MARKET Hotel made history when they became the first Ashford side to lift the Kent Premier Sunday Cup with a brilliant 2-1 win over The Grove at Corinthian on Sunday. The talented Ashford squad snatched victory with an 88th minute winner from Ronnie Williams after soaking up incessant pressure and surviving a second half penalty.

Match hero was goalkeeper Jamie Taylor who saved the penalty and who was just outstanding in the game, to deny an increasingly frustrated Grove side from Orpington. It was joy at last for Market who lifted the trophy at the third attempt with their last final 12 years ago.

Market made the worst possible start to the game when they conceded a penalty in the first minute of the match. A clumsy tackle by Scott Thomas was convincingly punished but after that Taylor was invincible and his defence outstanding.

They had to withstand some heavy pressure as Grove pressed for a second but having withstood the onslaught Market started to get back into the game and were always dangerous on the counter attack. They equalised after 15 minutes with the best move of the match.

The two sides were still locked at 1-1 at the interval but in the second half Market had to survive some intense pressure from the Grove who featured a number of Kent League players, particularly from Cray Wanderers. Grove's frustrations boiled over as Market's defences proved insurmountable.

Fifteen minutes from the end a ball was knocked out near the corner flag and when Market skipper Mike Heather went to get it he took a kick to his head and the Grove player was sent off for violent conduct. It was then up to Market to make the most of the last period of the game with an extra man advantage but it was not until the closing minutes that the dramatic winner came. It gave Market an amazing five major trophies in a quite incredible season.