Town march on in Cup

With both teams playing their fourth game in eight days it was not surprising that many of the players wilted in the heat, but it was the home team who emerged victorious against Premier Division basement side Pegasus Juniors to progress into the quarter finals to play Division One West side Purton on Monday 18th April.

Although Town enjoyed the better possession and exerted tremendous pressure from numerous corners throughout the match, a combination of excellent goal keeping from man of the match Oneal Garnes and poor finishing by the visitors Tom Boyle and Richard Parsons on more than one occasion where the back bone behind Town’s win.

The architects behind much of Town’s attacks were wingers Billy Gordon and Adam Jeffrey but it was a long clearance by Garnes on the half hour that found Danny Isaiew and enabled the forward to out run his marker to round keeper Liam Brewster to give the home team a half time advantage. Ten minutes earlier Brewster had conceded a corner as he saved well from Nick Edwards’ point blank shot following good work by Jamie Fairchild.

Town enjoyed the better of the opening minutes of the second half with Isaiew and Jeffrey both failing to reach low crosses from Jeffrey but it was Pegasus who were to score when Town failed to defend a long throw into their penalty area for the visitors lively Joel Skyers to out jump the defence and head the ball into the net off the inside of Garnes left post on fifty three minutes.

With the introduction of Dominic MacKenzie, Town’s forward line was given greater urgency as Town continued to pressurise and it was another cross from Jeffrey that led to the home side restoring their lead when Paul Holloway passed the ball into the net from close range after sixty five minutes.

Three minutes later MacKenzie extended Town’s lead when he also scored from close range, this time from a Jeffrey pass.

With Town looking comfortable and Pegasus not threatening the game went into a lull until Skyers’ cross was headed home by his captain Mark Davies to set up a nervous final twelve minutes with the best chances falling to MacKenzie, only for Brewster to smother the ball at the forward’s feet, and Davies who fired wide with six minutes remaining.

However, with no more goals Town secured the quarter final position. However, before meeting Purton, this week sees the team in league action at Hungerford Town Reserves on Tuesday and hosting Penn & Tylers Green on Saturday.

Garnes, Jewell, Thomas, Edwards, Hiscock, Baxter, Jeffrey Waring), Holloway, Fairchild (Godwin), Isaiew, Gordon (MacKenzie), Subs not used: Varndell, White

Attendance: 49