Frome Town produced an outstanding second half performance to win the Somerset Premier Cup by beating Southern League Paulton Rovers 3-1 in front of a large crowd and after trailing 1-0 at the interval.

After the heroics at Dawlish on Monday that saw Frome almost certainly clinch promotion to the Southern League, suspensions, injuries and ineligibility forced Andy Crabtree to reshuffle the squad, and with Nathan Rudge, Greg Lake, Dan Harvey, Simon Millard and Leigh Burke all unavailable, Paul Farrell started his first game of the season at centre back, Alex Lapham returned from injury and Ian Kennedy brought his ball winning skills to the midfield.

As the match started, with Frome kicking up the slope into the wind and the driving rain, it took a while for the team to gel, and in the 4th minute, Paulton went very close as Lane did well on the left wing, his low cross caused problems in the Frome defence and a snapshot from Claridge thudded against the base of the post before being cleared. With Lane again causing more problems 2 minutes later, the writing was on the wall, and Lane duly opened the scoring in the 11th minute as he hit a left foot, dipping, 30 yard volley into the top corner of the goal to give Paulton a deserved lead.

At this point, Frome were more concerned with surviving than anything else, and Lane again went close in the 21st minute as he outpaced Cheeseman and hit another screaming left foot shot that just dipped over the bar. Frome mounted their first attack of the game in the 28th minute as Salter shot just past the post, but then Fey had to make a good low save two minutes later to deny Claridge after a corner, and in the 32nd minute a cleverly worked Paulton free kick thudded into the side netting. Farrell cleared off the line in the 34th minute as Paulton again went close, and it was with relief that Frome managed to get to half time with just the one goal deficit.

Only the players will know what Andy Crabtree said at half time, but it must have been something momentous, because the second half turned out to be a very different game and showed how deep this team can dig when the chips are down.

The huge Frome support knew that an early goal was required if they were to have any chance, and in the very first minute of the half, Salter went close as a low Percival right wing cross found him in space in the box, but the ball deflected for a corner. With the wind and the slope in their favour, Frome now looked a different side, and this early pressure led to their first goal in which the 50th minute which arrived courtesy of Frome's Player of the Season, Jamie Cheeseman as he produced a powerful header from a Gomes right wing corner which bounced down on the line and up into the roof of the net for the equaliser.

The Frome fans went wild with delight, and they were pinching themselves 3 minutes later as Joe Gomes produced a 30 yard curling free kick that completely deceived Redwood in the Paulton goal, he never moved as the ball buried itself in the corner of the net to give Frome a 2-1 lead.

Paulton seemed stunned by these events, and Frome were able to keep applying pressure with both Percival and Gomes going close in the next few minutes, but as the half wore on Paulton re-grouped and started to look more dangerous as they looked for the equaliser. Fey did really well in the 80th minute to save at the feet of a Paulton forward as they counter attacked quickly after a Frome raid, but then good work by Allison set up a chance for Salter that was deflected for a corner in the 83rd minute.

In the 85th minute, Paulton's Rob Claridge was shown a straight red for a tackle on Matt Peters that incensed the Frome players, but they very nearly equalised in the 90th minute as a right wing cross was somehow headed past the post by a Paulton forward who was under intense pressure from Matt Cowler at the time.

As injury time started, Redwood produced an excellent save to deny Matt Peters a goal as he hit a cleanly struck left foot volley that seemed destined for the corner of the net, and Peters was again involved in the 93rd minute as he rolled a pass to Allison who stepped inside his marker to score the third with a crisp right foot shot from 15 yards that gave Redwood no chance and ensure that Frome had won their first trophy for many years.

What a match, what a result and what a show of character. The presentation of the cup provoked scenes of jubilation that will be talked about for a long time to come.

Ian Kennedy was named Man of the Match for a tireless performance in midfield continually disrupted the Paulton midfield and laid the foundations for the eventual victory.

Frome Team: Fey (c), Cowler, Missiato, Farrell, Cheeseman, Percival, Lapham (Peters 75), Kennedy (Caslake 94), Salter, Allison, Gomes. Subs: Quelch, Bryant, Metcalf.

Paulton Team: Redwood, Tovey, Trought, Ball, Price, Cousin, Cleverley, French, Claridge, Jefferies, Lane Subs: Hulbert, Beswetherick, Hughes, Evans Referee: Kevin Johnson: Assts: Ian Harley, Nigel Fry