Onchan outclassed Castletown with a 5-1 victory in the Paul Henry Gold Cup final on Sunday afternoon at the Bowl.  

Onchan started the match in dominant fashion, pressing high and creating a couple of early half-chances.  

Despite the early pressure, Castletown took the lead in the fifth minute. Tom Moore was fouled and Greg Radcliffe's resulting free-kick found its way to Ash Egan who redirected it with his shin past a helpless Callum Dawson into the far corner. 

The goal jolted Town into life and Radcliffe was imperious in the air, repelling any attempted advances with ease. The Os then suffered an early blow when Tom Creer went off injured, replaced by Tom Lancaster.  

Town had strong appeals for a penalty turned down after what appeared to be a clear handball by an Onchan defender inside the box. 

Ste Whitley then provided a moment of brilliance, turning Castletown’s left-back Adam Lane and delivering a dangerous cross. The ball fell to Connor Dawson who burst into the box before being eventually tackled. 

The game continued to ebb and flow, and in the 19th minute Onchan equalised with a spectacular goal.  

Connor Dawson brushed aside Olly Shearer before cutting the ball back to Josh Kennaugh who unleashed a powerful shot from 25 yards. It took a slight deflection off a defender's toe and found the bottom corner. 

The Os’ second came only four minutes later. Egan failed to deal with a simple ball, allowing Lancaster to pounce. He drove forward, rounded keeper Adam Kinvig and calmly slotted into an empty net for 2-1. 

The momentum was firmly with Onchan who nearly added a third when Whitley’s corner hit the crossbar.

Town had opportunities to equalise but were wasteful in front of goal. Radcliffe headed a corner over the bar, while Harry Hinks also broke down the left and crossed to Luca Simmons who in turn found Danny Lane six yards out.  

But Lane couldn't sort his feet out quick enough to challenge the goalkeeper with any power. 

Both teams were bypassing the midfield, opting for long balls. Barry English tried a cheeky lob that hit the sidenetting. At the other end, Dawson’s poor handling of a cross nearly gave Castletown an in but Nathan Cardy’s shot went wide.  

The second half resumed slowly, with an early stoppage as Egan received treatment for an injury.  

In the 49th minute, the Os extended their lead in style. The linesman kept his flag down as Lancaster was in an offside position but not involved. This allowed Tom O’Neill to race onto Whitley’s through ball and clip a stunning 30-yard effort over the backpedalling Kinvig's head, making it 3-1. 

Tempers flared shortly after when Simmons clashed with an opponent, resulting in a booking.  

Despite their efforts to push forward, Town struggled to create any meaningful chances. Rob Teare and Adam Lane had to double up to contain Whitley. Radcliffe was booked for dissent and Cardy was sent to the sinbin, reducing Castletown to 10 men. 

Onchan's dominance was further cemented in the 67th minute when super-sub Sam Cubbon raced into the box to meet Dawson's free-kick and make it 4-1.  

Castletown introduced Alex Crawley in a desperate attempt to turn things around, but his impact was minimal. Onchan captain James Kerruish remained a rock at the back, winning every aerial duel. 

As the match entered its final stages, Town's frustration grew. They struggled to create chances from open play, with Crawley hitting the crossbar from a corner.  

Simmons missed another opportunity inside the box, dragging an effort wide. At the other end, Shearer’s last-ditch tackle denied Aaron Christian. 

In the 88th minute, Onchan sealed the rout. O’Neill's corner from the left found an unmarked Whitley who unleashed a thunderous half-volley that struck the inside of the far post before going in and making it 5-1. 

The final whistle eventually blew after 11 minutes of added time and Onchan were crowned Paul Henry Gold Cup champions.  

DEAN TURTON