LEDBURY Town Reserves acquired the first of four potential pieces of silverware with a 4-2 victory over Ewyas Harold Reserves in the Ross Cup final.

A thrilling game was played between the Herefordshire League Division One high-fliers under glorious Easter Monday skies to a bumper crowd of supporters.

Phil Preedy and Roly Welch’s high-flying squad were in their first cup final of the season at the ground of Division Three basement boys Weston.

The game often became heated in an exciting second-half after a goal from captain Jamie Welch and two penalties from striker Dan Herbert gave Ledbury a comfortable cushion at the interval.

A further goal sealed victory during the final 10 minutes with Herbert completing his hat-trick for the club, who last won the Ross Cup in the 2012-13 season.

But Ledbury started in uncertain fashion and Ewyas Harold scored a penalty after just three minutes following a foul by defender Pat Locke.

Teenage keeper Elliot Watts saved another effort but Welch levelled on 33 minutes and Ledbury then earned their first penalty of the contest when Marc Wildig was felled in the box.

Five minutes from the interval, Herbert fired home from the spot and then he made no mistake with a similar opportunity soon after when the Ewyas Harold keeper brought down Welch in the area.

However, Ewyas Harold got back into the game in the 56th minute with a second goal.

Ledbury regained control with Scott Roberts’ deflected free-kick saved by the keeper but they did need Watts to make a smart stop from a corner.

The New Street side felt they should have been awarded several free-kicks in dangerous positions but sealed their success nine minutes from time.

Fine play between Herbert and Welch resulted in the former firing the ball home following a perfect cross from the latter.

The celebratory drinks began to flow as Preedy, Welch and their team celebrated the first silverware of a troubled campaign, which saw the club closed at the start of the year due to heavy debts.

They have two further finals, beginning with Tenbury Town next Wednesday at Westfields’ ground in Hereford in the Herefordshire FA Junior Cup (7.30pm).

This will be followed by the HFA Burghill Cup final at Westfields on Wednesday, April 22 (7.30pm), against arch-rivals Bromyard.

The reserves, who are three points behind Bromyard, continue their title pursuit at sixth-placed Hinton Reserves in Broomy Hill, Hereford, tomorrow (2.30pm).