A AND B CUP: The delayed quarter-final of the Pied Piper Promotions-sponsored A and B Cup saw Trowbridge Town A beat hosts Blue Circle by 5-3.

Darryl Maxwell got the home side off to a perfect start giving them the lead, but by the half-time interval Trowbridge were level through Lee Hayward.

The second half saw a different Trowbridge side take to the field as they were determined to strike with every opportunity they had. Jamie Dennison put Trowbridge in front before Lee Hayward scored his second to make it 3-1.

Still wanting to make fight of it Blue Circle hit back with a goal from Dean Osment for 3-2, but Trowbridge continued to push forward and scored their fourth goal through Jordan DeSilva. With time rapidly running out Blue Circle struck again with Maxwell grabbing his second goal of the match, but it was Trowbridge who scored the last goal, from Joe Grant.

Bratton 1, The Deverills 0

THE Deverills travelled to Bratton for the quarter final replay in this season’s A and B Cup.

The first game saw Bratton dominate and The Deverills were lucky to take the game to a replay. This game was a tighter affair with both sides limited to few chances. Bratton took theirs, The Deverills didn’t and never looked like doing so.

With most of the danger teams out of the cup, this leaves Bratton with a great chance of lifting the trophy this season.

The level of performance from his side was worlds apart from last week’s victory over Frome Town Sports leaving Deverills manager Angus McClellan bemused at how his side can perform so inconsistently.

Windy conditions and a boggy pitch meant this wasn’t going to be a game for the purists, but The Deverills didn’t take long to start exerting pressure onto Bratton. Their approach play from back to front was pleasing on the eye, strikers Lewis and Payne coming deep and linking well with the midfield of Sean Holton, Nick Bunyard, Lee Carpenter and transfer window signing Matt Hobbs, but they were unable to get in behind the resilient Bratton back four.

Playing against the wind, The Deverills full backs were getting a lot of the ball. Fellowes, following a good performance last week, had seemingly left his passing boots in the changing rooms as he failed miserably to find his team-mates. This resulted in The Deverills getting stuck in their half as neither side carved out many openings. The Deverills’ one chance of the half came when Sean Holton muscled his way through on the right side of goal, and with the goal at his mercy shot wide, leaving the half-time score at 0-0.

The second half continued to be scrappy and niggly as both sides started taking their frustrations out on one another. Bratton broke the deadlock, a long ball and lapse at the back let in the Bratton number 11 Dan Cox, who calmly slotted past the Deverills keeper to give Bratton a 1-0 advantage.

McClellan made two changes, withdrawing Matt Hobbs and the injured Fellowes, bringing on some youthful fresh legs in Dan Hannah and Aaron Donaldson as The Deverills chased the equaliser. They and half the ground thought they had it as a Payne header was seemingly over the line before the keeper pushed it out, but the referee missed the incident.

The Deverills had a strong shout for handball also turned down as Carpenter hit a sweet strike, which he claims was flying into the net before a Bratton defender palmed it clear.

Bratton continued to threaten on the break and only a string of fine saves from Scott Lewis and last ditch challenges from Aaron Stevens, Gallazi and Donaldson kept the game competitive. With the final kick of the game the Deverills should have put the game into extra-time. Holton won a free kick down the right and Gary Lewis whipped it onto Payne’s head and The Deverills top scorer header just over the bar with the keeper beaten.

Bratton are deservedly through to the semi-finals, leaving The Deverills licking their wounds with only the league and KO Cup to focus on.