Shoreham 0 Ringmer 0 (aet).

(Shoreham won 10-9 on pens).

Fred Proto hailed the progress of his Shoreham side after they lifted the John O'Hara League Cup for the second time in three years.

The Musselmen kept their nerve in a tense penalty shoot-out at Three Bridges to reclaim the trophy they won in 2006.

Shoreham took the tie 10-9 on spot-kicks against Ringmer after 120 minutes had failed to separate the teams.

While the game itself was pretty dour, everything at Shoreham seems pretty rosy right now.

After winning promotion back to division one under Proto and joint boss Jason Rutherford in 2005 the club have not looked back. They comfortably avoided relegation the following season while also winning the League Cup, showed further progress last year and look on course for a top ten finish this season.

Proto, who now shares management duties with Darren Donnelly, said: "After Jason and I joined we won promotion from division one, consolidated and won the cup the following year and now we are holding our own in division one and hoping to finish in the top eight or nine.

"As a team we have progressed really well but behind the scenes we have progressed too. A lot has been done to the ground, the pitch, the clubhouse and we hope to move on further. The lads have been superb this year and, hopefully, next year with two or three new faces we can improve again. As a club we are going forwards which is good to see."

Ringmer were hoping to win the trophy in memory of Herve King, their former player who died on the pitch during a game with Three Bridges a month ago.

However, they were unable to produce the performance they wanted and there was little to shout about until the penalty shoot-out.

Shoreham were more organised in the first half and used the ball a lot better in windy conditions but chances were at a premium.

Dean Smith looked to have broken the deadlock for Shoreham on 16 minutes with a shot from the edge of the penalty area which beat Ringmer keeper Joe Adams, hit the underside of the crossbar and appeared to bounce down over the line.

Smith needed a Russian linesman but, unfortunately for him, he got one from Hurstpierpoint who ruled the ball had not gone in.

Ringmer improved in the second half but it was the Musselmen who had the better of the few chances that came along.

Darren Annis had a shot blocked within two minutes of the restart and Jamie Groves shot over when he should have done better.

Shoreham's central defensive pairing of captain Matt Hurley and Dan Jordan were superb throughout and it was 79 minutes before Ringmer's 40-goal striker Marc Whiteman had a sniff at goal, a shot which went over.

In the second period of extra time Shoreham had veteran midfielder Mark Burt sent off for a second bookable offence.

It was a sad way to go for a player who has hinted this could be his last season but Burt was one of the first on the pitch 20 minutes later as Shoreham celebrated their penalty shoot-out win.

Having gone 120 minutes without a goal hopes were not high for the shoot-out but the quality of the spot-kicks was superb as 18 were converted without fail.

Shoreham goalkeeper Steve Allfrey then stepped up to successfully convert his for a 10-9 advantage and that proved enough as Ringmer's Dan McLaughlin sent his effort wide of Allfrey's left-hand post.

Proto said: "It wasn't the best of finals. It was very bitty and scrappy. I thought we did enough and had more clear-cut chances.

"Penalties are part of the competition and fortunately for us we didn't miss one. We do practise them. We always have a little run through before a cup game and it helps players settle their minds."

Ringmer assistant-manager Paul Thomsett said: "It wasn't a good way to lose. The game was nothing and neither team really deserved to win. We negated each other."

Shoreham: Allfrey, Rajan, Phillpott, Hurley, Jordan (sub Proto 118), Burt, Smith, Taylor, Boddy (sub Callaghan 105), Annis (sub Denyer 91), Groves. Subs not used: Mighall, Green.

Ringmer: Adams, Soutar, Hart, Hunt (sub Price 71), McLaughlin, MacMillan, Johnson (sub Greatwich 75), Gedling, Whiteman, Scerri (sub Patel 103), Barden. Subs not used: Matten, Novis.

Referee: Phil Wilkes (Hove).

Attendance: 360.

Man-of-the-match: Matt Hurley (Shoreham).