WIGGINTON Grasshoppers won a dramatic York FA Saturday Senior Cup final by beating favourites Dringhouses on penalties.

Trailing 2-1, Grasshoppers snatched an injury-time equaliser through substitute James Byford and after no further score in extra time they won the spot-kick shootout.

Both John Alcock (Grasshoppers) and Mark Woodward (Dringhouses) had early strikes at goal before Mick Lock headed off the Dringhouses line with goalkeeper Mick Conlon beaten.

After 27 minutes the deadlock was broken when the Dringhouses defence were caught static and Tom Matthews broke through to give Conlon no chance to give Grasshoppers a deserved lead.

In the second half, Dringhouses began to get more urgency into their play with Lock and Colin Rayner going close, but Grasshoppers' defence stood firm with John Gillham starring.

With ten minutes left, Gillham had to go off through injury and Dringhouses introduced substitute Pat Gaughan into the game and within 60 seconds he netted with a 25-yard shot.

A minute later the same player finished off a fine team move to put Dringhouses into a 2-1 lead. Grasshoppers were really rocking and Pat's brother, Joe Gaughan had a great chance to finish the game off but he shot wide with an open goal beckoning.

After a midfield skirmish Mark Ratcliffe (Dringhouses) and Jamie Smith (Grasshoppers) were sent off by referee Peter Hartley, who had an outstanding game.

With time ticking away, Grasshoppers were awarded a free-kick and their sub Byford squeezed the ball into the net at the near post to force the game into extra time.

In the extra periods both teams tired although John Lake almost broke the deadlock for Dringhouses when his shot was deflected onto a post. Conlon, in the Dringhouses goal, produced a fingertip save to deny Owen Willis.

The game finished 2-2 but the drama continued in the penalty shootout. The first ten penalties found the back of the net before a Dringhouses player blasted his effort high over the bar. That left Grasshoppers's Paul Dix to net the winning penalty and was mobbed by his ecstatic team-mates.

The Faber Challenge Cup was presented to the winning captain by Roy Ellwood, vice-president of the York FA.

There was better luck for Dringhouses reserve team as they beat Easingwold Town reserves 2-1 to win the York FA Saturday Junior Cup.

Wayne Carter gave Dringhouses an 11th-minute lead with a shot from just outside the area then Danny Docker hit a post with Easingwold 'keeper Paul Floyd beaten.

Easingwold's problems were increased when Tony Raper was taken to hospital by ambulance with a leg injury.

But Easingwold equalised before half-time with a superb lob by Michael Raper from 30 yards.

Early in the second half a goal-bound shot from Dringhouses was hooked off the Easingwold line by Andrew Hartley, but Dringhouses were not to be denied and they regained the lead in bizarre circumstances when a centre flicked off the head of Easingwold's David Hardy into his own net.

A header from John Lockley was well saved by Dringhouses goalkeeper Graham Foster, then Steve Cross failed to net from three yards out for Dringhouses.

A shot from Richard Burnett went inches wide for Dringhouses and Floyd had to produce a great save to deny Cocker after he had been put clear through by Carter.

The cup and mementos were presented by Brian Shearer, a life vice-president of the York FA.

Tonight's York Minor League finals at Bootham Crescent see Hamilton Panthers take on Poppleton in the Intermediate Under-14 final (6pm)and Rawcliffe face Selby Olympia in the U16 Senior Cup (7.45pm).

Updated: 11:25 Friday, May 02, 2003