Just over two months ago these sides competed a final day 'winner takes all' match to decide the West Lancashire League Premier Division Title. Yesterday neither team resembled the line ups that day, as both Clubs look to establish a first choice starting eleven for the coming season.

In the traditional season opener Wilf Carr Memorial Trophy, where the League champions face the Richardson Cup winners, Longridge started with Ash Ball at left back and Greg Johnstone leading the line up front.

The game started in a scrappy style with several yellow cards shown early on, before Matty Bullock showed his class twice beating his man before firing dangerously across goal. Wrens were giving as good as they got though with Booth dominant in the midfield, and Dovey in the Town goal made several good saves to preserve his clean sheet.

Ryan Charnley was forced off with a groin injury after just 30 minutes, replaced by Ben Ashcroft, forcing Town into changes with Ash Ball going wide left and Mark Woods coming central, with Ashcroft slotting in at left back. This change sprked Longridge into life as Ball gave the home side an attacking threat, and Woods seeing more of the ball.

Johnstone was having a good game up front, and he was unlucky to see his shot saved on 41 minutes after good work by Ball.

The sides went in level at half time though, in a game that if truth be told, lacked the quality of last seasons encounters.

With no changes at half time, Wrens started the second half on the front foot with Dovey saving well from Darnell. They got the breakthough just six minutes in, as Town needlessly gave away a corner with a misplaced backpass. The ball was swung in and Darnell outjumped the Home defence to power a header past Dovey to make it 1-0 after 52 minutes.

If anything however, this finally gave Longridge the wake up callthey needed and from then on they began to control the game. Mullen in centre midfield was getting better as the game progressed, and he was pulling the strings feeding Bullock and Ball wide. Just 10 minutes after Wrens opener Ash Ball scored a wonderful goal firing home an ustoppable 25 yard free kick, to the delight of the Home crowd to put Longridge level at 1-1.

Reece Fishwick had replaced Roskell earlier and twice he found himself with an opportunity to put Town ahead, only to be thwarted by Cameron in the Wrens goal.

Both Johnstone and Bullock saw chances go astray, before Dovey made the save of the match tipping a header onto the post low down to his left, then recovering to b first to the rebound.

This kept the score level at 1-1, and the referee blew for full time, with the game going straight to penalties.

Booth scored the first for Wrens before Captain George Melling, who had had en excellent game, fired in low to the keepers right. Dovey then made two saves, before Ben Ashcroft stepped up to fire Towns fourth home. This proved to be decisive as Wrens missed their final spot kick, bouncing the ball back off the crossbar.

The youthful Home side celebrated accordingly, as they lifted their first trophy together as a group of players and, after the match, Manager Lee Ashcroft was philosophical when asked for his comments on his teams performance. ''We did ok, more so in the scond half, but its a group of players that is still coming together. We only had 5 lads from last season, and we had quite a few others missing today, but i was pleased for the younger lads. It is a trophy, and a medal, after all and it was nice to see smiling faces in the dressing room at full time, as there werent many at half time i can assure you!''

''We know we'll have to be a lot better than that next Saturday in our first Laegue game here against Tempest, and certainly on Tuesday night when Bamber Bridge come here. Wrens will compete with us this season again i'm sure, along with a few others, and it was nice to get a win in front of our Home crowd and all our Sponsors who were invited for the day.''

Tuesday sees Town entertain Evo Stik side Bamber Bridge, and an early return to the Club for former striker Brad Carsley, in a 7.45 Kick Off at the MRG.