews’ drive away from the top corner, before saving relatively comfortably from Harrison Gilkes, son of former Reading star Michael.

But Alresford were not without chances of their own and Bentley provided an early warning of his threat when he dispossessed Gilkes, sold a dummy and fired narrowly wide of the far post in the 12th minute.

Defender Lee Wood headed over Darryl Flahavan’s crossbar from Dominic Cope’s cross midway through the first half.

And then Glasspool provided the cute pass from which Bentley gave Alresford the lead, with a typically clinical finish.

But Cherries were level by half-time, highly-rated midfielder Matthews finding space to thread a clever through ball to Jayden Stockley, who finished with aplomb, arrowing the equaliser into the far corner.

No matter.

Alresford were back in front in the 50th minute, captain Simon Everett finding the bottom corner from Glasspool’s lay-off.

A quick one-two between Glasspool and Bentley – a partnership that has been the scourge of Wessex defences all season – threatened to carve out another chance as Alresford enjoyed their best period of the game.

Sure enough, the third goal arrived in the 63rd minute, Glasspool sweeping in Bentley’s left-flank cross to the delight of most of the 830 in attendance.

The outstanding Phillips was then equal to sub Josh Kaye’s direct free-kick before a tense finish was ensured when Bassele reacted first in a crowded penalty area and poked in Cherries’ second.

But this was Alresford’s night and on this evidence you would not bet against them adding the Wessex Premier League title to their trophy haul.

AFC Bournemouth: Flahavan, Gilkes (Goodship 81), Cargill, Wakefield, Carmichael (Kaye 67), Turner, McDermott, Matthews, Stockley (Chiedozie 45), Basselle, Fraser. Subs not used: Tierney, West.

Alresford Town: Phillips, Edwards, Wright, Green, Mott, Wood, McEnery, Everett (Manning 84), Glasspool (Strange 89), Bentley, Cope. Subs not used: Odeh, Harding, Ledger.

Referee: Dean Treleaven (Fareham)