The Jersey champions’ heroic efforts in the second half, and a strength-sapping period of extra-time, could easily have seen them beat a good Northerners outfit for the third year in succession at The Track.
But the penalty of being down to ten men from the 37th minute ultimately proved too much and a second, scrappy goal from North’s Jon Loaring in the 100th minute decided the contest.
A superb second-half strike from Gavin Toudic had fired Tower level in the 65th-minute after the lads from La Hague had trailed, after a bright opening, to Loaring’s fifth-minute effort.
His low shot from 12 yards took a deflection off David Syvret to find the bottom corner of ‘keeper Jack Jouanny’s goal.
This visibly filled North with belief and their desire to end their losing streak to Tower was clear from the ferocity of some of their tackling, which was distinctly unappreciated by the Tower management.
North’s hugely gifted midfielder, Kyle Stone, had already thoroughly earned a yellow card by the 13th minute after fouls on the industrious Tony Maguire and Toudic.
It looked unlikely, even at this early stage, that the game would end with a full complement of players on the pitch.
That proved to be the case, but not in the expected manner, nor from the expected source.
An innocuous incident in midfield led to a verbal outburst from Tower’s Junior Muratti striker, Daniel Parry, and when he was brought to book by Guernsey referee Tony Sarre it was a straight red card, not a yellow for dissent.
Tower’s Kevin Maguire had little argument with the decision, nor sympathy for his striker.
‘The referee made it clear to me, and I made it clear to the players, that swearing would not be tolerated,’ he said.
Strangely, the dismissal seemed to fire a Tower side that had been shaded by their hosts – although conceding precious few chances – for much of the first half.
Still, come the break, few would have given much for Tower’s hopes, with their only threats having come from set pieces, Come the restart, however, Tower made little of the handicap of being out of touch, one goal down and down to ten men against Guernsey’s finest.
By the final whistle every lad in white came off with credit, having clearly won the second half, although the extra space available did present North with clearer chances.
Tower’s hard-grafting Adam Speight had gone close with a glancing header from one of several Toudic corner kicks while, at the other end, Stone forced a save from Jouanny and Blake Smith touched an inviting cross from Anthony O’Regan wide of the far post.
The impetus was with Tower and they deserved their equaliser.
Toudic resisted the temptation to blast a headed clearance first time, created space by taking the ball onto his left foot and rifled home a drive from 25 yards that gave William Woodford in the North goal not a sniff.
Smith hit the side netting as North attacked on the break, but the main flow was with Tower and they had a penalty shout for a tackle on the industrious Sam Dewhurst turned down, although it would have been a generous award.
Dewhurst, as in the first half, threatened the North goal with free kicks from distance, but it was Tower’s battling forward Scott Goldhawk who came closest to scoring the goal that would almost certainly have won the match.
The powerful Goldhawk was sent clear from the half-way line and his strength held off his defender as he bore down on goal.
An earlier strike may have been the better option as the outrushing Woodford forced the lone striker slightly to the right and he dragged his shot narrowly wide of the post.
Players were going down with cramp well before the start of extra-time as the tempo was surprisingly maintained, but in a cruel twist, the forced substitution of the exhausted Stone gave North a huge lift.
Several minutes of trying to revive their star’s leg muscles failed and manager Mick Le Prevost was forced to send on Jamie Dodd.
The subs’ first action was to launch a long throw into the Tower box, which was glanced on by Smith to the unmarked Loaring who, at the second attempt, lashed home the winner.
Tower kept going, but looked unlikely to climb this second mountain and were eventually forced to bow to North in a Junior Upton for the first time since 1959.
North have now won the Pompey Trophy eight times to Tower’s seven, but the Jersey champions are still 6-2 ahead in straight Junior Upton head-to-heads with the Sarnians.
North boss Le Prevost said: ‘It’s the third time we’ve faced Tower and it’s a wonderful feeling to win at last.
I think we deserved it in the end, but when it was one-all anything could have happened.’ Tower’s Maguire was disappointed, but happy with his team’s efforts.
‘I think they really deserved something from it,’ he said.
‘It was just lack of concentration for the two goals, but they came back well.
‘It’s been a good season for us.
I think we deserved to win the league and some of these players are young enough to have another go at the Upton.
‘I’m pleased for North, although I thought they went out to bully us a bit in the first half.’
