RINGWOOD Town emerged 5-2 winners against under-18 rivals Hamworthy Recreation in a pulsating Endeavour Challenge Cup Final at Hurn Bridge.

Ringwood became increasingly dominant after half-time to claim the prize, with three unanswered second-half goals.

Rec took a 16th-minute lead when Joe Scarano struck a magnificent 25-yard free kick into the top corner, giving Ringwood goalkeeper Dean Granger no chance of getting anywhere near it.

Ringwood had a good opportunity to get back on level terms on the half hour, when Dylan Cooper found Callum Gregory.

The Ringwood forward went past a couple of defenders with ease but keeper Callum Watson came to the rescue, bravely diving at Gregory’s feet to smother the ball.

The Hamworthy defence did well to block a Cooper effort two minutes later but Ringwood’s persistence paid off with an equaliser on 36 minutes. A free-kick into the Hamworthy penalty area was converted from close range by Jack Boyce.

Cooper then made a great run down the left two minutes later to set up Callum Gregory whose shot was blocked – but there was to be no respite for Rec.

Menacing Cooper played in Luke Quainton, whose excellent cross to the far post found Gregory. He calmly brought the ball under control and despatched into the roof of the net.

But Hamworthy came back to equalise on the stroke of half-time when Scarano battled with the Ringwood defence for possession following a throw-in.

This enabled Samir Bouarab to thread the ball through a crowded penalty area and inside the far post from an acute angle.

Ringwood were on the offensive at the start of the second half and Cooper met a cross from the left to fire in a low shot, which Watson managed to save.

Ringwood were ahead again in the 54th minute when Bradley Venn-Griffiths rose above everyone to head home from a corner for 3-2.

Cooper then raced after a through ball on the hour and took it past Watson but the Rec keeper had forced him sufficiently wide for momentum to prevent him from capitalising.

Another corner from the right on 66 minutes resulted in a fourth goal for Ringwood, with skipper Chris Whalen on hand to score with a far-post header.

Hamworthy’s Tom Jarvis fired just wide from the edge of the box in the 75th minute after he received a neat pass from Oliver Bird.

But Ringwood continued to dominate and they struck again to put an end to the contest five minutes from time.

Elliott Hemmings put Alex Turner through and although Watson managed to put in a challenge, the ball ran to Cam Nixon, who sidestepped a defender before slotting it into the empty net.

Ringwood’s Gregory was chosen as man of the match by BHFL president and chairman Mike Fowler.

Ringwood (from): Granger, Brookes, Siney, Venn-Griffiths, Whalen, Hamer, Loose, Boyle, Cooper, Gregory, Quainton, Pateman, Turner, Hemmings, Pearson, Nixon.

Hamworthy Recreation (from): Watson, Murnane, Archibald, Neary, Sobisch, Newman, Risbridger, Scarano, McKew, Fowler, Bouarah, Carr-Brown, Souper, Bird, Jarvis.