STIFFS CAUSE MAJOR UPSET AS WESTBURY RESERVES REACH FINAL
QUARTER-FINAL – THE STIFFS FC 3 TROWBRIDGE TOWN RESERVES FC 2
Second Division, The Stiffs produced one of the biggest cup shocks for many seasons after the ended the A&B Cup hopes of First division, Trowbridge Town Reserves who were huge favourites to dispose of the underdogs and book a semi-final meeting with Heytesbury next weekend.
The Stiffs who had won only 3 of their 19 league outings this season were expected to be lambs to the slaughter, however it wasn’t to be as George Hartrey’s produced their best performance for many years and were 3-0 up inside the first 15 minutes and were also denied twice by the metal work.
Ben Fielding netted on 10 minutes to give the Stiffs the lead, within a minute Trowbridge were 2-0 down as Tom Wilkes doubled the hosts advantage and 2 minutes later a shell-shocked Trowbridge side trailed 3-0 as a Cain Curtis own goal extended the lead even further and all this came after both Wilkes and Luke Saunderson had rattled the bar for the Stiffs.
Chris Steele got Trowbridge back in the tie on 43 minutes and Steve Martin’s side would have expected to build on that goal in the second period, but although Josh Lewis grabbed a second for Trowbridge, his 92nd minute effort was just a consolation and was to little, too late as Stiffs saw out the remainder of the game to claim a famous win.
WESTBURY BEAT PARK UNITED TO REACH A&B CUP FINAL
SEMI-FINAL – PARK UNITED FC 1 WESTBURY UNITED RESERVES FC 2 – AET
Bradley King-Taylor’s Westbury United Reserves, side have the chance of salvaging something from what so far will be viewed as a disappointing campaign after booked their place in the final of this season’s PAH Accounting sponsored A&B Cup.
Westbury needed extra-time to end the hopes of Second Division Park United, who in the space of 8 days suffered disappointment at the semi-final stage in both the Knockout and A&B Cup competitions.
In what was an entertaining and closely fought contest it was Westbury who took the lead when Luke Murden gave them a first half advantage.
Park fashioned a second half equaliser that saw Jamie Norman restore parity to take the game to extra-time.
With both sides having chances to take the lead it was Westbury who scored the all-important second goal on 113 minutes via Otis Young.
Westbury will face either Division One and Wiltshire Junior Cup winners Heytesbury or Second division The Stiffs in the Final on April 25th.