WARMINSTER Town Reserves avenged last season's 1-0 defeat to Melksham Town A with a thrilling 7-6 penalty shootout victory saw them lift the Knockout Cup.

Melksham, who won both of the league encounters between the sides, made a promising start with Graham Griffiths heading a Jordan Kirk corner wide in the opening five minutes.

The best chance to break the deadlock fell to Melksham’s Jordan Kirk on 40 minutes. After cutting inside his marker he smashed a shot against the post with the keeper well beaten.

The second half was similar to the first, with no great urgency in front of goal until Warminster keeper Stewart Lisowski had to be on his toes to gather Zac Hillier’s deflected effort in the 65th minute.

The introduction of Beau Blakeman for the injured Carl Clarke injected some new life into Warminster and the substitute was unlucky when his shot grazed the post on 77 minutes.

In the final 10 minutes of normal time Kirk went closest for Melksham and Branden Hind and Matt Dyer had chances for Warminster, with Dyer hitting the post in added time.

In the first period of extra time, Blakeman was unlucky not to put Warminster ahead, his rasping shot on the turn from 16 yards being inches away from finding the net.

Hind’s last-ditch challenge denied Gittens from giving Melksham the lead on 110 minutes and although Warminster had George Butler red-carded the finished with a flurry and Dyer completely missed the ball from eight yards out.

Patrick Carrig fired home to give Warminster the lead in the shootout but Will Stead’s strike levelled things up at 1-1.

Phil Curtis produced another excellent strike from 12 yards to hand the initiative back to Warminster, but parity was restored when Rich Hudson powered home Melksham’s second.

Tyrone Pollard (Warminster) and Danny Harrison (Melksham) traded successful kicks, before Blakeman stepped up to take Warminster’s fourth penalty.

Keeper Nick Evans guessed the right way and thought he had saved it but the effort crept over the line. Gittens then saw his spot kick pushed in the net by Warminster keeper Lisowski.

Hind was next up for Warminster and he made no mistake in dispatching his spot kick, James Dark’s effort going in off the bar to tie the scores at 5-5 and take it to sudden death, where Dyer edged Warminster in front only for Zac Hillier to level things for Melksham at 6-6.

Paul Farrell was confident from the spot to put Warminster 7-6 up, but after Mike Hill had also netted for Melksham, the kick was ordered to be retaken and Lisowski dived low to his right and kept the ball out to earn Warminster Reserves their first ever Knockout Cup Final success.

Melksham’s Will Stead won the John Ford Memorial Player of the Final Trophy which was presented to him by Roxi Meaden, on behalf of sponsors Chantry Digital, who also presented Warminster’s winning captain Simon Farrell with the Knockout Cup.