IN WHAT was the only all Chippenham & District Sunday League clash in the third round of the Wiltshire Sunday Cup, first Division White Horse (Sunday) left it late to beat second division FC Buscots, with the winning goal coming from the rarest of sources and with extra time looming.
Going into the game undefeated this season, the Devizes side would have fancied their chances of keeping that run going and showed signs in the opening stages that they had what it took.
Horse struggled to string two passes together and it was the hosts that asked all the early questions, without creating anything clear cut.
That all changed in the 15th minute when Rob Drown benefitted from defensive indecision to fire the home side into a deserved lead, his rasping 18-yard effort flying in off the underside of the crossbar.
Horse grew into the game, but although they tried to do the right things it was a frustrating first period as their passing radars remained scrambled.
The second half was a more open affair and chances began to come at either end, Tom Crawford should have done better for the visitors having done the hard work with a defence splitting run, only to place his shot wide, and at the other end Nathan Moffat and Adam Bewley were to rue missed opportunities, the former heading over when free and the latter hitting the crossbar with a curling effort.
With free-scoring Chris Stiles withdrawn through injury and replaced by veteran player-manager Clive Black, the writing would have appeared on the wall for the Westbury side, but the positional reshuffle had nearly an instant reaction, followed by the most ironic finale imaginable.
With Crawford now employed as Pete Ayton’s strike partner, Horse started to ask new questions in Buscots’ last third and it was the two that combined to devastating effect with 15 minutes on the clock, Crawford putting it on a plate and Ayton making no mistake with a calm finish past keeper James Baggott.
With the impetus now with them, White Horse pressed on and were awarded a dubious corner with 86 minutes on the clock.
The home side’s annoyance was increased seconds later as Black rolled back the years, lost his man and powered home his header from Ayton’s in-swinging ball.
Buscots huffed and puffed in the dying minutes, but their efforts were in vain as the guests soaked it up, before the final whistle confirmed their place in the quarter-finals of the Wilts Sunday Cup and meant their first-ever venture in the competition would continue into 2014.
Corsham Centre Youth 6 New Century WMC 2
LAST season’s beaten Sunday Cup finalists New Century WMC would have arrived at Merition Avenue confident of seeing off division four leaders Corsham Centre Youth.
The Swindon League Division one leaders came up against a home side who served up their Sunday best as they kept Pete Ralph’s dreams of lifting the trophy aloft for a fifth time thanks to a 6-2 win.
The Centre were three up with barely 12 minutes on the clock, Ben Thomson scored from the penalty spot on five minutes, Ross Lye squared to Simon Gray who doubled the lead on eight minutes and when Darrin Moss crossed for Thomson to knock in his second and the Centre’s third on 12 minutes it looked as if the good old days had returned to Corsham.
The hosts then switched off and allowed New Century back into the tie and two goals before half time kept the game very much alive.
A second penalty of the game from Thomson saw him complete his hat-trick and put the Centre back in control.
New Century had the chance to reduce the deficit but missed from the spot and they paid the price as Ross Lye provided a second assist for Gray who made it 5-1, before Adam Shipman came out with the ball following a crunching challenge, Simpman then played in Ross Lye who in turn set up Darrin Moss to plant the ball home seal what was a fantastic result for a Centre side.
FC Bulford 3 Biddestone Social 2
BIDDESTONE Social’s hopes of retaining the Wiltshire Sunday Cup ended in defeat at Salisbury & District first division side FC Bulford, who beat the cup holders 3-2 thanks to a goal five minutes from time.
It would be fair to say that Biddestone are a long way from the side who beat New Century WMC 4-2 last April, but nothing should be taken away from Bulford who deserved their win. The hosts saw their lead wiped out by an own goal. Bulford regained the lead only for Gary Banks to make it two-apiece.
With extra time minutes away the game could have gone either way but it was Bulford who struck late on to book their place in the quarter finals.
CHIPPENHAM SUNDAY LEAGUE ROUNDUP, STATS AND PICTURES IN THURSDAY'S GAZETTE & HERALD AND FRIDAY'S WILTSHIRE TIMES AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @gazsport and @WTSport
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