SHILBOTTLE won the NFA Minor Cup for the first time in their history with a thrilling extra-time victory over Killingworth YPC Town from the Tyneside Amateur League.

In an end-to-end game, it was the Colliers' superior fitness that was the telling factor as they came back from the dead to snatch a dramatic victory.

The Colliers opened the scoring after 15 minutes when a right-wing corner from Karl Chapman was struck home from the edge of the box by Scott McMullen.

The lead was short-lived – within a couple of minutes, Killingworth broke away to level the score.

The Tyneside club then took the lead on the half-hour when a rushed clearance from Shilbottle keeper Steve Miller only succeeded in striking the back of a fellow defender, leaving an opposing striker a simple task to find the net.

However, it was Shilbottle's turn to hit back immediately as they struck within a minute when a thunderous 25-yard strike from Jamie Black found the top corner of the Killingworth net.

The game was level at two apiece at the interval but Killingworth gained the upper hand following the restart and it was no surprise when they took the lead on the hour following a mis-kicked clearance in the Shilbottle defence.

The Colliers should have drawn level shortly after when good work by substitute Ben Keenan presented Andy Metcalf with a good chance but he shot narrowly wide.

With time running out and their opponents visibly starting to tire, Colliers pressed forward in relentless search for an equaliser.

Keenan had a header that went just wide and the opposing keeper just managed to tip a fine effort from Scott McMullen over the bar as the Colliers looked to be on their way out.

However, with only a couple of minutes left on the clock the tide turned when a strike from Kevin Elliott took a wicked deflection and looped over the Killingworth keeper for a dramatic equaliser.

The game went into extra-time with some of the Killingworth players literally out on their feet as Shilbottle went from strength to strength.

An effort from Scott McMullen was tipped round a post before Ben Keenan put the Colliers in from close-range midway through the first period.

As the game went into the final period of extra-time there appeared no way back for the downhearted Tynesiders and this was confirmed when Keenan's accurate square ball left Scott McMullen the simple task of finding the net to complete a historic victory.

The match was a fine advert for North Northumberland League Football, which saw one of its teams win the NFA Minor Cup for the second successive season following Amble United's victory last year, which in turn was the first for 70 years following Alndale's success in 1937.

Shilbottle: S Miller, M Saunders, A Gattens, D Lowes, M Batson, A Metcalf, K Elliott, T Brown, J Black, K Chapman, S McMullen, M Snaith, B Keenan, Rob Brown. Shilbottle's man-of-the-match: Scott McMullen. Shilbottles's match sponsors: Willis of Alnwick, Outlook Home Enhancement Centre and AA Taxis.