EAST Christchurch SSC lifted the Mark Hart Sunday Senior Cup for the first time in their history after emerging 3-1 winners in the final against Division One rivals Talbot Rangers.

The main talking point for those in attendance at Hurn Bridge would undoubtedly have been the ugly fracas midway through the first half.

This resulted in Talbot having to play the majority of the contest with nine men having had two players sent off.

Without taking anything away from East Christchurch, the remaining nine Talbot Rangers players and four substitutes deserved a lot of credit for staying competitive.

Rangers started brightly but it was East Christchurch who opened the scoring when Jack Smith crossed from the left on 12 minutes and Alex Whitehouse whipped it past the keeper from the edge of the box.

East Christchurch then went close again three minutes later. Darren Orchard’s corner found Jamie Trimble, who rose above everyone to send a header just over the bar.

Then it was Rangers’ turn to threaten with Dom Falco hitting a rising effort in a crowded penalty area, which just cleared the crossbar.

But tempers boiled over near the halfway line in the 25th minute.

After a challenge by East Christchurch’s Orchard on Mickey Finch, an unsightly melee involving several players from both sides ensued, which resulted in Finch and Steve Flynn both being sent off.

With a two-man advantage, East Christchurch right-back Harry Smith delivered a great diagonal ball into the box for Trimble, who again headed just over.

Another excellent delivery from Harry Smith five minutes before the interval was met at the far post by Dan Hancock. His header looked to have beaten Nathan Clarke in the Rangers goal but Matty Ings managed to head it off the line and over for a corner.

East Christchurch skipper Sam Kennedy’s effort from the edge of the box threatened to dip under the bar a minute later but keeper Clarke denied him with a great one-handed save.

Rangers were rewarded for their valiant effort on 61 minutes, when central defender Jake Younger came up for a corner and got above the East Christchurch defence to head in the equaliser.

They were only level for four minutes however, when Trimble restored East Christchurch’s lead with an almost identical goal at the other end.

Trimble then turned provider when his defence-splitting pass put Mal Thomas clear 17 minutes from time.

The East Christchurch frontman neatly slotted the ball just inside the far post to put his side 3-1 up.

East Christchurch substitute Tom Harris drilled a low shot through a crowded penalty area three minutes from time but Clarke, who was selected as man of the match by BHFL president Mike Fowler, got down well to pull off an excellent save.

Talbot: Clarke, Garcia (Jordan, 73), Ohameje, Younger, Finch, Falco, Flynn, Cullen, Newman (Rourke, 75), Harber (Phillips, 82), Ings (Whitfield, 82).

East Christchurch SSC: Bull, H Smith, Piovan (Munteanu, 74), Hancock, D Whitehouse, Trimble, Orchard (Harris, 82), Kennedy, A Whitehouse, Thomas (O’Mallo, 84), Smith (Old, 84).