'Bridge cup hopes over'

Slimbridge 0, Fairford Town 1

FAIRFORD Town triumphed 1-0 at Wisloe Road in this challenge cup first round time with an 82nd minute winner from skipper Lee Clark. This result ended a 12 match unbeaten run from Slimbridge, whose last defeat came in a league match on September 6, also at home, against Southall town by the same score line.

Both sides had key players missing but Tommy Callinan, the former Cinderford Town player/manager made his debut for Slimbridge and contributed soundly in a tight match of very few clear cut chances. Outstanding for the home side where defender Leon Sterling until departing with a leg injury on 72 minutes and mid fielder Bradley Thomas looking sharper by the match.

The first half saw Julian Freeman just fail to control a ball in front of the Fairford goal after a neat flick from Craig Cole set him up and then, on 19 minutes a Steve Badham corner saw Callinan head over the visitors bar. Fairford seemed content to play a lone attacker for most of the time and subsequently the midfield was too congested. On half time Cole fed Badham who brought a good save from James Price in the visitors goal and then Ben Parsons had the first shot on the home goal after good build up play, but Ryan Chandler was not troubled.

The second half opened with a free kick on the edge of the Slimbridge penalty area, but Ryan Lovegrove hit a solid effort starting at Chandler who held on well.

There then followed another bout of stifling midfield play where neither side managed much and it did seem that perhaps one moment of magic or a mistake might decide this tie.

The half wore on and with 76 minutes gone Freeman put in a cross from the left for Marc Thomas to head narrowly wide and Slimbridge were appearing to press more, especially after some good approach work Stan Badham hit a post from 25 yards with Price nowhere. Then, against the run of play, Fairford scored what proved to be the winner on 82 minutes. From a corner on the right the ball was flicked on at the near post, totally wrong footing the home defence and up popped Clark at the far post to net with his downward header.

To their credit Slimbridge pressed on but a decisive opening was proving elusive and besides, Town, like most Premier Division clubs, know only to well how to close up a game and so it proved. Slimbridge, in pushing up nearly conceded a second when Lovegrove and Chessall combined late on with good inter-passing, but the former's shot was just off target.

The whistle went and Fairford were through to the second round and Slimbridge can rue the fact that one fatal piece of slack marking had done for them, ironically a fact that bright memories of their last defeat to mind, an unlucky 13 games ago.

Team: R Chandler, L Sterling (M Casey 72), J Embling, A Pritchett, A Paul, T Callinen, M Thomas (W Hill 85), B Thomas, J Freeman, C Cole. S Badham. Sub not used: R Casey.

Slimbridge resume their Hellenic Premier programme tomorrow with arguably their most difficult away game of the season at Didcot Town and will have to dig deep with Ross Casey suspended for this game and Ashley Thomas who received an ankle injury last week against Harrow Hill, also out for a few weeks. With a number of other players carrying knocks, Doug Gray will be likely to have a few anxious days before naming a side for this game.

On Tuesday Slimbridge return to Wisloe Road for a home game against Bishops Cleeve (kick off 7.30pm), a team they beat 1-0 in the reverse fixture back in September, but results wise appear to be getting a good run going themselves, so another hard test awaits.

Slimbridge lottery for October 25: Five, seven and ten. No winner. Rollover to £250. end