New Street bow out of FA Cup

The first game took place away last Saturday afternoon.

Andover New Street’s elevation in to the F.A.Cup as one of the “lucky” Step Six Clubs meant they were always going to start as underdogs whoever the opposition and Western League Shepton Mallet away was always going to be a difficult draw, more so as they had won their opening two league fixtures by a combined score of 13-0.

On a pristine playing surface, happily unaffected by a pre-match downpour, New Street, playing in all orange, found themselves kicking up the slope after having to make a late change when midfielder Max Allen pulled out after the warm up.

Both sides showed attacking intention from the outset with Danny Field too high for Street and a home free kick sliding past the far post before Luke Hooper was inches away from beating keeper Tom Easterbrook to a Matt Scott through ball. Street survived a little luckily when a corner to the far post was met by an overhead kick from Harvey Baker that bounced back off the post and in to the grateful arms of goalkeeper Chris Wing, to be followed by a corner that went across the six yard box untouched by attackers and defenders alike. Good work by Joe Rogers and Mikey Davis ended with a cross that Easterbrook snatched off Robbie Owen’s head before Street caused themselves problems, firstly with some confusion between the goalkeeper and his defenders and then by two almost bizarre bouts of passing the ball across their own six yard area. The home side carved out perhaps the best chance of the half when Aaron Seviour outpaced the defence in pursuit of a through ball but shot hastily wide with only Wing to beat, this after the referee allowed play to go on for some time with Field down through injury. Two home corners in quick succession came to nothing and Wing saved well from Dawid Regula (that is not a typing error) before the half finished with the keeper going down at Hooper’s feet –The first half finished goalless but it was a half in which the home side had enjoyed the greater possession and posed the greater threat.

Street started the second half with Lloyd Thompson replacing Luke Hooper who had looked far from comfortable in the opening forty five minutes and saw a Shane Lock effort saved by Easterbrook and after surviving a couple of dangerous crosses the visitors enjoyed a good spell. A free kick from Davis on the edge of the “D” bounced to safety off the defensive wall, an Owen header shaved the far post and the keeper came a long way out of his area to narrowly beat Lock to a through ball. The home side were the first to make changes and Nathan Legge produced a dangerous cross within seconds of coming on that perhaps should have bought some reward. An Owen cross was well claimed by the keeper and a free kick deflected wide before Street, who had dominated the half so far, almost made the breakthrough Thompson fastened on to a long clearance from Matt Scott, outpaced the defence only for Easterbrook to make a stunning one handed save low to his left. If one was to be harsh it was a miss but it was a brilliant piece of goalkeeping. Substitutes appeared at regulat intervals and Wing held a corner underneath his crossbar before the Wessex League side had whar looked a justifiable claim for a penalty turned down as Locke tumbled in the area. With time running out and the now youthful Street side tiring, the ascendancy awitched back to the visitors and Joel Sisson made rather a hash of meeting a corner at the far post as New Street held on through a nervous final five minutes and a thankfully sensible amount of injury time. A game played in excellent spirit with just two cautions and a first class performance by New Street. Wing did everything asked of him in goal, Adam Pearson and Scott formed a formidable barrier at the heart of the defence and the effort from the whole side was immense, with three teenagers holding their own in midfield towards the end.

The replay took place at Foxcotte Park on Tuesday night, and New Street were unable to put in a repeat performance- Shepton Mallett running out 4-0 winners.

Goals for the visitors came from Callum Gould, Nick Hewlett, Harvey Baker, and Nathan Legge.

Up next for New Street is a return to league action, when they host Infinity at home tomorrow afternoon before the local derby away to Town next Tuesday.