Having been taken to spot-kicks by Trinity earlier in the tournament, the league champions were pushed to the wire by Jersey Wanderers at Springfield, and had to play the final 15 minutes with ten men after Jack Boyle handled on the line.
Kieran Lester headed St Paul’s ahead early on, and Arthur Illingworth smashed home the penalty following Boyle’s red.
Karl Hinds struck the winning spot-kick after the final whistle.
‘To get the trophy was obviously the aim, but tonight’s performance was not where we set our standards,’ said St Paul’s manager Jordan Docherty. ‘But it shows our determination to win, especially after going down to ten men. We’re pleased to get over the line.’
Full report and reaction in Thursday’s JEP.
