Football

Lyme Regis 4 Farway 0

LYME clinched the Perry Street League title in style after a frustrating first half.

It took them 55 minutes to break the deadlock and set themselves up for a grandstand finish to become champions for the first time since 1989 and the fourth time in their history.

Defender Luke Reed grabbed the opener with a searing drive which scorched in off the underside of the crossbar.

It was all over bar the shouting 15 minutes later when Jason Hawker picked up the second, flicking the ball bast keeper Phil Woodley after a jinking run and cross from Graham White and a shot from Reed.

Skipper Tim Edwards notched the third with a glancing header from Adam Clark's free kick, and White lobbed number four in the dying minutes.

Farway, who offered very little offensively, were dogged at the back in the opening half, and Woodley did well to beat out a cross shot from White in the early exchanges.

Lyme keeper Chris Higgs was seldom extended, although his efficient handling always inspired confidence.

Dan Thirlwell bombed down the left to crack a corker wide of the post soon after the change round, but it took Reed's strike to settle the Lyme ship.

So Seasiders achieved their hearts desire with two games to go, and it is no more than they deserve for they have been by "far and away" the best side in the competition. Lyme Regis set up their chance to clinch the title with a 2-0 victory over Chard on Saturday.

Seasiders were slow to start but always had the upper hand and bagged the points with two first half goals from Graham White.

The youthful Chard played with gusto coming down the slope after the break but didn't have the ammunition to mount an effective counter against a hard tackling Lyme back four.

The nippy White, who had earlier missed a glorious chance when he completely missed the ball with a wild air shot, atoned on 19 minutes.

The home team defence had all but dissolved when a long ball zoomed down the middle, took a bounce and hung for the slender flankman to loop a header over stranded keeper Dan Glentworth.

White, whose sharpness dragged the Chard defence all over the place, virtually finished off the home team five minutes later, netting with a low shot just inside the post after Dan Thirlwell's low free kick into the box eluded uncertain defenders.

Lee Cleal was unfortunate not to get onto the score sheet when he pulled a well-executed overhead shot just shy of the post.

Jason Hawker also went close when he steered a through ball onto the bar before a disappointing second half ensued.

White finished off another sparkling run by hitting the bar in the closing stages but, all-in-all, there was an end of the season feel about Lyme's performance.