RIMINGTON completed the league and cup double but this final was not as one-sided as the scoreline suggests.

In fact, Mill Hill have a reasonable case to argue that they could have lifted the cup themselves – instead they had to settle for second best again having pushed Rimington close for the title.

The Blackburn side controlled large periods of the game but failed to make their pressure count.

Instead, Rimington showed the mark of champions by making the most of their chances – with John Penman’s second half double settling the final.

In a cagey opening, both sides threw out a few feelers, Stephen Shackleton firing just over the bar for Mill Hill and Stephen Wharton doing likewise for Rimington.

The first big chance of the game fell to Penman but the former Marine and Southport striker saw his firm downward header saved by Gareth Barrett.

But they took the lead soon after when Wharton’s corner was ony partially cleared to left back John-Paul Fagan who rammed the ball home from just inside the area.

Mill Hill stormed back and Shackleton forced a fine save out of Graeme Kershaw from a Luke Hargreaves cross before Dean Clarke hooked an effort over the bar from Chris McMillan’s flick-on.

Clarke then raced on to a Shackleton header but saw his shot crash against the bar. But Mill Hill’s pressure paid off when Kershaw spilled Ryan McKenna’s low drive under pressure from McMillan leaving Clarke with the simplest of tap-ins.

Clarke twice narrowly missed the target following dangerous centres from Hargreaves and John Mason had the best chance to give Mill Hill the lead but miscued in front of goal.

But Rimington were proving to be just as dangerous on the break, Barrett twice foiling Penman while Lee Gough blocked a goal-bound effort from Glen Dinsdale just before half time.

The champions regained the lead with a touch of fortune early in the second half when Glen Dinsdale appeared to control Wharton’s corner with an arm and fire home. However there was nothing controversial about the third.

Following a rapid raid down the right from Mill Hill’s Josh Eastwood, Rimington launched a counter attack through Wharton who played the ball in to Michael Walsh who in turn laid it off to Penman to rifle home from the edge of the area.

Mill Hill were reeling and it could have been four soon after but Barrett pulled off a fine save to deny Lloyd.

But there was no way the Blackburn side were going to fold and they were denied a goal thanks to two wonderful saves from Kershaw – a reflex reaction to deny Mason then tipping over Hargreaves well struck free kick. Clark then had a header cleared off the line.

Even when Penman scor-ed his second and Rimin-gton’s fourth – a lovely volley from Lloyd’s flick-on – Mill Hill kept on plugging away. And they got the goal deserved when Luke Hargreaves shot on the turn took a slight deflection.

But hopes of an unlikely come-back were soon extinguished when Eastwood attempted to intercept Lloyd’s through ball only to divert the ball past Barrett.