Whitchurch fall agonisingly short of cup final glory

The Jamboys took an impressive City side all the way to a shoot-out at Foxcotte Park last Wednesday but could have won it in regulation time, only to be denied by Warren Bentley, who netted a dramatic 96th minute equaliser for Winchester.

However Whitchurch, who went ahead through Matt Austin's second half header, had to withstanding heavy pressure throughout the game from the Wessex Premier League runners-up.

Whitchurch started the game brightest after Tim Brasseur glanced a header narrowly wide from a Jack McCarthy free-kick while Josh Green caused panic in the box with another free-kick which went across the box untouched.

Gareth Barfoot, in the City goal was forced to go down at Tom Lockyer’s feet and then go to full stretch to save and as the game flowed Charlie Smeeton fired across the face of goal.

With Winchester looking the more dangerous the half ended with Mitch Fear firing over and a Smeeton effort blocked.

The second half continued with Fear heading over from a corner, Smeeton burying a shot in Snelling’s midriff and Zac Glasspool shooting wastefully wide after clever play from Bentley.

Winchester were too often over elaborate on a bumpy pitch and it was Whitchurch who had the chance to open the scoring after 53 minutes but after Lockyer was bundled over in the area Green’s spot-kick was too close to the sprawling Barfoot who saved.

Whitchurch picked themselves up and broke the deadlock on the hour as the Winchester defence froze in the face of a diagonal free-kick from the left and Austin’s header looped over the stranded Barfoot.

As the game moved into stoppage time the ball went loose from a Whitchurch throw and Bentley pounced to rescue his side at the death.

In the penalty shoot out Whitchurch missed their first two to put themselves on the back foot and when Micky Hubbard converted the fifth for Winchester it was all over.