Ossie St Mary’s 2

Aspull 2

(St Mary’s won 3-0 on penalties)

OSWALDTWISTLE St Marys made club history as goalkeeper Dan Bury ensured their first ever appearance in the final of next month’s LFA Sunday Trophy Final at Leyland.

Action-man Bury saved two spot-kicks in a tense penalty shoot-out in the twice-postponed semi that finally got the go ahead at the neutral venue of Preston College.

Victory was no more than Ossie deserved as striker Gary Holt led from the front as Oswaldtwistle took the tie by the scruff of the neck.

Ossie nearly draw first blood in the tenth minute. A corner was cleared by the under-pressure Aspull defence, and Jason Hart volleyed wide of the target.

Holt went close again, his effort brushing the bar, and it was no surprise when St Marys forged ahead shortly afterwards.

Mark Clitheroe’s free kick was flicked on by Holt to Callum Coyne, whose powerful shot from the edge of the penalty box arrowed into the top corner.

Aspull hit back, but a strong defensive rearguard, marshalled by Jason Ashworth and Ben Tattersall, kept them at bay.

St Marys weathered the storm, and Dom Mulkerrin nearly added a second shortly before half-time, a 25-yard effort flashing wide.

James Heywood then got in on the act, his effort clipping the top of the crossbar – and then Hart saw his long range effort saved after some excellent approach play by midfielder Chris Burton.

It was all one-way traffic in the second half too, and Ossie doubled their lead on the hour.

Mulkerrin was fouled on the edge of the box, and from the resulting free kick, the picked himself up to drilled home a second.

Aspull poured forward in search of way back and a close range effort was hacked off the line. Two minutes later Aspull found a way back into the tie through a deflected effort.

Aspull were now on top pressing for parity, but St Marys spurned a golden opportunity to restore their two goal cushion, Holt heading narrowly over.

There was fresh drama when Aspull were awarded a penalty for a Callum Coyne hand ball, but the spot kick was missed.

At the other end, Jason Ashworth and Gary Holt combined for Mulkerrin again, whose goal-bound strike flew wide.

But with five minutes left, Aspull levelled the tie in dramatic circumstances, a 25 yard free kick hitting Ossie defender Matt Hindle on the way into the net, signalling a penalty shoot-out.

Callum Coyne, Jason Hart and Matt Hindle were all successful, but with Aspull missing all three – two of them brilliantly saved by Dan Bury – Ossie booked their place in the March 21 final at Lancashire FA HQ.

n Ossie St Mary’s: Dan Bury, James Heywood, Mark Clitheroe, Matt Hindle, Jason Ashworth, Ben Tattersall, Callum Coyne, Chris Burton, Dom Mulkerrin, Gary Holt, Jason Hart. Subs: Mark Banyard, Kiko Binns, Jordan Allen, Matt Mortimer.