Hope Inn saw Cup glory snatched from their grasp by Newton Aycliffe Sports Club to complete a miserable end to the season for the League's also-rans.

They finished as runners-up in Third Division behind Peppers Draughting Services and two weeks ago lost out in the divisional cup final to the same team.

So on Sunday morning at the RA Ground, Brinkburn Road the Hope Inn lads were hoping to make it third time lucky when they were pitted against Newton Aycliffe in the League's showpiece event: The Northern Echo League Cup Final.

Aycliffe had also finished as runners-up, abeit two division higher but the Hope had played some excellent football on their way to the final beating First Division opponents in both the quarter and semi-finals, and the Third Division outfit started much the brighter of the two teams.

Against a Sports Club side reduced to the bare bones as many of their players had already started their end of season holidays, Hope stunned their First Division opponents with some fantastic moves through the first half, which were richly rewarded with goals from Adam Wilson and Stuart Hardy that gave the Hope a 2-0 half-time lead.

However, such was the Hope's dominance that they could have easily racked up a 5-0 lead in the opening half, and they were even afforded the luxury of missing a penalty as they kept their first division opponents penned in their half.

The second half started in much the same vein as the Hope piled on the pressure, and Aycliffe were lucky to stay in the game with their 'keeper forced to pull off a string of fine saves.

However, as the game wore on the superior fitness of the Sports Club began to tell as Hope started to feel the effects of cramp. Aycliffe used all their experience to take advantage of their opponents weakness, and they managed to get back into the game with 20 minutes to go as Phil Brumwell picked the ball up 30 yards from goal before bearing down on the keeper and striking a fine shot into the top-corner that the keeper had no chance of stopping.

With the Hope losing players to injury, Aycliffe continued to apply the pressure, but with no reward until the final few minutes, when the Sports Club eventually got an equaliser through Peter Foster who met a fine cross to prod the ball home from six yards and send the game into golden goal extra time.

After a fairly even and uneventful first half of extra-time, it was the Hope that came closest to striking the elusive winning goal as the dangerous Trenton Hewitt connected with a fine ball from Stu Hardy, but struck his shot against the post whilst his teammates failed to bundle home the rebound.

As the stalemate continued the game went to a penalty shoot-out.

It was to be bad luck for the Hope though, as they were beaten 4-2 in the shoot out thanks to some clinical penalty kicks from the Sports Club as they picked up their third trophy to add to the Bishop Auckland Heart Foundation Cup that they won earlier this year, while they also won the First Division cup against Hurworth Albion two weeks earlier.

Elsewhere, the final league fixture of the season saw Division One champions Coundon Foresters up against an already relegated Northern Echo side. With Coundon playing their last game in the Invitation League after winning the championship for the third consecutive year, they were told by manager Paul Aldsworth to go out with a bang - and they certainly did.

Leading 9-1 at half time they went on to complete a 17-1 thrashing in the second half as they prepare to move on to new challenges elsewhere.

Leading scorer Lee Ellison was the main man for Coundon scoring an incredible ten goals to take his tally for the season to 49. Darren Wilson notched a hat trick, whilst Curt Warburton (2), Adam Reid and Kev Bromley struck one apiece. Gary Pallas grabbed the consolation Echo goal, but there was never any question they would rain on Coundon's big farewell parade.