Stroud Charity Cup Dursley Town 3 Brimscombe & Thrupp 0

DURSLEY booked their place in the semi-finals of the Stroud Charity Cup on Sunday with a well-deserved win over league leaders Brimscombe.

Town, missing a number of first team regulars, welcomed the experienced quartet of Curtis, Mills, Clarke and Sharpe into the squad and set out with the intention of containing the visitors and hitting them on the break.

The plan worked to perfection in the first half as the back four defended excellently and the strike partnership of Trinder and Beevor looked capable of creating chances.

Dursley took the lead on the half hour when excellent passing from Wayne Hill and Kev Clarke put Dave Trinder through, with Trinder unselfishly squaring the ball for Beevor to slot home from close range. Dursley scored again just after half-time when substitute Martin Booth raced clear of the defence and finished with a deft flick.

Dursley grew in stature during the second half with Dolbear, Phillips, Trinder and Gillingham winning the midfield battle and Booth's pace causing the Brimscombe defence problems. Dursley twice went close to extending their lead when Booth had a goal disallowed and Phillips saw his volley expertly tipped around the post by the Brimscombe keeper.

Brimscombe put Dursley under considerable pressure towards the end of the game but the defence of Hill, Mills, Hart and Curtis stood firm. The passage to the semi-finals was sealed in the dying minutes when Ian Beevor turned inside the centre half and finished in the bottom corner. Dursley showed considerable heart and team spirit to win in testing conditions and will hope to carry their good form into the next round.