PILOT reserves pulled off one of the shocks of the season by claiming the scalp of Throop United to lift the M A Hart Nicholas Read Cup at Hurn Bridge on Thursday.

The Bournemouth Hayward Sunday Division Nine minnows bridged a two-tier gap as Rob Doble and substitute Thomas Rudd registered their first goals of the campaign in a 2-0 victory.

United, top of Division Seven, failed to emulate their own reserve side’s double over Pilot in the league this season after finding goalkeeper and man-of-the-match Simon Neville in imperious form.

It didn’t start well for Pilot, however, as Russell Chivers was withdrawn through injury after 10 minutes while striker Adam Louka struck the post for Throop.

But three minutes after that scare, Pilot took the lead when Doble rose to meet Marc Vincent’s free kick and steered his header into the far corner of the net.

Neville began earning the plaudits with a fine save from Louka before denying United’s top scorer Rob Sen shortly after the interval.

James Flanagan then tested the Pilot custodian but another excellent save was rewarded in the dying stages when Rudd broke to force the ball past United ‘keeper Phil Kent from the edge of the penalty area.

Pilot: Neville, Morrell, Groves, Moran, Vincent, Higgins, Foster (Moran, 84), Doble, Dall, Wood (Tong, 36), Chivers (Rudd, 10).

Throop: Kent, Hall (Remmer, 84), Excell, Flanagan, Louka, Sen, Wells, Morris, Francis, Paton (Mitchell, 71), Smith (Wood, 55).