KNOCKOUT CUP SEMI FINAL: Corsham Centre A have reached this season’s reebrooks-sponsored Eric Hughes Memorial Knockout Cup Final after they overcame fellow top side Westbury Rangers A to set up a meeting with second division Pheasant.

The Centre who have won the cup twice in the last four years and Rangers who were last terms beaten finalists went head to head at the Conigre, home of Melksham Town FC and although the conditions overhead may have started overcast but as the sun started to shine so did both teams as they fought out a thrilling contest that brightened up at sometimes was a dull day as it lived up to pre-match expectations and produced a feast of football that would have made a great final.

The Centre claimed a 7-3 extra time success that was a little controversial to say the least as Rangers believed that two of the Centre’s goal shouldn’t have been given.

Rangers took an early lead though Matty Smith’s long range effort and although both teams had chances to find the net it was the Centre who scored the all important second goal that saw them bring the scores level just before the interval when Simon Gray scored a great one on one beating Rangers keeper Nathan Taylor wit ha neat finish.

The Centre were buoyed by their goal just before the break and opened up a 3-1 led within five minutes of the restart, with Gray making it 2-1 and James Lye adding number three.

Rangers looked a beaten side but they fought back and halved the deficit with Marc Lanfear scoring in the 63rd minute. Nathan Hallett’s 85th minute strike took the game to extra time.

The Centre’s substitute Liam Ralph gave them a 4-3 lead in the first period of added time and the game was effectively over when Simon Gray completed his hat trick with a goal that Rangers believed was scored from an offside position.

Gray then made it 6-3 as he sealed a four timer before Liam Ralph put the icing on the cake with goal number seven.