A SHANE Lock hat-trick fired Andover Lions into the first cup final in the club’s history as they triumphed 5-4 over Winchester Castle Reserves in the Hampshire Intermediate Cup.

The striker scored three goals inside the opening 35 minutes to give Lions what appeared to be a comfortable 4-2 half time lead.

But the game ended in controversy as a resolute Winchester Castle Reserve side had an equalising goal disallowed in the dying minutes after the linesman flagged for a foul on goalkeeper Zac Tolfrey.

The Lions, who had not played in eight weeks due to the Christmas break and recent wet weather, looked sluggish from the off and were made to pay when Winchester took the lead after nine minutes.

A poor clearance fell to a Winchester attacker and was calmly slotted in by Reed to give the visitors the early lead.

However the Lions equalised just a minute later when Tommy Stringer’s corner was sent goalwards by Robb and Lock pounced to knock the ball across the line.

The Lions then took the lead just Andover Lions’ Shane Lock who bagged a hat trick.

before the half hour mark when Allen played in Lock and the striker fought off two challenges to tap in his second of the match.

Just two minutes later Lock completed his hat-trick, running through from the halfway line before calmly slotting past the Winchester goalkeeper to put the Lions 3-1 up.

Darren Paris added a fourth on 40 minutes with a 25-yard shot and looked to be taking a comfortable three goal advantage into half time.

However the visitors pulled one back with the final attack of the half when Phillips pounced on a spilled free kick to poke home Winchester’s second.

The second half could not have started any better for Andover with Stringer smashing home within a minute of the restart to restore the home team’s three goal advantage.

For the next 25 minutes neither side created any clear chances and the Lions looked to be cruising through to their first final since they formed in 2011.

However Davis’s brilliant strike from 30 yards on 70 minutes soon changed that and brought Castle back to 5-3.

Robbie Owen was sent off on 78 minutes and Winchester sensed that they still had a chance.

The Lions had several chances to finish off the match but failed to capitalise and were made to pay when Morse scored a fourth for Castle on 90 minutes.

And it looked as if Winchester had sent the game to penalties when the visitors poked home an equaliser in the 93rd minute.

However Castle were left fuming when the linesman flagged for an infringement, ruling out the goal and sending Lions through to the final where they will face Broughton.